The broker packet
- W-9 with the exact legal entity name.
- Certificate of insurance with the broker listed as certificate holder.
- Signed broker-carrier agreement — read the double-brokering and detention clauses.
- Notice of assignment if you use a factoring company.
- Copy of your MC authority letter.
Know your cost per mile before you book anything
Add fixed costs (truck payment, insurance, permits, ELD, parking) and variable costs (fuel, maintenance reserve, tires, tolls, driver pay) and divide by realistic monthly miles. A one-truck operation running 8,000–10,000 miles a month commonly lands between $1.65 and $2.10 per mile all-in.
Deadhead counts. A $3.00/mile load with 200 deadhead miles on a 400-mile run is really $2.00/mile.
If you cannot state your cost per mile from memory, you are not negotiating — you are accepting.
Factoring vs. waiting
| Option | Speed | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Broker quick pay | 1–3 days | 2–5% of invoice |
| Recourse factoring | 24 hours | 1.5–3%; you eat unpaid invoices |
| Non-recourse factoring | 24 hours | 3–5%; factor absorbs credit risk |
| Standard net terms | 30–45 days | Free, if you can float it |
Paperwork that protects payment
- Signed rate confirmation before dispatch — never move on a verbal.
- Clean, signed bill of lading; note damage at pickup, not after.
- Proof of delivery submitted within 24 hours.
- Detention documented with in/out times signed by the facility.
- Check broker credit days-to-pay before accepting. A cheap load that pays is better than a great load that does not.