1. Your authority is too new
Many brokers want your operating authority active for 30, 90, 180 days or a year before they’ll set you up. Rules vary a lot: C.H. Robinson asks for 7 days, while others want six months or more. See the list of brokers that work with new authority.
2. Your insurance limits are below their minimum
The federal minimum for general freight is $750K auto liability, but most large brokers ask for $1M plus $100K cargo. If your insurer filed only $750K with FMCSA, brokers that check the filing will see that. More in why brokers ask for $1M.
3. Insurance isn’t on file, or is about to cancel
Brokers check FMCSA’s licensing and insurance record. No active BMC-91/91X filing, or a pending BMC-35 cancellation notice, is an automatic no at most brokers.
4. Your safety rating is Conditional or Unsatisfactory
Unrated is normal for small carriers and most brokers accept it. Conditional is where many large brokers draw the line. See what a Conditional rating means and how to upgrade it.
5. Your out-of-service rates are high
Brokers compare your vehicle and driver out-of-service rates with the national averages. A few bad inspections on a small carrier can push you over. See how OOS rates are judged.
6. Your paperwork doesn’t match FMCSA
A W-9 whose name and tax ID don’t match IRS records, a phone or email that differs from your FMCSA registration, or equipment listed differently (for example “power only” when you run a trailer) all trigger rejections. Update your MCS-150 first, then reapply.
7. Identity and fraud checks flagged you
Setup platforms like Highway, RMIS and MyCarrierPackets look for recent ownership or contact changes, shared contact details across carriers and compromised inboxes. Some brokers also ask for photos of the driver’s license and truck number. If you recently changed your email or address, expect extra verification.
8. Your authority was revoked before
A past revocation can count against you even after reinstatement, and some brokers restart the authority-age clock from the reinstatement date.
9. Your certificate of insurance wording is wrong
The COI usually has to come straight from your agent, name the broker as certificate holder, and sometimes include reefer breakdown coverage or the setup platform as additional insured. Check the carrier packet checklist.
What to do next
Run the free check below. It reads your FMCSA record, tests it against every broker’s published rules and tells you which of these is your blocker and what fixing it opens up.
Free check · 10 seconds
See which of 23 brokers will approve you.
Enter your USDOT or MC. We pull your FMCSA record and check it against every broker's published rules. No sign-up.
Questions carriers ask
Will a broker tell me why I was rejected?
Often not. Setup platforms return a generic decline. Comparing your FMCSA record with the broker's published rules usually shows the reason.
How long should I wait before reapplying?
Fix the cause first. If the blocker is authority age, reapply the day you cross the broker's threshold. For paperwork mismatches, update FMCSA and your W-9, then reapply.
Can I get approved with a Conditional rating?
At some brokers, yes, but many large brokers including C.H. Robinson don't accept Conditional. Requesting a rating upgrade after fixing the issues is the long-term fix.
Related guides
- Carrier packet checklist
- Why brokers want $1 million auto liability
- Conditional safety rating: what it costs you and how to fix it
- Carrier requirements for the top brokers
Sources
- C.H. Robinson: new carrier safety measures (June 5, 2026)
- TrueNorth: freight broker compliance, part 2 (June 4, 2024)
- FreightWaves: Highway identity-fraud ring findings (Sept 16, 2026)
- Transport Topics: carrier selection under scrutiny (July 11, 2026)
- 49 CFR 387.9: minimum levels of financial responsibility
Spot something outdated? Send a correction and we’ll fix it, usually within a day.
This guide is general information, not legal or insurance advice.