A practical guide for brand-new carriers on landing your first loads and building momentum in your first 90 days.
Getting your own authority is exciting, but the first few months are the hardest. Brokers want paperwork before they trust you, and cheap freight is everywhere. Here is how to start strong.
Before a broker gives you a load, they need your authority, insurance certificate, W-9, and a signed carrier packet. Have these ready as a single PDF so you can get set up with brokers in minutes, not days.
Get on the main load boards and start completing broker setups. Every broker you set up with is another source of freight. This is tedious work — which is exactly what a dispatcher handles for you.
New carriers often grab any load to stay busy. That is how you end up running below your cost per mile. Know your numbers, and turn down freight that does not pay. One good load beats two cheap ones.
Brokers can take 30 to 45 days to pay. Without factoring, a new carrier can run out of cash fast. Factoring gets you paid in a day or two for a small fee — often worth it in your early months.
Always check a broker's credit and reputation before hauling. A load that never pays is worse than no load at all.
All of this — broker setup, finding good loads, negotiating rates, and avoiding bad brokers — is exactly what a dispatcher does. If you would rather drive than spend your first months learning the back office the hard way, a dispatch service like Loadboot gets you set up and loaded from day one.
Get a free quote today and see how much more your truck could be earning with a dispatcher in your corner.
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