How dispatchers find new owner-operators

New registration is not new authority

Two different things get called "new carriers":

1. A new USDOT number. Anyone operating certain commercial vehicles needs one, including private fleets, construction companies and farms. A new USDOT number on its own does not allow a company to haul other people's freight for pay.
2. New operating authority. A for-hire carrier also needs operating authority (the "MC number"). Authority is granted after the carrier has filed, among other things, proof of liability insurance and a process agent.

For a dispatcher, the second group is the one that matters: carriers who can legally take loads from brokers and shippers.

The authority granted date is the one that matters

The authority granted date is the first day a carrier could haul for hire. Some older lookup tools do not show carriers registered recently, so a carrier missing from one tool is not proof that it has no authority.

Our New Authority Feed starts from authority grants, not new USDOT numbers. Each row is cross-checked for current authority status, insurance on file, registration, fleet size, cargo types and owner-direct contacts before it reaches a file.

Narrow the list to carriers you can help

• Fleet size. Owner-operators usually report one to three power units. Use trucks_max=3.
• Freight type. If you dispatch dry van or flatbed general freight, filter general_freight=true.
• Time zone. Calling at 8 am your time is 5 am on the other coast. The time_zone column lets you plan calling blocks.
• Days since grant. Carriers granted in the last few weeks are still setting up. Use max_days_in_business.
• Cell phone. Some carriers register a cell number. Mobile numbers are marked, which matters for the rules below.

Contact that respects the rules

• Email: identify yourself, use honest subject lines, include your postal address and a working opt-out, and honor opt-outs promptly (CAN-SPAM).
• Calls and texts: do not use autodialers, prerecorded messages or texts to mobile numbers without the consent the TCPA requires, and check the National Do Not Call Registry where it applies.
• Keep a record of anyone who asks you not to contact them.

Our CAN-SPAM and TCPA responsibilities page summarises the obligations; it is not legal advice.

Keep the list fresh

Authority status changes. A carrier can lose authority when insurance lapses. Every row in our feeds has a last_verified date, and the feed is not published when its status checks are too old. If you keep your own list, refresh it at least weekly.