Brokers Won't Load Your New Authority? What to Do About It

Published October 14, 2026 · Updated October 17, 2026 · Ascend Dispatch Solutions

You got your MC, called a broker, and heard "call us back when you've been active longer." That's common with new authorities. Here's what's going on and what you can do about it.

Why some brokers wait

Each broker sets its own carrier-setup rules, and many make a new authority wait before they'll set it up. That's a broker policy, not an FMCSA rule. There's no single industry-wide waiting period, so the answer changes from broker to broker.

Not every broker makes you wait

C.H. Robinson's carrier FAQ says you can sign up as soon as your MC or DOT number is active, and that some shippers' freight may require 90 days of experience, though that isn't universal. It also says you don't need prior load-hauling experience once your authority is active and your documents are complete. We keep a longer, dated list on our brokers that work with new MCs page.

What to do while you wait

• Confirm you're actually active. Check your Authority History on FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance site. A setup often fails because the grant or the insurance filing isn't showing yet.
• Have a complete packet ready. Authority letter, W-9, certificate of insurance, and payment details, all as PDFs.
• Ask the right question. Ask each broker its minimum authority age and insurance limits before you spend time on its setup forms.
• Don't take shortcuts. Never haul under someone else's authority, and never accept a load from a "broker" you haven't checked on FMCSA. New MCs are a favorite target of fake-broker scams. Here's how to check a broker.

Use the wait to get your paperwork in order. Our first 30 days checklist covers the basics, and the free New MC 90-day checklist (PDF) goes further. If you want help finding brokers that will set up a new MC, fill out the form and we’ll call you, or get the Ascend Load Report when we update our broker list.

Quick answers

Is there an FMCSA rule that makes new MCs wait before hauling for brokers?

No. Waiting periods are set by each broker's own carrier-setup policy, and they vary from broker to broker.

Which brokers work with brand-new MCs?

C.H. Robinson's carrier FAQ says you can sign up as soon as your MC or DOT number is active, though some shippers' freight may require 90 days. See our dated list of brokers that work with new MCs for more.

Sources

• C.H. Robinson: Carrier Services and FAQ
• FMCSA: Get Operating Authority (Docket Number), checking your authority status
• FMCSA SAFER: Company Snapshot

Also see our list of brokers that work with new MCs.