NEW MC DISPATCH
Dispatch services for new trucking companies that start the first week right
Your authority is active and your truck is ready, but brokers keep asking how old your MC is. Our desk works with new authorities from the first load: broker setups that pass, offers you approve, rate cons that come straight to you. 7% of gross until your MC turns 6 months old, then it drops on its own. No contract.
YOUR FEE, MONTH BY MONTH
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7% for months 1 to 6, then 5% for one truck or 4% for two or more.
UNIT 02
Why brokers hesitate on a new MC, and what we do about it
Minimum authority age
Packet rejections
Higher insurance asks
No history to point to
None of this is a reason to wait. It's a reason to be choosy about the first month. A new MC dispatch plan starts with the brokers that set up new carriers, uses lanes with steady freight near your home base, and avoids loads with a history of long detention or slow pay. As your authority ages and your record builds, more brokers open up and the plan widens.
You still approve every load. A new carrier is tempted to take everything, and that's how trucks end up stuck in dead markets at low rates. We'll tell you when an offer is thin and why we'd pass. The decision is yours.
What to look for in a dispatcher for a new authority
The best dispatcher for a new authority isn't the one promising the most loads in week one. Be wary of anyone who guarantees loads or weekly gross to a carrier with no history; nobody controls which brokers approve a new MC. Look instead for a dispatcher who asks about your insurance limits and equipment before talking rates, who knows which brokers onboard new carriers, and who checks your packet before it goes out.
Ask how they handle a broker who won't set you up, how often they'll update you while packets are pending, and what happens to the fee once your authority ages. A dispatcher whose rate never changes is pricing in the hard first months forever. Ours steps down on a date you can see from the start, and you can leave with 30 days notice if the first months don't work for you.
UNIT 03
Day-one company setup
What has to be in place before the first load, each item linked to the rule behind it. Tick them off as you go.
Day one: what has to be in place
0 of 7 in place
Applied through FMCSA's registration system. The application fee is $300.FMCSA registration application fee$30049 CFR 360.3 fee schedule: $300 for an application for USDOT registration (49 CFR part 390, subpart E). The same schedule lists no fee for designating a process agent (Form BOC-3).49 CFR 360.3Checked Oct 2026
Names an agent in each state you run. FMCSA doesn't grant authority without it.Process agent designation (BOC-3)Required before operating authority is granted; no FMCSA feeMotor carriers designate a process agent in each state where they operate (Form BOC-3, 49 CFR part 366). FMCSA's fee schedule in 49 CFR 360.3 charges $0 for the designation; filing services charge their own fees.49 CFR 360.3 and part 366Checked Oct 2026
Your insurer files proof with FMCSA. The federal minimum for general freight is $750,000; most brokers ask for more.Minimum liability, general freight$750,00049 CFR 387.9: for-hire interstate carriage of nonhazardous property in vehicles of 10,001 lb GVWR or more.49 CFR 387.9Checked Oct 2026
A yearly fee by number of power units. One or two trucks pay the smallest bracket.UCR 2026 fee, 0-2 power units$46Unified Carrier Registration fee per carrier for registration year 2026, by power units on the MCS-150.UCR Plan, fee brackets, 2026Checked Oct 2026
Every CDL driver, including you if you drive your own CDL truck, must be in a random testing pool. Non-CDL units aren't covered.FMCSA random testing rates, 202650% drug, 10% alcoholMinimum annual random testing rates for CDL drivers under 49 CFR 382.305, unchanged for calendar year 2026.U.S. DOT ODAPC, random testing rates, 2026Checked Oct 2026
Your legal or one trade name, and USDOT number, in contrasting letters you can read from 50 feet.Vehicle markingLegal or single trade name + "USDOT" number, both sides, sharp contrast, legible from 50 ft in daylight49 CFR 390.21 requires self-propelled CMVs to show the carrier's legal name or one trade name (as filed with FMCSA) and its USDOT number preceded by "USDOT", on both sides, in sharply contrasting letters readable from 50 feet in daylight while the vehicle is stationary.49 CFR 390.21Checked Oct 2026
FMCSA audits new carriers' safety records, generally after at least three months of operating. Keep files from day one.New entrant safety auditGenerally after at least 3 months of operation49 CFR 385.307: a safety audit of a new entrant is conducted once it has operated long enough to have records showing its basic safety management controls; generally at least 3 months.49 CFR 385.307Checked Oct 2026
A plain-language checklist, not legal advice. Your state may add its own registrations.
Item 6, live: type your company name
YOUR NEW CARRIER LLC
USDOT 1234567
When does your new-authority rate end?
Pick the date to see the exact day your rate drops.
FMCSA now takes registrations through its Motus system, and new carriers still receive an MC docket numberFMCSA registration systemMotus (2026); MC docket numbers still issuedFMCSA's Motus system replaced the legacy registration flow in 2026. FMCSA's Federal Register notice says the release does not eliminate MC/FF numbers or change the BOC-3 filing process.Federal Register 2026-08334, 2026Checked Oct 2026. Brokers check the same things they always have: authority status, insurance on file, and how long you've held the authority. For the full list in filing order, our starting a trucking business checklist is printable, and the guide to what it costs to start a trucking company breaks down the cash you need before the first broker pays.
If your drivers need a CDL, the drug and alcohol program is the item new carriers most often miss. Our page on joining a DOT drug testing consortium explains who must be in a random pool and what it costs.
UNIT 04
What the first lanes can look like
| Week | Plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Short regional loads with brokers that onboard new MCs | Build on-time history fast, stay near home while packets clear |
| 2 | One longer run to a strong reload market | Test how the truck runs and how the broker pays |
| 3 | Repeat the lanes that paid on time | Turn first contacts into brokers who call back |
| 4 | Widen the broker list as approvals arrive | More options mean better rates on the same miles |
EXAMPLE Every new authority is different: equipment, home base and insurance limits change the plan. On the first call we build yours, and you see each load before it's booked. If a week runs slower than the plan, the Monday report shows why and what we're changing.
The first broker payment often arrives weeks after the first load, which is where many new carriers run short on cash. Map that gap with the cash flow forecaster before you need it, and ask brokers about quick pay. Our full fee details are on the dispatch rates page.
UNIT 05
New MC dispatch: questions before the first load
01Can a dispatcher get loads for a brand new MC?
Yes, but not from every broker on day one. Many brokers set a minimum authority age, so the first loads come from the ones that work with new carriers. A dispatcher who knows which brokers those are saves you weeks of rejected packets. Nobody can honestly promise a number of loads.
02Why do brokers reject new MCs?
Risk. A new authority has no on-time history, no inspection record and no track record with claims. Brokers protect themselves with minimum authority ages, higher insurance requirements and extra vetting. Clean paperwork and a few weeks of good loads open more doors.
03How much is dispatch for a new trucking company?
7% of gross on loads you accept and haul while your MC is under 6 months old. On the day it turns 6 months, the fee drops to 5% for one truck or 4% for two or more, automatically. No setup fee, month-to-month.
04When does the 7% rate end?
On the date your authority turns 6 months old. Enter your grant date in the checklist above and it shows the exact day. You don't need to ask for the change or sign anything new.
05Do I need my own drug testing program?
If any of your drivers need a CDL, including you if you drive your own CDL truck, yes: every one of them must be in a DOT random testing program. One-truck carriers usually join a consortium. A non-CDL truck, such as a 26 ft box truck at 26,000 lb or less, isn't covered by DOT drug testing.
06Should a new carrier use factoring?
Many do, because brokers often pay in 30 days or more and a new company rarely has that much cash in reserve. Some brokers also check a carrier's factoring setup. Compare advance rates, fees and contract terms before you sign, and read the recourse terms carefully.
07Do I need an LLC for a trucking company?
No law requires one, and an LLC doesn't replace insurance. Many owners form one to separate business and personal finances. Whatever you choose, the name on your authority, insurance and door marking has to match. This isn't legal or tax advice; ask a professional for your state.
Your name on the door. Our desk on the phone.
Apply in about two minutes. We set up your broker packets, bring you the first offers to approve, and your fee drops on its own at month 6.
4% for 2+ trucks, 5% for one, 7% while your MC is new