Is an Apify FMCSA scraper cheaper than a lead subscription?

On record cost, yes. Actors charge $3.50 to $20 per 1,000 records, sometimes plus a small start fee per run, so a month of new authorities costs tens of dollars. The trade-off is setup, monitoring failed runs and cleaning the output, which a managed feed does for you.

Do FMCSA scrapers include insurance information?

Mostly not. Of the scrapers we reviewed on October 2, 2026, most returned contacts and fleet data without insurance, and one labeled insurance status as unknown. Insurance has to be matched to each carrier separately.

Did FMCSA scrapers break after Motus?

Tools that read the old L&I Register would have stopped getting new records after the May 14, 2026 cutover. On October 9, 2026 the scrapers we reviewed listed 86% to 100% of runs succeeding, so at least some were rebuilt for Motus.

FMCSA scrapers vs paid lists: build or buy new authority leads

Reviewed October 9, 2026 · Numbers are Rookiefeed analysis as of October 19, 2026, updated daily

Apify-style FMCSA scrapers charge $3.50 to $20 per 1,000 records, so at new-authority volumes they cost tens of dollars a month. A managed feed like Rookiefeed costs more and saves the setup, the run-watching and the cleanup. If you have someone technical and an existing pipeline, a scraper is often the better buy.

What these scrapers are

Automation marketplaces such as Apify sell small scripts, often called actors, that return FMCSA carrier records as JSON or CSV, priced per result. Some track granted authority, some track new USDOT registrations, and some do both. You schedule the runs and pipe the output wherever you want.

When we looked at the listings on October 9, 2026, prices ran from $3.50 to $20 per 1,000 records. The busiest listing showed 24 users and 3 monthly users; most showed one to three. Listed run success ranged from about 86% to 100%.

What each really costs

We tracked 5,591 new for-hire carrier grants in the last 30 days. At $4 per 1,000 that's about $22 of records, and at $20 per 1,000 about $112, plus any per-run start fees. Rookiefeed starts at $59 a month for one state. On record cost alone, the scraper wins by a wide margin.

The other cost is time. Someone has to pick the actor, schedule it, notice when a run fails (up to 14% of runs did on one listing, by the listings' own numbers), fix it when FMCSA changes something, and turn JSON into a call list each morning. For a technical team that's small. For a sales team without one, it's the whole problem.

When a scraper is the better pick

You have a developer or data person, and new-authority records are going into a CRM, enrichment tool or dialer you already run.
You want an API and full control over fields, timing and filters.
You need volume across every state and want to pay per record rather than per territory.
You only need the core contact fields. The better scrapers return owner name, phone and email.
You're testing the market and want to spend $20 before committing to a subscription.

When a managed feed is the better pick

Nobody on the team writes code. A 7am email with a CSV opens in Excel or your CRM.
You need the parts that take judgment: insurer and BIPD joined from the insurance data (most actors don't include insurance), cells flagged, first-time vs returning, days from application to grant, brokers and reinstatements separated from new carriers.
You don't want to own breakage. FMCSA's move to Motus in May 2026 broke tools built on the old L&I Register. When FMCSA changes something, fixing it is our job.
You want a product with support. Most of these scrapers list one to three monthly users.

Where TruckerDB fits

Some of these scrapers sell themselves against TruckerDB. One listing on October 9, 2026 said TruckerDB "sells new-DOT lists at $129/month"; TruckerDB's own homepage that day listed $49 Starter and $99 Pro. TruckerDB is the low-priced buy option: a 7am dashboard of new USDOT registrations with owner contacts and nothing to run.

It counts new DOT numbers, including private fleets, rather than granted authority, so it's a different list from a granted-authority scraper or from Rookiefeed. Side by side: TruckerDB alternative.

What neither one changes

Neither changes what FMCSA grants or when. A carrier granted authority today is the same carrier on any list. What you pay for with a managed feed is time saved and cleanup done. If you're comparing other paid options, see how to choose a new-authority lead list, and for what changed in May 2026, read what Motus is.

Whatever the source, the compliance rules are the same: autodialed or prerecorded calls and marketing texts to cell numbers need prior express written consent under the TCPA, and commercial email has to follow CAN-SPAM. This isn't legal advice. More in calling new carriers under TCPA and DNC rules.

Trying Rookiefeed

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. Build a free list and compare it row for row with a scraper run, or grab the sample CSV.

Questions

Is an Apify FMCSA scraper cheaper than a lead subscription?: On record cost, yes. Actors charge $3.50 to $20 per 1,000 records, sometimes plus a small start fee per run, so a month of new authorities costs tens of dollars. The trade-off is setup, monitoring failed runs and cleaning the output, which a managed feed does for you.
Do FMCSA scrapers include insurance information?: Mostly not. Of the scrapers we reviewed on October 2, 2026, most returned contacts and fleet data without insurance, and one labeled insurance status as unknown. Insurance has to be matched to each carrier separately.
Did FMCSA scrapers break after Motus?: Tools that read the old L&I Register would have stopped getting new records after the May 14, 2026 cutover. On October 9, 2026 the scrapers we reviewed listed 86% to 100% of runs succeeding, so at least some were rebuilt for Motus.

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: TruckerDB · FMCSA: Changes to FMCSA Registrations in Motus · FCC: Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts · FTC: CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide