---
title: "New authority data fields, explained"
url: "https://rookiefeed.com/guides/new-authority-data-fields"
updated: "2026-10-03"
---

# New authority data fields, explained

> A Rookiefeed row is one carrier FMCSA granted operating authority, with 34 columns: the event and its dates, MC and USDOT numbers, officer names, phone with cells split out, email, address, fleet counts, operation type, cargo and inferred equipment, the insurer and BIPD amount on file, and the authority's current status. Below is what each field means and how sellers use it.

## The authority and its timing

| Field | What it means | How sellers use it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| event | "Authority granted" or "Application filed" (applications only if you turn them on) | Grants can haul now; applications are still waiting and may never be granted |
| event_date | The day FMCSA recorded the grant or application | Sort today's work; a grant from yesterday is the freshest row |
| mc_number | The docket number for the operating authority | The carrier's identity with brokers and factors; quote it on calls |
| usdot_number | The carrier's USDOT registration number | Look the carrier up in FMCSA systems and match it in your CRM |
| authority_type | Which authority was granted, e.g. motor carrier of property | Separate property carriers from household goods or passenger authority |
| first_time_authority | yes if the docket never held active authority before | First-timers have no prior factor, agent or dispatcher relationship |
| applied_date | When the carrier filed its application | Shows how long it waited |
| days_application_to_grant | Calendar days from application to grant | A long wait can mean a filing problem; useful context, not a score |
| authority_status_now | The authority's current status in FMCSA records | Skip anything no longer active before you call |

## Who to contact

In the 30 days ending October 19, 2026, 99.8% of new carrier rows had an email, 100% a phone number and 98.9% a [BIPD](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/bipd) amount on file.

Phone and cell are kept apart on purpose: autodialed or prerecorded calls and marketing texts to cell numbers need prior express written consent under the TCPA, and commercial email must follow CAN-SPAM. This isn't legal advice.

| Field | What it means | How sellers use it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| legal_name, dba_name | The registered company name and any trade name | The name the owner answers to is often the DBA |
| contact_name, contact_name_2 | Company officers listed on the carrier's FMCSA registration | Ask for the owner by name instead of "the owner" |
| phone | Main phone the carrier registered with FMCSA | First number to call by hand |
| cell_phone | Cell number, in its own column | Know which numbers carry TCPA limits before dialing |
| email | Email the carrier registered with FMCSA | Follow up in writing; easier to answer than an unknown number |
| email_type | Whether the email is a free mailbox or a company domain | A company domain often means a more established setup |
| street, city, state, zip | Physical address | Territory filters, licensing, local markets |

## The operation

| Field | What it means | How sellers use it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| power_units | Trucks and tractors the carrier reports | Account size: premium, factoring volume, dispatch fit |
| tractors, trailers | Tractor and trailer counts the carrier reports | A tractor with no trailer may be running power-only |
| drivers | Total drivers reported | One driver and one truck usually means the owner drives |
| fleet_size | Power units grouped: 1, 2-5, 6-10, 11-50, 51+ | Quick filter for the account size you serve |
| operation | Interstate, intrastate, or intrastate hazmat | Interstate carriers are the ones that need for-hire MC authority |
| hazmat | yes if the carrier reports hazardous materials | Higher insurance limits and a narrower set of markets |
| cargo | Every cargo class the carrier checked | The detail behind the equipment guess |
| equipment_guess | Reefer, flatbed, dry van, tanker and so on, inferred from cargo | Call the trucks you know how to load, insure or dispatch |
| usdot_added | When the USDOT number was first issued | An old USDOT with a new MC often means a carrier moving from intrastate or private work |

## Insurance on file

The filing covers federal liability only. Cargo and physical damage coverage aren't in FMCSA records. More in [BMC-91 filings explained](https://rookiefeed.com/guides/bmc-91-filing-explained).

| Field | What it means | How sellers use it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| bipd_insurance_on_file | BIPD liability amount on file with FMCSA | Minimum or more; blank usually means the filing hasn't posted |
| insurer | Insurer on the latest BMC-91 or BMC-91X filing | Agents see who they're quoting against; factors see a real policy |
| insurance_effective | When that filing's coverage began | A rough renewal reminder, not an expiration date |

## What the carrier reports and what we work out

- Authority events, dates and status reflect FMCSA's decisions on the carrier's docket.
- Names, phones, email, address, fleet, cargo and operation are what the carrier reported when it registered, on the [MCS-150](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/mcs-150).
- Insurer and effective date come from the BMC-91 or [BMC-91X](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/bmc-91) filing the carrier's insurer submits to FMCSA.
- First-time flag, days to grant, fleet bucket, equipment and the cell flag are Rookiefeed analysis.
- Each carrier appears once, cleaned and deduplicated. How many rows carry each field across all new carriers is on the [stats page](https://rookiefeed.com/new-trucking-authority-stats).

## Getting the rows

Rookiefeed emails these rows for every carrier granted authority the day before, as a CSV most CRMs and dialers import as-is, by 7am Central. 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.

Download real rows from your states with the [free list builder](https://rookiefeed.com/list-builder), or grab the [sample CSV](https://rookiefeed.com/api/sample).

## Questions

### What information is on a new MC authority lead?

Typically the MC and USDOT numbers, grant date, company and officer names, phone, email, address, fleet size, cargo and operation type, as the carrier registered them with FMCSA. Better lists add the insurer and BIPD amount on file, a first-time flag, and which numbers are cell phones.

### What does first-time authority mean on a lead?

It means the carrier's docket never held active operating authority before this grant. A returning carrier had authority earlier, lost or gave it up, and got it back, so it may already have a factor, an insurance agent or a dispatcher from its earlier run.

### Why are cell phones flagged separately?

Under the TCPA, autodialed or prerecorded calls and marketing texts to cell numbers need prior express written consent, even when the owner is a business. Splitting cells into their own column lets you route them to manual dialing or email.

### Where does the insurer on a new carrier lead come from?

From the BMC-91 or BMC-91X liability filing the carrier's insurer submits to FMCSA before the authority can go active. The filing names the insurer and the effective date, which is what you see on the row.

## Sources

- [FMCSA: Updating your registration (MCS-150)](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/updating-your-registration)
- [FCC: unwanted calls and texts (TCPA)](https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-robocalls-and-texts)
- [FTC: CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide](https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business)