TBOS — Free Carrier Packet Template & Checklist (PDF)
Updated: 2026-10-03
https://tbos.app/resources/carrier-packet-checklist

Download a free fillable carrier packet PDF for owner-operators and small fleets. Organize carrier details, requested documents and broker follow-up.

What is in this carrier packet template?

Page one is a reusable carrier information sheet: business name, applicable carrier identifiers, contact details, equipment and operating area. Page two is your internal organizer for the recipient’s requested attachments, submission process, dates and follow-up. Both pages have fillable fields and can also be printed.
The PDF helps you prepare a packet; the receiving broker supplies its agreements, tax-form requests and submission requirements. Fill in and save the PDF on your device. It does not send your entries to TBOS or submit them to a broker.

[ ] Confirm the recipient’s current document list before completing the packet.
[ ] Fill in the carrier information sheet, then mark which attachments were requested and are ready.
[ ] Send the required records through the recipient’s approved process and keep the organizer for your own follow-up.

After setup: keep load paperwork with the invoice: https://tbos.app/trucking-invoicing-software?source=carrier-packet-guide

What is a carrier packet?

A carrier packet is the information and paperwork a broker or customer requests to set up a carrier for business. It can be an online onboarding process, a set of forms or a combination of both. The receiving company decides what it needs and whether to approve the carrier.
As one example, C.H. Robinson’s carrier setup page asks for an active carrier identifier, an electronic W-9 and proof of insurance. Treat a broker’s published list as its own onboarding requirements. It is not a universal government checklist or a promise that every broker will accept the same packet.

C.H. Robinson: example carrier setup requirements: https://www.chrobinson.com/carriers/carrier-support/sign-up-to-haul/

Prepare these document groups

Start with the broker’s current instructions. Use the following list to locate information before opening its application, then check off only the requests that apply.

[ ] Business identity: legal name, any trade name, business address, contact details and applicable carrier identifiers.
[ ] Tax information: the requested tax form completed for the correct business. For U.S. requests, review the IRS W-9 instructions.
[ ] Insurance: current proof of coverage and any certificate instructions supplied by the broker. Have your insurer resolve coverage or certificate questions.
[ ] Broker forms: the agreement and onboarding forms provided by that company. Review the terms before signing and keep your accepted copy.
[ ] Equipment and service details: the equipment you can offer, operating area and the contact who can answer load questions.
[ ] Payment setup: the requested remittance details and, where applicable, factoring instructions or supporting notices. Confirm these through the recipient’s approved process.

IRS: Form W-9 and instructions: https://www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/about-form-w-9
FMCSA: insurance filing requirements: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/insurance-filing-requirements

Check the packet before submitting it

Compare the business name and contact information across the documents. Where tax-form naming rules differ, follow the form’s instructions and clarify the difference with the requester. Resolve unclear scans, missing pages and outdated certificates before the recipient has to ask again.
Send only the requested records through a verified recipient or portal. Tax identifiers and payment details belong in that exchange; they should not appear in a public load listing. Driver medical and employment files are not a standard attachment to every broker packet.

[ ] Confirm the recipient and the current document list.
[ ] Check names, dates, signatures, legibility and completeness.
[ ] Ask the insurer to address certificate requirements.
[ ] Record the submission date, contact and outstanding questions.
[ ] Keep the approval or request for corrections with the submitted version.

Keep packet approval separate from a load booking

Carrier setup establishes the business relationship. A specific load still needs its own agreed details and instructions. Put the rate confirmation and shipment paperwork with that load, then retain delivery proof and the invoice when the work is completed.
If you are leased onto another carrier, confirm who handles broker setup and which carrier identity should appear. Do not assume the owner of the truck should submit an independent packet for freight being hauled under the carrier’s arrangement.

Own authority versus leased-on paperwork: https://tbos.app/resources/own-authority-vs-leased-on-owner-operator
Load paperwork and trucking invoices in TBOS: https://tbos.app/trucking-invoicing-software

A reusable packet preparation routine

Keep a current working set of requested business documents and a separate record of what each customer received. When a certificate or contact changes, review which customers need an update. An old email attachment is a poor source for your next packet.
Use a fresh copy of page two for each broker so you can see what was requested, submitted and still needs a reply. The template does not replace the broker’s agreement or requested tax forms. Once setup is confirmed, keep the rate confirmation, delivery proof and invoice with each load in TBOS.

Browse the public TBOS loadboard: https://tbosloadboard.com/search

Interactive document checklist: https://tbos.app/free-compliance
TBOS workspace plans: https://tbos.app/pricing