What is a carrier packet?
A carrier packet (or carrier setup packet) is the set of documents a broker collects from a carrier before its first load. It holds the broker-carrier agreement, a W-9, proof of insurance, operating authority details and payment information. The packet is the paperwork. Onboarding is checking it and setting the carrier up. Brokers send it as a PDF or as an online form through a packet service.
Onboarding is everything between "a carrier wants your load" and "that carrier is set up to haul and get paid." Done by hand, it's a pile of PDFs, a few phone calls and a lot of retyping into the TMS. Done well, it's one packet, a few automatic checks and a carrier who can take a load the same day.
Below is the full checklist, in order. Use it as is, or as a starting point for your own written process.
Before the first load
Fig. 2 The checklist in its four groups, with the bank-details callback marked.
Identity and authority - [ ] MC and USDOT numbers - [ ] Active operating authority on FMCSA, saved with the date checked - [ ] Safety rating and recent inspections checked against your written rule (how: our carrier vetting process) - [ ] Contact details match FMCSA records, and you called back on the number FMCSA lists
Paperwork (the carrier packet) - [ ] Signed broker-carrier agreement - [ ] W-9, with a legal name that matches the agreement and the authority - [ ] Certificate of insurance requested from the insurance agent, not forwarded by the carrier - [ ] Auto liability and cargo limits meet your minimums; no exclusions that matter for the freight - [ ] Insurance expiry date entered, with an alert set (for example, 30 days ahead)
Getting paid - [ ] Remit-to details, or the factoring company's notice of assignment - [ ] Payment terms and quick-pay option, if you offer one - [ ] Bank details verified by phone
Setup - [ ] Carrier created in your TMS, with equipment types, lanes and contacts - [ ] Dispatch and after-hours contacts - [ ] One named person who approves the carrier for dispatch
After onboarding - [ ] Authority, insurance and safety monitored while the carrier is active - [ ] Re-check when payment, factoring or contact details change
Spot carriers vs. contract carriers
Not every carrier needs the same depth. A spot carrier for one load needs the checklist above, done fast. A carrier you'll give a dedicated lane deserves more: references, a review of the full safety history and a sign-off from someone senior. Write down which track each carrier is on so nobody runs the spot process on a big contract partner.
What to automate first
Fig. 3 By hand, the packet bounces between inbox, packet tool and TMS. Connected, a new carrier goes from MC number to ready to dispatch with no retyping.
Done by hand, onboarding means data entry and waiting. These 4 steps are worth automating first:
- The packet itself. A link the carrier fills out once, instead of PDFs back and forth. Tools like MyCarrierPackets, Highway or RMIS do this.
- Lookups. Authority, safety and insurance checks run on their own the moment the MC number comes in, and apply your rule the same way every time.
- TMS entry. The finished packet creates the carrier in your TMS, so nobody retypes the W-9 or the remit-to.
- Alerts. Insurance expiry and authority changes reach the right person before they turn into a problem.
The trouble sits in the connections. Your packet tool, TMS and inbox don't talk to each other, so someone copies between them. That copying is where the errors happen and the hours go.
It helps to see your onboarding steps on one page, with every copy step marked. That's the first thing we do with a new client. See how the Redprint works.
Where we come in
We're a small team based in the Hudson Valley, NY, spread across the globe, serving clients in many countries. We build automation for freight brokers, 3PLs and carriers. We connect the tools you already have, like your packet tool, your TMS and your inbox. A new carrier then goes from MC number to "ready to dispatch" with no retyping. It starts with your Redprint, a map of how your work runs today, delivered within 48 hours of your intake. There's a 30-day money-back guarantee: if you don't like what we plan to build, you get all your money back. After the build comes the Optimizing Phase. We stay on as your operational partner and keep improving the system as AI and your business change. You can cancel anytime. The automations run on our system, so they stop when the Optimizing Phase does.
Turn this checklist into onboarding that runs itself. Book a 20-minute call
Questions
What is included in a carrier packet?
At the least: a signed broker-carrier agreement, a W-9 and a certificate of insurance (best sent by the insurance agent). Add the MC and DOT numbers and the payment or factoring details.
How long should carrier onboarding take?
Long enough to finish the checklist above before the first load. Give contract carriers on dedicated lanes a longer review.
What is a carrier packet?
The set of forms a carrier completes to work with a broker: agreement, W-9, insurance, authority details and payment information.
Can carrier onboarding be automated?
Yes: the packet, the FMCSA and insurance lookups, creating the carrier in the TMS and expiry alerts. Keep a person on exceptions and final approval.
What's the difference between onboarding and vetting?
Vetting decides whether a carrier is safe and real. Onboarding collects the paperwork and sets the carrier up to haul and get paid. Good onboarding includes vetting.