The core documents
- Signed broker-carrier agreement. Read the payment terms and any double-brokering clause.
- W-9. The legal name and tax ID must match IRS records exactly; a mismatch is a common automated rejection.
- Certificate of insurance (COI). Sent by your agent, broker named as certificate holder, showing auto liability, cargo and (for reefer) reefer breakdown.
- Operating authority. Your USDOT and MC numbers; some brokers ask for the authority letter.
- Notice of assignment (NOA) if you factor, so the broker pays your factoring company.
- Banking or remittance details if you don’t factor.
Also commonly checked
- BOC-3 on file with FMCSA (it’s required before your authority is granted).
- Insurance filing on FMCSA (BMC-91/91X) matching your COI.
- Contact details matching your MCS-150: phone, email and address.
- ELD provider and sometimes tracking consent.
- General liability and workers’ comp certificates for brokers that require them.
- Identity checks: some brokers want a photo of the driver’s license and the truck number.
Before you send it
- Update your MCS-150 if anything changed. Mismatches look like fraud to setup platforms.
- Make sure your insurance limits meet the broker’s minimum. Most want $1M auto and $100K cargo.
- Check the broker’s authority-age rule; an early application often becomes a recorded rejection.
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Questions carriers ask
Do brokers accept a COI I send myself?
Usually not. Most require the certificate to come directly from your insurance agent.
What is RMIS, Highway or MyCarrierPackets?
They're setup platforms brokers use to collect your packet and run identity, insurance and compliance checks. One profile can be reused across brokers on the same platform.
Related guides
- Why your carrier setup got rejected
- Why brokers want $1 million auto liability
- Passing the new entrant safety audit
- Carrier requirements for the top brokers
Sources
- TrueNorth: carrier packets (Oct 9, 2026)
- FMCSA: what is the vetting process (updated May 22, 2023)
- TQL carrier requirements (RMIS)
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This guide is general information, not legal or insurance advice.