How to find new trucking companies before they buy insurance
New trucking companies show up in FMCSA data twice before they can haul: when they apply for operating authority (an MC number) and when FMCSA publishes the application in its Register. Applicants must file liability insurance before FMCSA grants authority, so they're shopping for a policy now. The way to find them is to pull FMCSA's new applications every business day and start with the ones that have no insurance on file.
Across the last 30 feed days, FMCSA data showed about 501 new authority applications and grants per feed day. 71% of applicants had no liability filing on file; by the time authority is granted, 90% do. That gap is the buying window.
The four moments a new trucking company appears in FMCSA data
- USDOT number. Every interstate carrier registers for a USDOT number first. On its own it says little about whether the company will need for-hire insurance.
- Application filed (MC, FF or MX docket). The company applies for operating authority. This is the earliest signal that it intends to haul for hire.
- Published to the FMCSA Register. FMCSA publishes the application, which opens a protest window. The company can't operate yet, and it can't be granted authority until a liability filing (Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X) and a BOC-3 are on file.
- Authority granted. Once the filings are in and the protest window has passed, FMCSA grants the authority. In our data the median gap between Register publication and grant was 14 days (half fell between 12 and 14 days, n=1,999).
Stages 2 and 3 are where an agent wants to be: the company has decided to haul and hasn't bought a policy yet. By stage 4 most have. See new authority insurance requirements for the filings in detail.
Free ways to find new trucking companies
All of this is public. FMCSA publishes it on data.transportation.gov:
- The company census lists every USDOT number with the date it was added. Filter on recent add dates and on carriers that operate for hire.
- The authority and insurance files list applications, grants and liability filings by docket. Join them to the census by USDOT number to see who applied and whether insurance is on file.
- SAFER and the L&I lookup are good for checking one carrier at a time, not for finding new ones.
Doing it by hand works. The catch is that it has to be done every business day, a company that moves from "filed" to "published" shouldn't be counted twice, and the insurance join is what tells you who still needs a policy.
Every new FMCSA applicant, scored and flagged by whether insurance is on file, the same morning FMCSA publishes it. $79/month, every state, every business day.
Paid plans add phone and email from FMCSA filings where available.
Start your 7-day free trial Download a free sample (no email)
Which new trucking companies to call first
- Published, no insurance on file. They're past the first filing step and still need a BIPD filing to get authority. These are the hottest.
- Filed, no insurance. Earlier in the process; a good time for a first conversation.
- Granted recently. Most already bought a policy, but a first-year carrier often shops again at its first renewal.
64% of new authorities ran a single power unit and 88% ran two or fewer, so most calls are with an owner-operator who answers the phone themselves.
The busiest states over the same 30 feed days: Texas (1,784), California (1,497), Florida (1,279), Illinois (838), Pennsylvania (740). Each state page shows daily counts and how many have no insurance on file.
Doing it every business day without the busywork
CarrierDaily pulls FMCSA's data every business day, removes the duplicates, joins the insurance filings and scores each new applicant 0-100, so the list arrives as one CSV and one workspace view: new applicants and grants, flagged by whether insurance is on file. Every new FMCSA applicant, scored and flagged by whether insurance is on file, the same morning FMCSA publishes it. All states, $79/month, with a 7-day free trial. You can download a free one-state sample first.
Questions
Where can I get a list of new MC numbers?
FMCSA publishes new authority applications and grants in its open data on data.transportation.gov. CarrierDaily turns that into a daily list by state, flagged by whether liability insurance is on file, with a free one-state sample CSV.
Do new trucking companies need insurance before they get authority?
Yes. FMCSA won't grant operating authority until a liability filing (Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X) and a BOC-3 are on file, so applicants are shopping for a policy before they can haul.
How long does it take a new trucking company to get its MC number granted?
In CarrierDaily's data the median gap between FMCSA Register publication and grant was 14 days, based on 1,999 new authorities.
Is it legal to contact new trucking companies?
The data is public, but calling, texting and emailing are regulated. Follow the TCPA, the National Do-Not-Call Registry, state rules and CAN-SPAM. Buyers are solely responsible for TCPA and Do-Not-Call compliance.
Every new FMCSA applicant, scored and flagged by whether insurance is on file, the same morning FMCSA publishes it. $79/month, every state, every business day.
Paid plans add phone and email from FMCSA filings where available.
Start your 7-day free trial Download a free sample (no email)
Get tomorrow's list free
The newest applicants for your state, in your inbox each business day.
Related guides
- New authority trucking insurance requirements
- How to sell trucking insurance to new authorities
- BMC-35 trucking insurance cancellations: a guide for agents
Sources and method. CarrierDaily analysis of public FMCSA data, Sep 22 to Oct 22 (30 feed days). Companies, not events: a published application already counted when filed is counted once. Source: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data published on data.transportation.gov. CarrierDaily is not affiliated with or endorsed by FMCSA or the U.S. Department of Transportation.