Carrier packet checklist for freight brokers: what to collect and what to check

What a carrier packet is

A carrier packet is the onboarding file a broker keeps for each carrier it uses. The carrier fills in the forms and sends the supporting documents; the broker reviews them and decides whether to approve the carrier. Most guides online are written for carriers who need to assemble a packet. This one is written for the person on the broker side who has to read it.

The documents to collect

Packets differ from one brokerage to the next. TruckSmarter lists the broker-carrier agreement, a notice of assignment if the carrier factors its invoices, a W-9, a copy of the letter of operating authority, a certificate of insurance and DOT inspection records as the core set. Brokers often ask for more, such as driver contact details, lanes, and equipment information.

• Broker-carrier agreement, signed by someone with authority to sign for the carrier.
• W-9, so the legal entity and tax name are on file.
• Certificate of insurance, issued by the carrier's insurance agent.
• A copy of the carrier's operating authority.
• Payment details: bank information, or a notice of assignment and the factoring company's remittance details if the carrier factors.
• Primary dispatch and billing contacts, with phone numbers and email addresses.
• Equipment types and the lanes or regions the carrier wants to run.

What to check on each document

A document in the file only helps if someone compared it with something else. These are the comparisons worth making on every packet.

Checks outside the packet

Everything above is information the carrier gave you. A second set of checks uses records the carrier does not control. ARK TMS, a software vendor writing about the Montgomery decision, puts it this way: authority alone is a weak vetting record when public safety data, insurance status and inspection history are available.

• Authority status: is the carrier active, and when was the authority granted?
• Insurance on file with the regulator: does it agree with the certificate you were sent?
• Safety record: inspection history, out-of-service rates and any safety rating.
• Out-of-service orders or alerts attached to the carrier.
• Recheck authority, insurance and safety alerts shortly before you tender a load, not only at onboarding. ARK recommends this especially for high-value or hazmat loads.

Red flags that should stop an onboarding

None of these proves fraud. Each one is a reason to slow down and verify by a route you already trust.

• Very new authority with no history, combined with a request for loads right away.
• A contact email on a free mailbox or a domain one letter away from the real company name.
• The insurance certificate lists a different named insured than the authority.
• Contact details that change between the packet and the first call.
• A request to change the bank account or remittance address soon after approval, especially by email only.
• Reluctance to speak by phone, or a dispatcher who cannot answer basic questions about the company's trucks.
• Documents that look edited: mismatched fonts, odd spacing, or dates that do not fit.

What to keep on file

The federal brokerage rule sets a minimum for transaction records. Under 49 CFR 371.3, a broker must keep a record of each brokered transaction showing the consignor's name and address, the originating motor carrier's name, address and registration number, the bill of lading or freight bill number, the compensation the broker received and who paid it, a description of any non-brokerage service, and the freight charges collected and the date they were paid to the carrier. The rule says brokers keep these records for three years.

That list is about transactions, not carrier onboarding. Keeping the packet, the date of each check and the record of who approved the carrier for at least as long is a sensible house rule, but it is your policy, not the text of the rule. Whichever period you pick, write it down.

• The signed packet and every supporting document, with the date each was received.
• The date and result of each authority, insurance and safety check, and who ran it.
• Any exception: who approved a carrier despite a warning sign, what was reviewed, and why.
• The bill of lading for each load, so the packet connects to the transaction record. See the glossary entry on the bill of lading.

Why documented vetting matters now

On May 14, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC, No. 24-1238. According to the summary from Faegre Drinker, the Court unanimously held that a negligent-selection claim against a freight broker is not preempted by the FAAAA, because the claim falls within the statute's exception for state safety regulatory authority over motor vehicles.

In practical terms, a broker that tenders a load to an unsafe carrier can face a state-law negligence claim over how it chose the carrier. A written record of what you checked and when is the evidence you would want. This is general information, not legal advice. Ask your own counsel what your process should look like.

The order to run the review in

The order matters more than people expect. Start with the checks the carrier cannot influence, then read the documents against them. That way a mismatch stands out instead of being explained away.

1. Look the carrier up on the public record first and write down the legal name, status and dates you see.
2. Open the W-9 and the agreement and compare the legal name, address and tax name with what you wrote down.
3. Read the certificate of insurance against the same name, then compare the policy dates with the day you expect to tender.
4. Compare the payment details with the W-9, and verify any new or changed bank details by phone.
5. Review the safety and inspection data and note anything you would want explained.
6. Make the decision, record who made it, and record any exception with the reason.

Mistakes that make a packet useless

• Collecting documents and never opening them. The file looks complete and nobody compared the names.
• Checking once at onboarding and never again, so the file describes the carrier as it was months ago.
• Keeping the packet in an email thread. Nobody else can find it, and it is hard to show what was reviewed and when.
• Letting a sales rep approve an exception with no note about why.
• Changing bank details on a phone call you did not place.
• Using different rules for the carrier who is in a hurry. The carrier with a load waiting is the one that most needs the full review.

A one-page checklist

Frequently asked questions

What is in a carrier packet?

Typically a broker-carrier agreement, a W-9, a certificate of insurance, a copy of the operating authority and payment or factoring details. Brokers can add contacts, equipment and lane information.

Who sends it, the broker or the carrier?

The broker usually sends its own agreement and a list of what it needs, and the carrier returns it completed with the supporting documents. The broker then reviews it.

How often should insurance be rechecked?

At minimum whenever a certificate expires. A recheck of authority and insurance status shortly before each tender is the stronger practice, and ARK TMS recommends it especially for high-value or hazmat loads. Pick a rule and write it down.

Is a signed packet enough to vet a carrier?

No. A signed packet shows what the carrier told you. Public records on authority, insurance and safety show what others say about the carrier, and both belong in the file.

How long should records be kept?

49 CFR 371.3 requires brokers to keep the transaction records it lists for three years. For onboarding documents the rule does not set a period, so choose one in your policy and apply it the same way every time.

General information, not legal advice. Rules and court decisions change; confirm the current text with the regulator or your counsel before relying on it.