A carrier packet (also called a carrier setup packet) is the set of documents a broker collects before it will tender loads to a new carrier. It usually includes a W-9, proof of operating authority, a certificate of insurance, a signed broker-carrier agreement, and payment details such as a factoring notice of assignment. Having these ready in one folder means you can get set up with a new broker quickly and book the load before someone else does. This checklist covers what is typically requested and how to keep it current. To draft the agreement side, see the free broker-carrier agreement generator.
Why brokers ask for a packet
Before a broker hands a load to a carrier, it wants to know who the carrier is, that it is authorized to haul, that it is insured, how to pay it, and what terms both sides agree to. Many brokers now run setup through an online onboarding portal instead of email, but the documents they ask for are mostly the same. Each broker sets its own requirements, so treat the list below as typical, not universal.
What's usually in a carrier packet
1. Carrier profile or setup form
The broker's own form, asking for your legal company name, DBA, address, MC and USDOT numbers, contacts for dispatch, billing, and after-hours, equipment types, and preferred lanes. Fill it in exactly as your name appears on your authority and insurance.
2. IRS Form W-9
The W-9 gives the broker your legal name and taxpayer identification number for its tax reporting. Use the current version from the IRS Form W-9 page, sign and date it, and make sure the name matches your authority.
3. Proof of operating authority
Usually a copy of your MC authority letter (operating authority certificate). Brokers commonly check your status in FMCSA's public records too, so the letter and the online record should agree.
4. Certificate of insurance (COI)
A certificate from your insurance agent showing your auto liability and cargo coverage (and general liability if requested), policy numbers, limits, and effective dates. Most brokers ask to be listed as the certificate holder, and many want the certificate sent directly from your agent. Ask the broker for its exact certificate holder wording and any minimum limits before you request it.
5. Broker-carrier agreement
The contract that sets the general terms for every load you haul for that broker: payment terms, claims, insurance, indemnification, and paperwork. Each load's rate confirmation sits on top of it. Read it before you sign, especially payment terms, back-solicitation clauses, and liability sections. See broker-carrier agreement basics for what to look at.
6. Notice of assignment (NOA) or factoring letter
If you factor your invoices, your factoring company provides a notice of assignment telling the broker to pay the factor instead of you. The broker will usually need it on file before your first invoice. If you don't factor, the broker will ask for your own remit-to details instead.
7. Payment and banking details
For direct payment, this may be an ACH or direct deposit form and a voided check or bank letter. Send banking information only through the broker's secure portal or a verified channel, and confirm any change by phone using a number you already know. Be wary of any email asking to "update" banking details; that is a known route for payment-redirect fraud.
8. Other items some brokers request
- Driver and truck information for a specific load
- Safety or hazmat information, if you haul hazmat
- Equipment or trailer details, such as reefer or flatbed specs
- A signed fraud-prevention or identity verification step in the onboarding portal
- References or proof of business address
If a dispatcher handles your setup
Independent dispatchers often fill out carrier packets on the carrier's behalf. Your dispatcher-carrier agreement should say whether the dispatcher may sign broker-carrier agreements for you, or only send documents you have signed. Read every broker-carrier agreement yourself before it is signed in your name. See dispatcher-carrier agreement clauses for how to set those limits.
Keep a ready-to-send packet
The fastest setups come from carriers who keep a current packet in one place. A simple approach:
- Keep one folder with your W-9, authority letter, a sample COI, NOA (if factoring), and a one-page company profile
- Merge the standard documents into a single PDF so you can send one file
- Name files clearly, for example
CompanyName-W9-2026.pdforCompanyName-COI.pdf - Add a reminder for your insurance renewal date so you can send new certificates before the old ones expire
- Keep a list of brokers you're set up with and the date you sent each packet
Common setup problems
- Name mismatch: the W-9, authority, and insurance show slightly different company names
- Expired or wrong COI: wrong certificate holder, expired dates, or missing cargo coverage
- Missing NOA: invoices go to the wrong party, or payment is delayed while the broker updates its records
- Unsigned pages: the agreement or W-9 isn't signed and dated
- Unverified banking changes: a broker won't pay until a change is confirmed, which delays settlement
Carrier packet checklist
- Broker setup form completed with legal name, MC, USDOT, and contacts
- Current IRS Form W-9, signed and dated
- MC authority letter
- Certificate of insurance with the broker as certificate holder, sent the way the broker requires
- Broker-carrier agreement read and signed
- Notice of assignment from your factoring company, or your own remit-to details
- Banking or ACH form submitted through a secure channel
- Any broker-specific items (hazmat, equipment, identity verification)
- Copy of everything saved in your records with the date sent
Once you're set up, every load starts with a rate confirmation. You can review or create one with the rate confirmation generator.