Updated October 2026 · The independent truck dispatcher playbook

Broker Packet for Dispatchers: What's Inside, and the Red Flags That Matter

"Send me your packet" is one of the first things you'll hear as a truck dispatcher — and one of the most confusing, because the word packet means different things depending on who's asking. This guide untangles it: what a broker packet is, what's actually inside, the difference between a carrier packet and a broker packet, and the red flags that protect you and your carrier.

Get this paperwork right and everything downstream — booking loads, getting paid, staying legal — gets easier. Get it wrong and you'll learn about it at the worst possible moment.

Carrier Packet vs Broker Packet: The Confusion, Cleared Up

Here's the distinction that trips up nearly every new truck dispatcher:

• Carrier packet (a.k.a. carrier setup packet): the bundle of documents a carrier sends to a broker to get set up to haul that broker's freight. The carrier proves they're legitimate: authority, insurance, W-9. As a dispatcher, you assemble and send this on behalf of your carrier.
• Broker packet: what some people call the paperwork flowing the other direction — the broker's credit info, payment terms, and the contract terms the carrier is agreeing to. In practice, most dispatchers use "broker packet" loosely to mean the whole setup exchange.
• Dispatch service agreement: separate from both — this is your contract with your carrier, spelling out your fee and responsibilities. More below.

So when a broker says "send your packet," they want the carrier's documents. When your carrier signs with you, that's your dispatch agreement. Keep the two straight and you'll sound like you've done this for years.

What's Actually in the Packet

A complete carrier setup packet typically contains:

• Carrier authority (MC number): proof the carrier holds active operating authority. Brokers verify this on the FMCSA SAFER system before offering a single load.
• Certificate of Insurance (COI): shows the carrier's auto liability and cargo coverage, with the broker listed as certificate holder. Minimums are usually $1M liability / $100K cargo, though requirements vary.
• W-9: the carrier's tax ID form so the broker can issue a 1099. Standard IRS paperwork — nothing exotic.
• Broker-carrier agreement: the broker's master contract covering payment terms (commonly 30 days), liability, claims, and dispute rules. Read it. Some contain unfavorable clauses on detention pay or claim windows.
• Rate confirmation (per load): not part of the setup packet, but the single most important document per load — it locks in the agreed rate, pickup/delivery details, and accessorials. Never book a load without one.
• Notice of assignment / power of attorney (sometimes): authorizes you, the dispatcher, to act on the carrier's behalf with brokers. Some brokers ask for this explicitly.

The Dispatch Service Agreement: Your Contract

This is the document beginners overlook and veterans never skip. Before you book your first load for a carrier, sign a dispatch service agreement covering:

• Your fee: percentage (3–6%) or flat weekly rate ($150–$350/truck) — see how dispatchers get paid for the models.
• Payment terms: weekly settlement, method (ACH/wire), and what happens on late payment.
• Scope: what you handle (booking, tracking, paperwork) and what you don't (the carrier's fuel, maintenance, compliance).
• Authority to act: explicit permission to negotiate rates and sign rate confirmations on the carrier's behalf.
• Termination: how either side ends it, and notice period. A 7–14 day clause is common.

You don't need a lawyer to draft your first version — templates circulate widely in dispatcher communities — but having something signed before the first load is what separates a business from a favor.

Rate Confirmations: Read Every Line

The rate confirmation is where money is won or lost in the details. Before your driver rolls, verify:

• The rate matches what you negotiated — not a dollar less.
• Pickup and delivery addresses, dates, and appointment times.
• Accessorials: detention pay terms, layover, lumper fees — who's paying, and after how long.
• Equipment type matches your truck.
• Cancellation terms — what happens if the broker pulls the load.

A verbal "yeah, $2,400" means nothing. The signed rate confirmation is the load. For the full picture on how those numbers get set, read truck dispatcher rate per mile.

The Setup Sequence: From First Call to First Load

Here's how the packet actually moves in practice, so your first broker setup doesn't feel like improv:

• The call: you negotiate a load and the broker says "send your packet." Get the direct email of whoever handles carrier setup — don't send documents into a general inbox.
• Send the packet: your carrier's authority, COI, and W-9 in one clean PDF or email thread. Include your dispatch service agreement reference or notice of assignment if they require it.
• They verify: the broker checks the carrier's authority and insurance on FMCSA's system and runs a credit check. This usually takes minutes to a few hours.
• Sign their agreement: the broker-carrier agreement comes back for signature. Read the payment terms and claims language before signing — this is the document that governs the money.
• Book the load: only after setup clears does the rate confirmation get issued. No rate con, no truck rolling.

One pro habit: check the broker's credit score on DAT or your load board before you invest time in setup. A broker with shaky credit and 45-day pay terms is a future collections problem wearing a friendly voice.

Red Flags: When to Walk Away

What Dispatchers Need vs What Carriers Need

One more clearing of the fog, since it causes endless beginner anxiety:

• Carriers need: an MC number (operating authority), insurance, and compliance with FMCSA rules.
• Dispatchers need: none of that federal apparatus. No MC number, no bond, no federal license. You operate under your carrier's authority via your dispatch agreement.
• Freight brokers need: broker authority plus a $75,000 surety bond (BMC-84).

If someone tells you a dispatcher needs an MC number, they're confusing the roles — we dismantle that myth completely in do truck dispatchers need an MC number.