TraceDispatch

Link 01Your first six months

Dispatch services for new trucking companies with a fresh MC

You got the authority, the insurance and the truck. Then the first broker said “call us back in six months.” Our dispatch services for new trucking companies are built for exactly that stretch: getting you set up with the brokers who will work with a new MC, and building the record that opens the rest.

Get my new MC moving7% until month 6, then lower on its own.

What new MC dispatch is not

  • A promise of a load count. Broker approvals aren't ours to control.
  • A shortcut around insurance or safety rules. Those come first.
  • Someone booking loads you didn't approve. Every load is still your call.

Link 02Your first 26 weeks

Your first 26 weeks, on your own dates

The first six months of a new authority follow a pattern, even if the dates differ for every carrier. Enter the day your MC went active and you'll see where you are, what usually happens next, and the exact week your dispatch fee drops.

Change it to your own date. Nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. Weeks 0 to 2 · you are here

    Packet built, first setups

    One clean packet. We start with brokers whose published policy or direct answer says they take new MCs.

  2. Weeks 2 to 8

    First loads, first history

    On-time pickups, fast PODs and clean check calls. This is the record other brokers ask about.

  3. Weeks 8 to 26

    More doors open

    Some brokers set a minimum authority age. The number differs by broker and changes, so we ask instead of guessing.

Pick your date to see your step-down day.

The phases are a pattern, not a schedule. A clean insurance setup and a few smooth first loads can move things faster. A late certificate or a missed appointment slows them down. What doesn't move is the step-down: it happens the week your authority turns 6 months old, whether we remind you or not.

Before your authority goes active

The weeks between applying and going active are the best time to get ready. Line up insurance that meets what brokers ask for, not just the legal minimum. Get your W-9, company email and phone number set up so they match your FMCSA record. If your truck needs a CDL, enroll in a testing program. And decide how you'll get paid: waiting on broker terms, quick pay, or factoring. Apply with us during that window and we'll have your packet built and your first brokers picked out for the day your MC goes live.

Link 03What brokers check on a new carrier

What brokers check before they'll set up a new MC

Every broker's carrier setup is a little different, but most check the same handful of things. Here they are, with where to get each one. Tick them off as you go; your progress stays in your browser.

Insurance trips up more new carriers than anything else. Federal rules set a minimum for for-hire property carriers, $750,000 general freight; $1,000,000 oil and listed hazmat; $5,000,000 certain bulk hazmat , and many brokers ask for more than the minimum, plus cargo coverage. Check with your agent what your certificate actually shows before the first broker asks.

A brand new MC also has no safety record to speak of. That's normal, and it's one reason some brokers wait: there's nothing yet to look at. The only cure is time and clean inspections.

Some brokers publish a minimum authority age, often called an MC age requirement. It isn't a federal rule; each broker sets its own. Our guide to brokers that work with new authority explains how to find them yourself.

New MC setup checklist

0 of 8 checked

Want it as a printable cover sheet? The carrier packet builder turns your details into one. Your BOC-3 is part of the authority itself , so if it isn't on file, fix that before anything else.

Link 04How the desk gets you set up

How we get a new MC through broker setup

We start where the door is open

Some brokers say plainly that they work with new authorities, on their carrier pages or when asked. Those get your packet first. We don't spray your documents across every broker on the board.

We send a packet that doesn't bounce

Missing pages, a name that doesn't match the insurance, an expired certificate: each one costs days. We check the packet against the broker's list before it goes.

We build the history that opens the next door

On-time pickups, proactive check calls, PODs the same day. Brokers notice, and they talk. The first few loads matter more than the rate.

We tell you the truth about the market

If your lane is slow for new MCs this month, you'll hear it from us, with options, instead of finding out from an empty week.

And the basics don't change because your authority is new. Every load comes to you as an offer to confirm or decline. The broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you, in your company name, and pays you directly. The full process is on how we work.

Your first 30 days with a new MC dispatch desk

New MC dispatch is mostly setup work up front and steady history-building after. A typical first month on our desk runs like this, though your dates will differ:

  1. Days 1 to 3. First call, documents in, packet assembled and checked against your insurance certificate and FMCSA record.
  2. Days 3 to 10. Packets go to brokers who accept new authorities. We follow up on every one that stalls and fix whatever they flag.
  3. Week 2. First offers reach your phone. Early loads are about clean execution: on time, good check calls, POD the same day.
  4. Weeks 3 and 4. More setups clear, and we start planning reloads instead of single loads. Your weekly report shows every load and every open item.

If something blocks you, like an insurance certificate with the wrong legal name, you hear about it the day we find it, with what to ask your agent.

Five mistakes that cost new carriers their first month

  • Hauling anything to build history. A few cheap loads can make sense for setup reasons. A month of them can sink a new company before month three.
  • A name mismatch. Your legal name on the W-9, the insurance certificate and the FMCSA record must match exactly. Brokers reject packets over one missing word.
  • Saying yes to the too-good load. New MCs are a favorite target for fake loads and double brokering. A rate far above the lane with pressure to commit fast is a warning, not a gift.
  • Missing the first appointments. A late first load with a broker is remembered longer than the next ten on-time ones.
  • Not budgeting for slow pay. Brokers commonly pay weeks after delivery. Plan fuel and insurance around that gap, or line up quick pay or factoring before you need it.

Why scammers like new authorities, and how we protect yours

A new carrier wants loads badly and hasn't yet learned which offers smell wrong. That makes new MCs useful to people running fake loads, and a fresh authority's identity can be borrowed by someone pretending to be you. We only send your packet to brokers whose public record checks out and whose contact details match their own website, and we watch for setup requests that arrive out of nowhere. If someone contacts a broker claiming to be you, the broker usually calls the number on your record, so keep it current.

Link 05One more line on the checklist

CDL carriers: the testing program brokers ask about

Broker setup packets often ask CDL carriers whether they have a DOT drug and alcohol testing program. If your truck requires a CDL and you run under your own authority, the answer needs to be yes. As a one-truck company you're both the employer and the driver, so you need to be in a random testing pool . A consortium is how most single-truck carriers handle it.

If your operation is non-CDL, this doesn't apply to you. That includes many 26 ft box trucks under 26,001 lb and non-CDL hotshots. Read more on what a DOT drug testing consortium does.

Link 06The fee

7% for six months. Then it drops without you asking

While your MC is younger than 6 months, the fee is 7% of the gross rate on each rate confirmation. The week your authority turns 6 months old, it drops to 5% for one truck, or 4% per truck if you run two or more by then.

Why more at the start? A new authority is more work: more packets returned, more calls to find brokers who'll say yes, more reference checks. Once your MC has some age and a few brokers on file, that work settles down, and so does the rate.

Plan for cash flow, too. Brokers often pay weeks after delivery, and a new company feels that gap hardest. Some carriers use broker quick pay on single invoices, others factor everything. Either works with our dispatch, and neither changes our fee. Our factoring guide explains the trade-offs.

No setup fee, no minimums, and no fee in a week you don't haul. Full details are on what we charge.

SAME LOAD, TWO MONTHS APARTEXAMPLE

Rate con$2,150

Month 4 fee (7%)$150.50

Month 7 fee (5%)$107.50

Difference per load$43.00

New MC dispatch: questions

Can a dispatcher help a brand new MC get loads?
Yes, with honest limits. A dispatcher can't make a broker accept a new authority, but we know which brokers say they work with new MCs, we send a packet that doesn't get bounced for missing pages, and we build your on-time history load by load. What we won't do is promise a number of loads in your first month.
Why do brokers reject new authorities?
Mostly risk. A new MC has no payment history, no inspection record and no track record of on-time delivery, and freight fraud often uses brand new or recently changed authorities. So some brokers set a minimum authority age, ask for references, or want to speak with the owner. Policies differ by broker and change over time.
How long until brokers work with my MC?
Some brokers will set you up in your first weeks if your insurance and paperwork are in order. Others wait until your authority reaches an age they choose, which differs by broker. We start with the first group, build history with them, and open more doors as your authority ages. Nobody can honestly give you an exact date.
What does new MC dispatch cost?
7% of the gross rate on each rate confirmation while your MC is under 6 months old. No setup fee, no minimums, and no fee in a week you don't haul. The higher rate covers the extra setup work a new authority takes: more rejected packets, more calls and more references.
When does my fee drop?
The week your authority turns 6 months old, counted from the date it became active. One truck drops to 5%, two or more trucks drop to 4% each. You don't need to ask, renegotiate or sign anything new. Enter your active date in the timeline above to see your exact step-down day.
Do I need a drug testing consortium?
If you or your drivers need a CDL to operate your truck, yes: DOT drug and alcohol testing applies, and as a one-person company you're both employer and driver, so you need to be in a random testing pool. Most single-truck carriers join a consortium. Non-CDL operations, like many 26 ft box trucks under 26,001 lb, aren't covered.
What documents should my carrier packet have?
Your authority letter with MC and DOT numbers, a W-9, a certificate of insurance naming your auto liability and cargo coverage, your BOC-3 confirmation, your notice of assignment if you factor, and sometimes references. CDL carriers may be asked about their drug and alcohol program. We assemble it once and update it when your insurance renews.

We work for your link in the chain, from week one

Apply in about 2 minutes. If your authority is still pending, we can get your packet ready for the day it goes active.

Get my new MC moving

We work for this link

Carrier

Hauls the load under its own MC and signs the rate confirmation.

Paid by the broker (or through a factor) at the carrier rate.