New Carrier First Load Checklist: Everything You Need Confirmed Before You Haul

The day your authority activates feels like the green light. It is the green light for paperwork -- you can legally take loads. It is not necessarily the green light for the road. Before you sign for the first load there is a checklist of items that need to be in place. Skip an item and the load can fall apart at the scale, the broker, or the shipper dock. Most of these items take days or weeks to set up, so start before authority activates.

Regulatory and authority

• USDOT number visible in SAFER and status active
• MC number active and not pending
• BOC-3 process agent designation filed
• Insurance filings (BMC-91 or BMC-91X) on file with FMCSA, not just a certificate from your agent
• UCR registration current for the calendar year
• IRP and IFTA registration if you cross state lines
• IFTA decals applied to truck
• Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (Form 2290) filed if truck is over 55,000 GVW

Vehicle readiness

• Annual periodic inspection within the last 12 months (49 CFR 396.17) -- certificate in cab
• Truck and trailer marked with USDOT number per 49 CFR 390.21 (legal lettering, contrasting color, both sides)
• Insurance card in cab
• Cab card and base plate registration
• ELD installed, registered with FMCSA, and the driver knows how to use it
• Spare ELD or paper logs available in case of malfunction (49 CFR 395.34)
• Fire extinguisher, triangles or flares, and required emergency equipment per 49 CFR 393.95
• Tires inflated, brake adjustment within spec, lights working, mud flaps installed

Driver credentials

• Current CDL with correct endorsements for what you haul
• Current Medical Examiner's Certificate from a National Registry examiner -- filed with state DMV if CDL holder
• Pre-employment drug test result on file before any safety-sensitive function (49 CFR 382.301)
• FMCSA Clearinghouse pre-employment query completed before hire date
• Drug and alcohol policy received and signed

Broker setup

• Completed carrier packet ready to send -- COI, W-9, MC and DOT copies, signed agreement, voided check
• Insurance agent set up to issue COIs to brokers electronically
• Set up with at least one factoring company or arranged broker QuickPay
• Account established on a load board if using one
• Personal phone and email organized so broker messages do not get missed

Operational readiness

• Fuel card and route plan set
• Roadside assistance and tow contacts ready
• Accident kit in cab -- camera, accident form, contact info, post-accident testing instructions
• Hours of service understanding -- 11 hour driving, 14 hour on duty, 30 minute break, 70 hour cycle
• Pre-trip and post-trip inspection routine practiced
• Securement equipment matching the freight type

Files that must exist before dispatch

• Driver qualification file for every driver including yourself (49 CFR 391.51)
• Written drug and alcohol policy (49 CFR 382.601)
• Maintenance file for every vehicle (49 CFR 396.3)
• Accident register -- blank but dated and ready (49 CFR 390.15)
• Safety management controls document covering all six BASIC areas

Things to confirm with the broker before pickup

1. Pickup and delivery appointments

   Confirm exact pickup and delivery times. Get appointment numbers if applicable. Confirm receivers' hours and whether they take after-hours deliveries.

2. Pickup and delivery addresses

   Verify the addresses, gate codes, dock numbers, and any specific entry instructions. Verify the contact name and phone at each location.

3. Rate confirmation

   Read every line of the rate confirmation. Note any accessorial charges, detention rules, layover policies, lumper reimbursement, and fuel surcharge.

4. Load weight and dimensions

   Confirm the weight is within your truck and axle limits and that the trailer type matches the load.

5. Special instructions

   Sealed loads, hazmat placards, temperature settings for reefer, tarping requirements, escort requirements.

Things to do at pickup

• Pre-trip the truck and trailer before leaving the yard
• Bring the BOL pad, seal, tarps if needed, and your pickup numbers
• Inspect the freight before signing the BOL -- note any damage on the BOL
• Photograph the freight, seal number, and BOL before leaving
• Confirm seal number is recorded on the BOL and on the rate confirmation
• Get the shipper to sign the BOL
• Update the broker that you are loaded and rolling

Things to do at delivery

• Photograph the seal intact before breaking it
• Get the receiver to sign the BOL with date, time, and condition note
• Get a copy of the signed BOL -- it is your proof of delivery and your basis for payment
• Note any detention, lumper, or short load issues
• Notify the broker immediately when empty
• Send BOL and any other documents to the broker or factor for payment processing

After the first load

File the BOL, the rate confirmation, fuel receipts, scale tickets, and any supporting documents into your hours of service supporting documents file under 49 CFR 395.11. These records must be retained for at least six months. They become part of your compliance record for the audit.