Every time you use a new carrier, you're taking on risk. The carrier packet is how you document and transfer as much of that risk as legally possible before the first load moves. Done right, it's also a compliance record you can produce if a claim, audit, or shipper inquiry ever requires it.
This guide covers what a carrier packet contains, how to collect one, what to verify before the carrier moves freight, and how to reduce the manual effort as your carrier base grows. If you're newer to brokerage operations and want the broader context, read how to become a freight broker first.
What a Carrier Packet Actually Is
A carrier packet is the set of documents a freight broker collects from a motor carrier before doing business with them. It serves two purposes: compliance and risk management.
Compliance. Federal regulations require brokers to use only authorized motor carriers — carriers with active operating authority from the FMCSA. A carrier packet documents that you verified this authority before tendering freight. In the event of a claim or an audit, you want a paper trail showing due diligence.
Risk transfer. Several documents in the packet shift financial liability from you to the carrier. The carrier-broker agreement defines responsibility for cargo claims. The certificate of insurance names you as a certificate holder and confirms the carrier has cargo and liability coverage. Without these, your exposure on a bad load is significantly higher.
The packet is also a practical tool. When you book a load and the shipper asks "is this carrier vetted?" you should be able to say yes and show your work.
What Goes Inside
A standard carrier packet includes five core documents. Some brokers require additional items depending on the freight type or customer requirements.
W-9
A W-9 is an IRS form that captures the carrier's legal name, business structure, and tax identification number (EIN or SSN for sole proprietors). You need it to issue a 1099 at year-end if you pay the carrier $600 or more. This is a legal requirement, not optional. Carriers should be familiar with the request — if a carrier pushes back on providing a W-9, that's a red flag.
Certificate of Insurance (COI)
The COI is the most critical document in the packet from a liability standpoint. It shows the carrier's current insurance coverage: auto liability (typically $1 million minimum), cargo insurance (typically $100,000 minimum, though many shippers require more), and general liability.
Two things to verify on the COI:
- Your brokerage must be listed as the certificate holder. A COI that names someone else, or is a generic certificate, doesn't protect you. Carriers should request an updated COI from their insurance agent with your brokerage name and address in the certificate holder field.
- Expiration dates. Check that coverage is current and won't lapse before the load date. An expired COI is one of the most common carrier packet failures — carriers don't always proactively renew the certificate you have on file, even when they renew their underlying policy.
Carrier-Broker Agreement
This is a contract between your brokerage and the carrier that sets the terms of your business relationship. It typically covers:
- Payment terms (when you pay the carrier after invoice receipt)
- Cargo claim procedures and time limits
- Double brokering prohibition
- Lumper and accessorial charge authorization rules
- Compliance obligations (operating authority, drug testing, etc.)
Use your own agreement template — don't sign a carrier's template unless you've had it reviewed. Carrier-drafted agreements sometimes shift liability in ways that aren't obvious on a quick read.
Notice of Assignment (NOA)
If a carrier factors their invoices — meaning they've sold their receivables to a third-party factoring company — you'll receive a Notice of Assignment. This document instructs you to send payment directly to the factor rather than the carrier.
Not every carrier factors, but when they do, you must honor the NOA. Paying the carrier directly after receiving an NOA can result in you paying twice — once to the factor (who has legal assignment of the receivable) and once to the carrier. Keep NOAs in the carrier record and flag the payment routing in your TMS.
Authority Letter / MC Number Verification
You need confirmation that the carrier holds active operating authority from the FMCSA. The simplest way is to look up the carrier's MC number directly on the FMCSA SAFER system at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. An authority letter or printout is useful for your records, but always verify against the live FMCSA database — paper documents can be outdated or falsified.
How to Send and Collect a Packet
The collection process is straightforward but requires follow-through. Carriers are often moving fast and won't always complete paperwork on the first request.
Standard approach: Send the carrier a packet request by email with your carrier agreement attached and clear instructions for what you need in return: signed agreement, W-9, COI with your brokerage listed as certificate holder, and NOA if applicable. Set a deadline — "before the first load can be dispatched" is the standard threshold.
What to send them: Make it easy. Include a checklist of required documents, your brokerage address (needed for the COI certificate holder field), and a return email or upload link. Friction in the collection process leads to incomplete packets.
Online forms and portals: Many brokers use a form or portal that carriers fill out directly — it collects the information you need, routes the documents to the right place, and timestamps the submission. This is faster than email chains and creates a cleaner audit trail.
Vetting What's in the Packet
Collecting the packet is step one. Verifying the contents before you tender is step two. Don't skip it.
FMCSA SAFER lookup. Before doing business with any carrier, search their MC or DOT number at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. You're looking at:
- Authority status: Active or revoked? A carrier with revoked authority cannot legally haul freight.
- Safety rating: Satisfactory, Conditional, or Unsatisfactory. Unsatisfactory carriers should not move your freight. Conditional carriers require extra scrutiny.
- BASIC scores: FMCSA's CSA program scores carriers across seven safety categories (Unsafe Driving, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances/Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Hazardous Materials Compliance, Crash Indicator). High BASIC scores indicate elevated risk.
Insurance verification. Don't just accept the COI at face value. Verify coverage against your minimum requirements — many brokers require at least $1 million auto liability and $100,000 cargo. Check the cargo limit specifically; it varies more widely than auto liability.
Watch for authority gaps. A carrier with authority that was revoked and reinstated recently may not be a problem, but it's worth understanding why. Carriers can lose authority for unpaid fines, failure to maintain insurance, or safety violations. A quick SAFER history review takes two minutes.
Automating the Packet Process
Manual packet collection — email requests, tracking down missing documents, verifying insurance by hand — works at low carrier volumes. It doesn't scale.
Carrier onboarding platforms like RMIS (Registry Monitoring Insurance Services) or MyCarrierPackets automate much of this. They maintain carrier profiles with insurance data sourced directly from insurers, alert you when a carrier's coverage lapses, and handle the collection workflow through a standardized portal. Carriers set up their profile once and brokers can instantly see verified compliance data.
The benefit isn't just speed — it's continuous monitoring. A carrier whose insurance lapses six months after initial onboarding shows up as an alert rather than a problem you discover when you're trying to book a load.
For brokers managing this inside a TMS, the TMS for small brokers guide covers what to look for in carrier compliance management and how it integrates with your load workflow.
Common Compliance Pitfalls
These are the carrier packet issues that come up most frequently — and most of them are preventable.
Expired insurance on file. You onboarded a carrier, verified their COI, and moved on. Six months later their policy renewed but the certificate you have shows the old expiration date. You book a load, something goes wrong, and the claim process reveals a gap in your records. The fix: set reminders for COI expiration dates or use a monitoring service that tracks renewals automatically.
Missing certificate holder. A carrier provides a generic COI or one naming a different broker. This is common when carriers work with multiple brokerages and grab whatever certificate is handy. Always verify your brokerage name appears in the certificate holder field.
Wrong cargo limits. Your minimum requirement is $100,000 cargo coverage. The carrier's COI shows $100,000 — but that's their total limit shared across all active loads. Actual available coverage per load may be lower. For high-value freight, ask about per-load cargo limits explicitly.
Double brokering risk. A carrier accepts your load and brokers it to a different carrier without your knowledge or consent. This is illegal and exposes you to cargo liability if the actual carrier isn't in your packet. Your carrier-broker agreement should explicitly prohibit this. FMCSA has issued guidance on double brokering; see fmcsa.dot.gov for current enforcement posture.
Outdated W-9. A carrier changes their business entity or EIN and doesn't update you. At year-end, your 1099 goes to the wrong entity. Request W-9 updates when carriers communicate any business changes, and do an annual sweep of your most-used carriers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I update carrier packets?
At minimum, COIs should be verified annually (when they expire) and whenever you onboard a new carrier. Authority status should be checked in FMCSA SAFER before each new load with a carrier you haven't used recently — authority can be revoked between uses. W-9s should be refreshed if a carrier reports any business structure change.
Can I book a load before the carrier packet is complete?
Most experienced brokers hold off on dispatching until the packet is complete, or at least until authority and insurance are verified. A carrier without a signed agreement or without a compliant COI creates liability exposure. Some brokers make exceptions for carriers they know well — but exceptions have a way of becoming habits, and habits create gaps.
What if a carrier refuses to sign my broker-carrier agreement?
Walk away. The carrier-broker agreement protects both parties; a carrier unwilling to sign is either unfamiliar with standard practice (in which case explain it and offer to discuss terms) or is trying to avoid specific obligations in your agreement. Either way, the load isn't worth booking until this is resolved. Plenty of carriers will sign a reasonable agreement without issue.