Carrier Onboarding Software for Freight Brokers
For the checks that come before the first load: who the carrier is, whether its authority and insurance filings are in place and what its safety and contact records show. The decision your team makes is saved with the evidence behind it.
- Identity
- Authority
- Insurance
- Safety
- Contacts
Run the checks before the first load.
Check identity, authority, insurance, safety and contacts, save your decision and keep watching the carrier after approval.
The carrier onboarding process in CarrierTrail
Bring the carriers in
Add a carrier by USDOT or MC number, or import a CSV list. Each one resolves to its USDOT record, so the same carrier is never onboarded twice under two identifiers.
Check the public record
Identity, operating authority and its timeline, BIPD required and on file, insurance filings, inspections and crashes, and contact details with how many other carriers share them.
File the certificate
Upload the carrier’s certificate of insurance and see which certificates need review or expire soon.
Approve or reject
Record the decision and a note. CarrierTrail keeps the records it saw at that moment, so the next reviewer sees why.
Monitor after approval
Approved carriers go on the watchlist and are checked daily. Authority, insurance, safety and contact changes land in your review queue.
What each onboarding check shows
Identity
Legal name, DBA and USDOT number, the MC numbers that belong to it and companies with similar names.
Authority
Each operating authority with its type and status, and when it was granted, reinstated or suspended.
Insurance
The insurance filings published by FMCSA, and whether the required BIPD coverage is on file.
Safety
The FMCSA safety rating, roadside inspections with out-of-service rates, violations and crashes over 24 months.
Contacts
The reported phone and address, earlier ones, and other carriers that report the same contact.
Your rules
When an owner has set qualification rules, each carrier shows whether it meets them, needs review or does not meet them.
Example: a new carrier before its first load
- Look it up: the carrier’s packet gives an MC number. CarrierTrail finds the USDOT record it belongs to and you save the carrier as Needs review.
- Read the record: authority is active, an insurance filing is published and the carrier has no safety rating yet, so you read its inspection history.
- Compare the contacts: the phone on the packet differs from the phone in the census record. You call the carrier on a number you found independently and note who confirmed the packet.
- File the certificate: upload the certificate of insurance. A colleague records the insurer, the policy number, the stated limit and the expiration date.
- Decide: save Approved with a note. The decision is kept with the records as they were that day, and the daily checks on the carrier continue.
CarrierTrail and your carrier setup packet
CarrierTrail covers
- Public FMCSA checks with source dates.
- Certificates of insurance stored with the carrier.
- The decision, the note and the evidence behind it.
- Daily monitoring after approval.
Your carrier packet covers
- The broker-carrier agreement and signatures.
- W-9, payment and factoring details.
- Your own questionnaire and references.
- Keep collecting these the way you do today.
Questions
What do I need to start a new carrier setup?
The carrier’s USDOT or MC number. CarrierTrail finds the record and runs the public-record checks, and your carrier packet supplies the agreement, W-9 and payment details.
Does CarrierTrail replace my carrier packet?
No. It covers the public-record checks, certificates and the approval record. Keep collecting agreements, tax forms and payment details the way you do today.
Can I onboard a list of carriers at once?
Yes. Import a CSV of USDOT or MC numbers into a workspace; each row resolves to its USDOT record before it is added. See CSV import.
Can I check a carrier against my own requirements?
Yes. A workspace owner sets qualification rules once, and every saved carrier shows whether it meets them, needs review or does not meet them. See qualification rules.
What happens after a carrier is approved?
It stays on your watchlist and is checked every day. A change to its authority, insurance filings, safety rating or contact details goes to your review queue, and members who opted in are notified.
How much does it cost?
From $49 a month for 500 monitored carriers and 2 members. See pricing.