Getting your MC authority is the beginning, not the finish line. Before you can legally move freight and get paid, a specific set of documents has to exist. Miss one and you are either breaking the law or not getting paid. Here is the whole list. Plan your timeline with our guide on how long MC authority takes.
Legal authority
- MC Authority Certificate. Proof the FMCSA granted your operating authority. Keep a copy in the truck.
- USDOT number displayed on the truck. Both sides, next to your company name, legible from 50 feet. See what a USDOT number is.
- CDL, if your vehicle class requires one. The physical card, not a photo of it.
Insurance
- Certificate of Insurance (COI). Every broker asks before they give you a load. Your agent can email it the same day. See what a COI is and how to get one.
- Coverage that clears the bar. $750,000 auto liability is the FMCSA floor, but most brokers want $1,000,000. Cargo minimum is typically $100,000. Full breakdown in FMCSA insurance requirements.
Tax and business
- EIN. Your federal tax ID. Free from irs.gov in about ten minutes. Never give brokers your SSN.
- Signed W-9. Free download from irs.gov. No broker can pay you without it. See our W-9 guide.
- Business bank account. Separate from personal, and required for direct deposit with most brokers.
Your carrier packet
The packet pulls all of the above into one professional document a broker can keep on file: MC and DOT numbers, insurance summary, equipment details, payment information, signed broker-carrier agreement. No serious broker works without it. See what a carrier packet is and how to fill one out.
Vehicle and safety
- Vehicle registration for truck and trailer. Originals in the truck.
- Annual DOT inspection sticker, current and visible.
- ELD, if required. Read the next box carefully, because the threshold is widely misunderstood.
- IFTA decals if you run multi-state.
- IRP cab card for interstate operation.
The ELD threshold is 10,001 lbs, not 26,001. 26,001 is the CDL threshold, and mixing the two is the most common mistake in this whole area. If your vehicle or combination is rated 10,001 lbs GVWR or GCWR or more, you run interstate, and you keep Records of Duty Status, you need an ELD, whether or not you hold a CDL. Exemptions exist for short-haul, pre-2000 engines, and the 8-day rule. See our ELD requirements guide.
Per load, every load
- Rate confirmation. The contract for that specific load. Never roll without a signed one. See how to read a rate confirmation.
- Bill of Lading. Your receipt at pickup. See what a BOL is.
- Proof of Delivery. Signed at delivery. Do not leave the dock without it, because most brokers will not pay without it.
The checklist, printable
- MC Authority Certificate
- USDOT number on truck doors
- Valid CDL if required for your class
- Certificate of Insurance
- EIN from IRS
- Signed W-9
- Business bank account
- Carrier packet ready to send
- Vehicle registration, truck and trailer
- Annual DOT inspection current
- ELD installed and working if required
- IFTA decals if multi-state
- IRP cab card
Have the packet done before authority activates, not after. TruckerPacket generates it in under 10 minutes for $14.99, delivered instantly by email.