Set Up and Use Onboard Carrier in Load Manager

Before You Use This Article

• Access needed: Onboard Carrier enabled on your Load Manager account. It is included with Premium for eligible freight broker or dispatch service accounts; otherwise use it only when the feature is enabled for your account.
• Use this article when: you are a freight broker or dispatch service user whose account has Onboard Carrier enabled. Full company paths: Freight Brokers or Dispatch Services.
• Use a different article when: you run a trucking-only company; Premium is not the normal path, so use Carriers, Owner-Operators, and Trucking Companies for driver, equipment, and trucking workflows.

Onboard Carrier lets your team send carriers a secure onboarding link, collect required information and documents, and keep the completed packet connected to the carrier record in Load Manager.

Before you start: Onboard Carrier must be enabled for your account. It is included with Premium for eligible freight broker or dispatch service accounts; otherwise use it only when the feature is enabled for your account. Applies to Freight Broker and Dispatch Service accounts.

Use this article to set up the onboarding packet, send an onboarding invitation, and understand what changes on the carrier profile after the carrier starts or completes the packet.

Before You Begin

• Confirm Onboard Carrier is enabled for your company.
• Gather the contracts, forms, and document requests you want carriers to complete.
• If onboarding emails will be sent from a company user, confirm that user's email settings are valid.
• Decide whether carriers should stay inactive until a dispatcher reviews their completed documents.

Set Up the Onboarding Packet

The onboarding packet is managed from the Onboard Carrier setup area.

1. Go to Settings.
2. Click Onboard Carrier Setup.
3. Review each setup tab before sending onboarding links.

Contract to be Signed

Use Contract to be Signed for the agreement carriers must sign during onboarding, such as a broker-carrier agreement.

1. Open the Contract to be Signed tab.
2. Click Add New.
3. Enter the Name and Description.
4. Add the agreement using the available document option for your setup, such as the document editor or file upload.
5. Keep Active checked when the agreement should appear in the onboarding packet.
6. Click Save.

Documents to be Attached

Use Documents to be ATTACHED for files the carrier must upload, such as a W-9, certificate of insurance, operating authority, or other required form.

Default upload requests for new companies: New Onboard Carrier company setups include Upload W-9 and Upload MC Authority Letter as required carrier upload requests. These default upload requests are editable, so review the description and required setting before sending your first packet. Existing companies can add the same requests manually from this tab if they are not already listed.

1. Open the Documents to be ATTACHED tab.
2. Click Add New.
3. Enter a clear description, such as Upload W-9 or Upload Certificate of Insurance.
4. Mark the document as required when the carrier should not complete onboarding without that upload.
5. Save the requirement.

Equipment

Use the Equipment tab to control which equipment types carriers can confirm during onboarding. This is helpful when your team wants cleaner carrier profiles for lane searches, available equipment, and dispatch planning.

Onboarding Settings

Use Onboarding Settings to choose what information carriers provide and how onboarding emails are sent.

The Carrier Prompts section can ask carriers for items such as:

• Add Dispatchers
• Add Drivers
• Add Other Contacts
• Lanes Covered
• ELD status
• Certifications
• Truck/Trailer Info
• Equipment Type
• ACH Info
• Remit Info

If you select Remit Info, Load Manager can also require the carrier to upload factoring or remit support documents. Use Require Voided Check when your team needs banking verification, and use Require NOA when the carrier uses a factoring company and must provide a Notice of Assignment. The Require NOA option appears only when Remit Info is selected.

The Options section includes settings such as:

• Require Fed Tax ID: Ask carriers for their federal tax ID. This is commonly used for 1099 reporting.
• Require Dispatcher Verification of Docs: Keep carriers inactive until a dispatcher reviews their documents.
• Allow Download & Submit Manually: Let carriers download the contract and return it outside the digital signing flow.
• Contracts to be Signed renewed Annually: Require signed contracts to renew each year.

The Insurance section controls whether carriers provide certificate-only information or more detailed insurance details and coverage amounts.

The Select Email Address to Send Onboarding Email section controls the sender for onboarding emails. Depending on your setup, you can use:

• Use Company Email
• Use No Reply Email
• Use User's Email

Click Onboarding Template Email to review the email message carriers receive.

Save, Preview, and Copy the Link

1. Click Save after changing onboarding settings.
2. Click Preview Onboarding to review the carrier experience before sending invitations.
3. Click Copy Onboarding Link if you want a public onboarding link for a website, email signature, or recruiting message.

The public onboarding link is useful for carriers that are not already in your Load Manager carrier list. A carrier can use the link to start onboarding by entering carrier information such as a DOT or MC number.

Send an Onboarding Invitation

Use the carrier profile when you want to send a personalized onboarding invitation to a specific carrier.

1. Go to the Carriers tab.
2. Open the carrier profile, or click Add Carrier if the carrier is not in Load Manager yet.
3. Confirm the carrier has an email address.
4. Click Onboard Carrier.
5. Review the onboarding email window.
6. Send the onboarding email.

Track the Carrier Status

After an onboarding invitation is sent, the button on the carrier profile changes based on the carrier's progress.

• Onboard Carrier: The carrier has not started the Load Manager onboarding workflow.
• Onboarding in Progress or a step label: The carrier has started but has not completed the packet.
• View Carrier Packet: The carrier completed the packet and the completed information is available for review.
• Request Expired Documents: One or more required documents need to be updated.
• Documents Pending: Updated documents have been requested and are still pending.

If Require Dispatcher Verification of Docs is checked in setup, review the submitted documents before activating or using the carrier on loads.

Re-Onboard Carriers

Use re-onboarding when carriers need to complete an updated packet or provide updated documents.

• For one carrier, open the carrier profile and use the onboarding menu options available next to the carrier packet button.
• For a group of carriers, go to Settings > Onboard Carrier Setup > Re-Onboard Carriers.

Review the filters carefully before using bulk re-onboarding, especially if your workflow may set carriers inactive until they complete the updated packet.

Best Practices

• Preview the onboarding packet before sending it to carriers.
• Ask for the documents your team truly needs before dispatch, but avoid unnecessary prompts that slow carriers down.
• Use clear upload descriptions, such as Upload Certificate of Insurance, so carriers know exactly what to provide.
• For new company setups, confirm the default Upload W-9 and Upload MC Authority Letter requests match your packet wording before sending onboarding invitations.
• Review expired documents before assigning the carrier to a load.
• Keep the onboarding email short and clear so carriers understand what to do next.

Related Articles

• How to Update Onboard Carrier Packets with New Documents
• Email Carrier Onboarding Documents from Load Manager
• How to Use My Carrier Packets in Load Manager
• Send an Email to Multiple Recipients

Related Articles

• Choose the Right Load Manager Articles for Your TMS Setup