How to reach new trucking authorities before their insurance is filed
In the week to October 12, 2026, 2,057 US trucking companies applied for operating authority and still had no liability insurance on file with FMCSA (Dooza’s weekly run of FMCSA open data). Each one needs an insurer to file for it before its authority goes active, and FMCSA starts the dismissal clock 20 days after the application is published. The way to reach them first is to get them every week, with phone and owner name, while they are still shopping.
Not ready for a call? Get 5 free rows from your state by email first.
The real window: about 80 days, not 90
Vendor copy often talks about a new authority’s “first 90 days”. FMCSA’s own insurance filing page (last updated March 26, 2026) sets it out like this:
- Once a carrier applies for operating authority (MC number), its insurer must file the insurance form for it. The carrier cannot file its own.
- If nothing is filed within 20 days of the application being published in the FMCSA Register, FMCSA serves a decision: comply within 60 days or the application is dismissed.
- Until the filing is in, the authority is not active and the carrier cannot haul for hire across state lines.
For most new for-hire freight carriers running trucks over 10,001 lbs, the federal minimum is $750,000 of liability (49 CFR 387.9). So a new authority with no filing on record still needs a policy, and the earlier you call, the more likely it has not bought one yet.
Who the new authorities are
From the FMCSA Company Census (our new trucking companies per month page has the full method):
- 22,204 new interstate for-hire carriers based in US states registered in Q3 2026, about 7,401 a month.
- 64% reported one power unit and 89% one or two.
- 14% of the 2025 Q3 class is already inactive, so plan for churn and confirm the business is real on the first call.
The most new authorities in the week to October 12, 2026 were in Texas (239), California (210), Florida (162), Pennsylvania (119), Illinois (115). Pick your state:
Counts from FMCSA open data, Dooza’s weekly run of October 12, 2026. Renewal dates are estimates (anniversary of the current liability filing).
Source: FMCSA open data, Dooza’s weekly run of October 12, 2026. Numbers change every week.
What a new-authority row looks like
Two real rows from the Pennsylvania list of October 12, 2026. In this public sample we hide the company name, DOT and MC number, owner, phone and email; your list has them all.
| City | Power units | Current insurer | Liability limit | Applied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown | 2 | None filed yet | Needs at least $750,000 | Applied Oct 11, 2026 |
| McSherrystown | 1 | None filed yet | Needs at least $750,000 | Applied Oct 10, 2026 |
See real rows before you decide
How to work the list
- Call in the first week. Our Monday list has the companies that applied in the last 7 days and have no liability filing yet.
- Open with the filing they need. They cannot haul until an insurer files for them; ask whether anyone has quoted them yet.
- Check the record. Look up the DOT number on FMCSA’s SAFER site before you call.
- Dial by hand. Many owner numbers are cell phones; check the Do Not Call list first.
What it costs
New authorities come in the same Monday list as trucking renewals in 30 to 60 days, with the current insurer named. First week free, then $129 every 4 weeks. One agency per state: once your state is claimed, nobody else gets that list from us.
Rather not dial yourself? We can phone the truckers on your list and book the owners onto your calendar as quote calls. It costs $299 for 4 booked quote calls, and the first one is free. It is not offered in every state yet.
Comparing sources? See 9 trucking insurance lead sources compared, with prices from their own sites.
Who is behind this list?
Dooza, a small US company (Adam Laboratory Inc., a Delaware corporation) founded by Sibi Narendran. We are not an insurance agency. We build the list every week with software from public FMCSA filings.
Is your state still open?
Book a free 30-minute call. We check that your state is still open, answer your questions and start your free week.
Frequently asked questions
FMCSA says an insurer must file the liability form for the applicant. If nothing is filed within 20 days of the application being published in the FMCSA Register, FMCSA serves a decision saying the application will be dismissed unless the carrier complies within 60 days. So the window is about 80 days, not the 90 often quoted, and the authority is not active until the filing is in.
FMCSA publishes new applications in its open data and in the FMCSA Register. Dooza joins those files every week and sends the new authorities in your state that have no liability filing yet, with owner, phone and email as filed. In the week to October 12, 2026 there were 2,057 across the 50 states and DC.
They need a liability filing before they can haul, so they are buying now. But most are small: in Q3 2026, 64% of new interstate for-hire carriers reported one power unit, and 14% of the 2025 Q3 class is already inactive. Many agencies call them as a second list next to renewals of established fleets.
They come in the same weekly list as renewals: first week free, then $129 per 4 weeks, one agency per state. You can get 5 free rows from your state by email first. If you would rather not dial, we can book quote calls: $299 for 4 booked quote calls, and the first one is free.
No. Dooza is not an insurance agency. We find and organise the trucking companies from public FMCSA filings; your agency quotes and writes the policies.