Getting approved as a carrier

Every new carrier company is checked by the Cargado team before it can bid. You apply once, through the carrier application. What the application asks for depends on the country your company is based in, so find your country below. The steps after that are the same for everyone.

Everyone starts here

Enter your name, work email and phone number. Your title is optional. Then choose the country your company is based in.

If your company is in the United States

1. Enter your USDOT number. We match it to your FMCSA record and fill in your legal company name from there.
2. That is the whole application. There are no documents to upload.

We check the FMCSA record as you type. You cannot continue if the number is not found, the authority is not active, the number is registered as a broker rather than a carrier, or the company is registered in another country. Not sure which number you need? See Your DOT, MC, RFC, NSC, CVOR and NIR numbers.

Tip: Apply with the email address on your FMCSA registration. When it matches, we email you an invite right away instead of waiting for our team.

If your company is in Mexico

1. Enter your legal business name and the RFC tied to your SICT permit. Tell us whether you also have a USDOT number.
2. Upload your documents: your Constancia de Situación Fiscal, your acta constitutiva, your SCT permit, a proof of address no older than three months, and your legal representative's ID (both sides of the INE, or the photo page of a passport).
3. Choose Submit for review.

A persona física is not asked for an acta constitutiva, so that list has four documents instead of five. Files can be PDF, JPG, PNG or HEIC, up to 20 MB each.

If your company is in Canada

1. Choose the registration you have: a CVOR number in Ontario, an NIR number in Québec, or an NSC number in every other province. Enter the number.
2. Enter your legal business name. Tell us whether you have a USDOT number and whether you have employees, meaning drivers or staff on your payroll.
3. Upload your documents: your safety fitness certificate, your certificate of incorporation and your certificate of insurance. If you have employees, also upload your workers' compensation clearance (WCB, WSIB or CNESST).
4. Choose Submit for review.

Files can be PDF, JPG, PNG or HEIC, up to 20 MB each.

After you apply

If we did not invite you right away, your application goes to our team, and we email you when the review is done.

Stopped partway through? You can come back to your application for 30 days. We also email you a link that picks up where you left off.

Step 1: Accept your invite

Open the invite email, set your password and sign in.

Step 2: Complete your profile

A short setup walks you through your profile, operations, service areas, GPS and telematics, and inviting your team. Your equipment and service areas decide which freight reaches you.

Step 3: Add three commercial references

Give us three companies you have hauled for: brokers or 3PLs, freight forwarders, or shippers. Other carriers do not count. Each reference has to be a different company. Finish profile unlocks once the third one is added.

Step 4: We check your references

Until we finish, you will see a page that says we are getting you set up. You can still adjust your organization settings in the meantime. Once your references check out, we turn on bidding for your company.

Tip: This step decides how fast you can bid. Most delays come from a reference that has not answered us, so let your references know we will be in touch.

Joining a company that is already on Cargado

If your company already has an active Cargado account, you join it instead of starting a new one, and there are no references to add. Ask an admin at your company to invite you.

Questions?

Email carriers@cargado.com with your company name and the number you applied with.