What should a factoring rep say first on a cold call?

Say your name and company, one specific fact about the carrier such as their equipment or city, what you do in one line, and ask whether they have two minutes. New carriers hear from many callers, so a short, specific opener that asks permission gets further than a pitch.

How many times should I follow up with a new carrier?

Plan on three or four touches over about two weeks: the call, a same-day email with your terms, and two follow-ups that each offer something useful, like a broker credit check. Stop right away if they ask you to, and record the request on your do-not-call list.

Can I text new carriers my factoring terms?

Not as a marketing message without consent. Under the TCPA, marketing texts to cell phones need prior express written consent. If a carrier asks you on the phone to text them, keep a record of that request. Email is the safer written follow-up for a first contact.

Is this call script legal advice?

No. It's a sales script with a short summary of the federal rules most reps run into. Telemarketing rules depend on how you dial, who you call and which states you call into, so have your compliance team or a lawyer review your process.

A call script for new-authority carriers

Reviewed October 3, 2026 · Numbers are Rookiefeed analysis as of October 19, 2026, updated daily

A good call to a new-authority carrier opens with something specific to them, asks about their first loads and cash flow, answers the usual factoring objections plainly, and ends with a next step and a same-day email. New carriers hear from a lot of callers in their first weeks, so the script below is built to sound like someone who did their homework.

Before you dial

Have the row open: owner's name, MC number, equipment, fleet size, insurer and whether it's a first-time authority. 67% of recent grants started with one truck, so you're usually talking to the owner who also drives.

Check whether the number is flagged as a cell. Dial it by hand, and don't text it without consent (see the compliance box below).
Know your real terms for a new authority: advance rate, fee range, recourse or non-recourse, reserve, contract length, fuel advances.
Pick one fact about them to open with: the equipment, the state, the insurer or how long their application took.
Call between 8am and 9pm in the carrier's time zone, and expect them to be driving. Offer to call back.

The opener (first 15 seconds)

"Hi, is this [first name]? This is [your name] with [company]. I saw your authority went active this week for [reefer / flatbed / dry van] out of [city]. Congratulations. I work with new carriers on getting paid while brokers take 30 days or more. Do you have two minutes, or is there a better time?"

That's it. Say who you are, why them, what you do and ask permission. If they're driving or say no, ask when to call back and whether email is better. Then write that down.

Discovery questions

Listen for the real problem. It's usually fuel money before the first payment, or a broker who wants 30-day terms from a carrier with no cash.

"Have you booked your first loads yet? Through a load board, a broker you know, or a dispatcher?"
"How are you covering fuel until those first invoices pay?"
"Have you factored before, at this company or another one?" (Key for returning authorities.)
"Has anyone explained recourse versus non-recourse to you?"
"Do you want to handle broker credit checks yourself, or have someone check them before you book?"
"Are you talking with any other factoring companies right now? What did you like about them?"

Common objections and straight answers

What they say	What you can say
"I'm getting 20 calls a day."	"I believe it. I'll be quick and send you an email with our terms in writing, so you can compare on your own time."
"Factoring is too expensive."	"It costs a percentage of each invoice, and you should compare that with waiting 30 days or more to get paid. I'll send the exact fee, with no add-ons, so you can do the math."
"I don't want a long contract."	"Fair. Here's our contract length and how you'd leave it." (Only say what's true for your program.)
"I already have a factor."	"Good. Are you happy with the advance speed and fees? If anything changes, here's my number." Then mark them for a 60-day follow-up.
"Is this a scam?"	"Smart question. Here's our website and our address, and you can call back through the number on our site."

Close and follow-up email

Close on one small step: send the application, run a credit check on a broker they're about to book, or set a call after their first load.

Send this the same day:

Subject: [Company] terms for [carrier name], MC [number]

"Hi [first name], thanks for the time today. As promised, here's what factoring with us looks like for a new authority: [advance rate], [fee], [recourse or non-recourse], [contract length], funding [same day / next day]. If you want, send me the broker name for your next load and I'll check their credit before you book. [Your name], [phone], [company], [postal address]. Reply STOP or click here and I won't email again."

Follow up two or three more times over the next two weeks, each with something useful, like a broker credit check or an answer to their question, not just "checking in".

Compliance box

This is a summary, not legal advice. Talk to your compliance team or a lawyer about your program.

Autodialed or prerecorded calls and marketing texts to cell phones need prior express written consent under the TCPA. Dial cells by hand and don't text without consent.
Keep an internal do-not-call list and honor every request to stop. More detail in our TCPA and DNC guide.
Commercial email has to follow CAN-SPAM: honest subject line, your postal address and a working opt-out. See how to email new trucking companies.

Getting tomorrow's call list

Rookiefeed sends every carrier granted authority the day before, by 7am Central, with the owner's name, phone (cells flagged), email, equipment, fleet size, insurer and first-time flag, which is everything the opener above needs. Rookiefeed is $59 a month for one state once a week, $149 for one state every day, $299 for up to 8 states and $599 for every state, and you can cancel any time.

See a sample first in the free list builder.

Questions

What should a factoring rep say first on a cold call?: Say your name and company, one specific fact about the carrier such as their equipment or city, what you do in one line, and ask whether they have two minutes. New carriers hear from many callers, so a short, specific opener that asks permission gets further than a pitch.
How many times should I follow up with a new carrier?: Plan on three or four touches over about two weeks: the call, a same-day email with your terms, and two follow-ups that each offer something useful, like a broker credit check. Stop right away if they ask you to, and record the request on your do-not-call list.
Can I text new carriers my factoring terms?: Not as a marketing message without consent. Under the TCPA, marketing texts to cell phones need prior express written consent. If a carrier asks you on the phone to text them, keep a record of that request. Email is the safer written follow-up for a first contact.
Is this call script legal advice?: No. It's a sales script with a short summary of the federal rules most reps run into. Telemarketing rules depend on how you dial, who you call and which states you call into, so have your compliance team or a lawyer review your process.

Every new carrier, by 7am

Owner name, phone, email, fleet, equipment and insurer for each carrier FMCSA authorized yesterday, as a CSV.

See plans Build a free list

Sources: FCC: Stop unwanted robocalls and texts · 47 CFR 64.1200 (TCPA rules) · FTC: CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide