MC and USDOT numbers questions

Dunno bout that. I dont see how its the same. How do all the other carriers that allow drivers to book their own freight do it?
I cant recall offhand which specific companies but I know a few open deck carriers allow it and have always wondered but Im guessing the driver would have access to load boards.

 

C'mon, you don't need to ask your pal. Just don't let him get home while your trousers are warming your ankles.

 

A lot of companies will allow you to trip lease loads off the boards if they don't have a load for you. You might check with your carrier about this as it is a standard practice in the industry.

 

This shouldn't be an issue and is done all the time. And the load boards actually have a form that they will send to your company asking permission to allow you to have access to load boards.

Couple of the bigger issues on the company side.

1 Credit - you will need to make sure that anyone you haul for is credit approved by your company.
2. Contracts - not sure how large your company is but it can take a while to get a contract approved.
3. Getting the right rate - biggest issue for some companies is that they have a good relationship with a broker and only run certain loads and specific rates. Then you come along and want to move and it is cheaper than what they would have done it for.

It shouldn't be a big deal with your company. Just ask. If they say no then nothing lost. But if they say yes make sure that you get trained and have a good contact for questions. It is a learning process

 

Short of quitting and running under your own authority your only other option is to talk with them about getting access to open loadboards and booking your own loads from brokers under their authority. They may or may not already be subscribed to ITS, DAT etc or already have accounts setup with the free ones Landstar, CH Robinson and the like. Even if they are they may tell you you're on your own there and will have to pay your own subscriptions, which is really not much, but is it going to be worth it to you paying $30 a month or whatever? only you can know that.. IMO one great load a month can justify a $30 subscription. Now they may have a problem with this and not really want you doing it. For one it's possible that they work with brokers like CHR from time to time when markets favor trucks getting great rates, and they get great rates, and you not knowing start working for people they've always done well with for fuel money... Or perhaps they prefer to keep their operators available for their freight and servicing their own customer needs as opposed to going off on wild goose chases. If they have no trouble meeting customer needs with their trucks then they don't have to risk accounts and take chances with outside trucks. If they allow one of you this option of self dispatching then the floodgate is open and all of a sudden their entire business model comes into question. It's possible they are open to it and if so that would be great. But don't be surprised if they tell you no without another word as to why.

 

To get MC numbers you do not need cargo insurance. That is as long as you dont haul household goods. It only costs $300 to apply for them then a few weeks to get them active. Do you have a current USDOT number, if you do then it is only $300 to get MC numbers. I do not use my MC#s to haul with, just to get accounts on load boards. When the person on the other end of the phone hears anything from you its only about the authority that you are actually running IE the company you are using now. Good luck.


ETA; Bills response is the best thing to do. He has been doing this for a long time.

 

If they do say "yes" about using their MC to access load boards, see if they already have subscribed to Internet Truckstop. They have better, less expensive options to add users. You may not need a full subscription for yourself. For example, my basic sub comes with 5 free user accounts. DAT/Trucker's Edge, on the other hand, wants to charge the full fee for each user. Don't know about GetLoaded.. I tried it a while back and didn't like it so cancelled.

 

That's what I figured and would have been shocked otherwise. It's not the norm to allow contractors that much operational control. Contractors are typically viewed as extra company trucks used to meet customer needs. Now it may be that their freight pays very well but to me this still reeks of forced dispatch by hook or crook. At some places it is worse than others for example they may not care if you turn down a load and it really matters not or there may be hell to pay if you do. You cover all the expenses of ownership but you have no operational control at all. Of course you'd likely be disappointed with loadboards. They can be a great way to make a living but you don't just subscribe today and make money off one tomorrow. They take time and effort to exploit. With you looking for loads to reposition to your company's hauls you'll be the one being exploited most likely. It may be they are doing you a favor in that regard.

 

Insurance will be needed to maintain the authority. You must at least carry liability insurance. That's a fairly expensive way to access load boards