Carrier packet checklist: every document brokers ask for, and why
Steve Woods · Lead Dispatcher, TruckSprint
Steve Woods leads the TruckSprint dispatch desk and reviews every guide we publish. How we research and update guides.
Updated October 2026
Quick answer
A carrier packet is the set of documents a broker needs before booking you: your FMCSA authority letter, a W-9, a certificate of insurance naming the broker as holder, the signed broker-carrier agreement, your contacts and equipment, and payment details. If you factor, add the notice of assignment. Keep one complete, matching set ready to send the minute a broker asks.
A load can be gone in the 20 minutes it takes a broker's setup team to process your paperwork. A complete packet, sent the moment they ask, is how you keep it. I'm Steve, lead dispatcher at TruckSprint. Packet setup is something our desk does every day; here's the list, and what the broker is actually checking.
The checklist
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Carrier packet checklist
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What brokers check in each document
| Document | What they check | Common reason for a hold |
|---|---|---|
| Authority letter | Active status, MC and USDOT match | Authority still pending |
| W-9 | Legal name and EIN match FMCSA records | DBA name on the W-9, legal name on FMCSA |
| Certificate of insurance | Holder, limits, cargo coverage, dates | Broker not named as holder |
| Broker-carrier agreement | Signed, all pages | Unsigned addendums |
| Contacts | Phone and email match FMCSA records | Personal email, unlisted phone |
| Payment details | Bank or factor, verified | Changed details with no call-back |
| Notice of assignment | Factor's remit-to, signed | Old factor's NOA still on file |
The insurance certificate mistakes that stall setup
The COI causes more setup delays than everything else combined. Before you send one:
- Certificate holder is the broker's exact legal name and address.
- Liability limit meets the broker's minimum; many want $1,000,000, above the federal floor.
- Cargo coverage matches the freight. Some cargo policies exclude reefer breakdown, certain commodities or unattended vehicles.
- Dates aren't expired or expiring this week.
- Scheduled vehicles, if your policy lists them, include the truck you're sending.
- Insured name matches FMCSA and your W-9 exactly.
Ask your agent to send certificates directly to brokers on request; most can turn one around fast.
Identity checks are part of setup now
Because of freight fraud, many brokers verify that the phone number, email and address on your packet match your FMCSA record, and some call you back on the listed number before the first load. Use a business email on your own domain if you can, keep your FMCSA contact details current, and never let anyone else submit packets in your name.
Keeping the packet current
- Insurance renewals: send new certificates to every broker before the old ones expire.
- Factoring changes: a new NOA, plus a release from the old factor, to every broker.
- New trucks or trailers: add them to scheduled-vehicle policies and update brokers that track equipment.
- Address or name changes: update FMCSA first, then every broker.
A packet that's current gets you booked faster; one that's stale gets your payments held. If you factor, the freight factoring page covers how the NOA works, and rate confirmation covers the document you'll sign on every load after setup.