Primary-source review date: September 3, 2026.
Carrier and dispatch onboarding packets vary by broker, shipper, equipment, cargo, insurer, and authority type. This guide organizes common categories so a carrier can prepare questions and verify each request. It is not a universal packet and does not replace a broker’s written requirements, the regulations, or a secure document portal.
Privacy rule: never upload W-9s, insurance policies, licences, medical records, authority credentials, bank information, or identity documents through Gold Rush Freight’s public forms or chat. Wait for an approved secure method and confirm the recipient.
Core business and authority packet
- Exact legal name, DBA, physical and mailing addresses, USDOT number, and current contact details.
- The applicable operating-authority status verified in Motus rather than inferred from a number alone.
- A current certificate of insurance sent or verified through the insurer or approved channel when requested.
- Form W-9 or an acceptable substitute requested for a legitimate information-reporting purpose and transmitted securely.
- A signed carrier, broker-carrier, or dispatch agreement that identifies the parties, scope, compensation, control, insurance, liability, records, and cancellation terms.
- Payment or factoring instructions verified using an anti-fraud callback process; do not rely on an unexpected email requesting a change.
- Equipment specifications, operating area, preferred lanes, availability, driver contact method, and emergency/escalation contacts.
Dry van
- Trailer year, internal dimensions, door type and opening, maximum legal payload based on the actual tractor-trailer configuration, and any liftgate or pallet-jack capability.
- Photos or inspection evidence requested through the approved portal.
- Load bars, straps, dunnage, seals, and cleanliness or last-load information when the commodity requires it.
- Any food-grade, high-value, team-driver, or special-handling requirement stated by the broker or shipper.
Reefer
- Trailer and refrigeration-unit year, model, operating condition, temperature range, and monitoring method.
- Pre-cooling, washout, sanitation, previous-load, and temperature-record procedures required by the shipper or written agreement.
- Training and record evidence when the carrier has contractually accepted duties under the FDA Sanitary Transportation Rule.
- Fuel, maintenance, alarm, set-point, pulp-temperature, and rejected-load escalation instructions for the specific shipment.
Flatbed, step deck, and open deck
- Deck length and height, legal payload, ramps, tarps, chains, binders, straps, edge protectors, coil racks, dunnage, and other securement equipment actually available.
- Working-load-limit labels and inspection/replacement controls for tiedowns and securement devices.
- Commodity dimensions, weight, center of gravity, loading method, tarping requirement, and any commodity-specific securement rule.
- Oversize or overweight permit, routing, escort, curfew, and state-specific requirements when applicable. Do not assume the broker obtains every permit.
Power only
- Tractor specifications, fifth-wheel and electrical/air compatibility, unit identifiers, and inspection status.
- Trailer interchange or equipment-use agreement, pickup condition process, damage reporting, and return instructions.
- Responsibility for trailer registration, maintenance, tires, roadside repairs, tracking devices, and cargo equipment.
Box truck and hotshot
- GVWR and GCWR, actual payload, cargo-area or deck dimensions, door opening, dock height, liftgate, pallet-jack, ramps, hitch, and securement equipment.
- Vehicle and trailer registrations, authority and insurance appropriate to the actual operation—not assumptions based only on vehicle size.
- ELD, hours-of-service, medical qualification, CDL, and state requirements checked against the real combination and use.
Specialized cargo
Hazardous materials, household goods, autos, heavy equipment, intermodal containers, food, pharmaceuticals, and other specialized freight can trigger additional authority, insurance, endorsement, permit, training, security, equipment, or record requirements. Use the commodity-specific rule and a qualified source before accepting the load.
Secure onboarding workflow
- Verify the company and contact through an independently obtained phone number or official system.
- Receive the written request and identify why each document is needed.
- Redact unnecessary information and use the approved secure portal or insurer/factoring workflow.
- Log the file name, version, recipient, purpose, transmission date, and expiration date.
- Review authority, insurance, equipment, and expiring records before the first load and on a documented schedule.
Primary sources
- FMCSA — Motus registration and status management
- IRS — About Form W-9
- FMCSA — Cargo Securement Rules
- FDA — Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food
Prepare a non-sensitive request
Review Dispatch Pricing Models and Dispatch Services, then use Contact Us to describe only the equipment type, operating region, authority status category, and support requested. Do not attach regulated or identity records.