Switching from TruckerDB to Rookiefeed
By Jake Marsh · Reviewed · Numbers are Rookiefeed analysis as of , updated daily · How the list is built
TruckerDB lists newly registered USDOT numbers; Rookiefeed lists carriers FMCSA granted for-hire authority the day before. Switching takes three steps: set the dashboard filters that match your saved search, map the CSV columns to your CRM fields, and dedupe by USDOT number so carriers you already have get updated instead of duplicated.
What changes when you switch
From TruckerDB's homepage on October 26, 2026: a dashboard that updates every morning at 8AM with 15,000+ newly registered DOT carriers a month, each with business name, owner name, email, phone, DOT number, for-hire or private classification, and city and state. Starter is $49 a month; Pro at $99 adds insurance renewal leads, niche and time-in-business filters, and export to a CRM. We didn't log in to a TruckerDB account.
Rookiefeed sends fewer rows on purpose: 5,123 carriers granted for-hire authority in the last 30 days nationally, about 208 a business day. A USDOT number is a registration; a granted MC authority means the carrier can haul for pay across state lines, and it came a median 23 days after the application. Every row also has the insurer and BIPD coverage on file.
Delivery changes too. The list arrives as an email with a CSV attached by 7am Central, and the same rows are in the dashboard. There is nothing to export by hand each morning.
Rebuild your saved search as dashboard filters
Sign in, open the dashboard and use the Filters panel on the right. Saved filters apply to the dashboard and to the 7am email. The table shows where each TruckerDB setting goes.
| In TruckerDB | In Rookiefeed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| City and state | States | Hold Cmd or Ctrl to pick several. Weekly and State plans cover 1 state, Regional up to 8, Nationwide all. Cities are in the CSV, not a filter |
| Classification: For-Hire | Only: For-hire carriers | On by default. Private fleets don't get for-hire authority, so they aren't on the list either way |
| Niche filter: trucking (Pro) | Authority type: Motor carriers | Leave Brokers and Freight forwarders unchecked unless you sell to them. Only for-hire authorities are listed, so there are far fewer non-trucking registrants to clear out |
| Time in business (Pro) | Only: First-time authorities | Every row is a new grant. First-time skips companies that held authority before; the CSV also has the date the USDOT number was added |
| (no fleet filter) | Fleet size: 1, 2-5, 6-10, 11-50, 51+ | Most new carriers have one truck. Check 1 for owner-operators, 2-5 and up for small fleets |
| (no equipment filter) | Only: Box trucks (no tractors) | For other equipment, sort the CSV by equipment_guess or cargo; there is no equipment filter in the dashboard yet |
| Email on every row | Only: Rows with an email | Leaves out the few rows without one |
How the CSV columns map
TruckerDB's export column names aren't public, so this starts from the seven fields its homepage lists. Map each one to the column on the right; the rest of our columns are new fields you can add to your CRM.
| TruckerDB field | Rookiefeed column | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Business Name | legal_name, dba_name | DBA is separate when the carrier filed one |
| Owner First & Last Name | contact_name, contact_name_2 | Full name in one field; a second officer when one is on file. Split on the first space if your CRM wants first and last |
| Email Address | email, email_type | email_type is business, free or none, so you can tell a company domain from a Gmail address |
| Phone Number | phone, cell_phone | cell_phone is the cell the carrier gave FMCSA. Calling or texting cells has TCPA rules; see the calling guide below |
| DOT Number | usdot_number, mc_number | Use usdot_number as the match key. mc_number is the new authority's docket |
| Classification | authority_type, operation | authority_type says carrier, broker or forwarder; operation is interstate or intrastate |
| City & State | street, city, state, zip | Full street address |
| (not in TruckerDB) | first_time_authority, applied_date, days_application_to_grant, event, event_date | Whether they held authority before, and when it was granted |
| (not in TruckerDB) | power_units, tractors, trailers, drivers, fleet_size, equipment_guess, cargo, hazmat | Fleet and equipment |
| (not in TruckerDB) | insurer, bipd_insurance_on_file, insurance_effective, authority_status_now | Coverage on file at the grant and today's authority status |
Dedupe against your CRM by USDOT number
The USDOT number is the one field both lists share, and it doesn't change when a carrier gets authority. Many carriers on our list registered their USDOT number weeks before the grant, so if you worked TruckerDB, some of them are already in your CRM.
- Make USDOT number a unique field in your CRM and store it as text, so nothing reformats it.
- Import with "update existing records" matched on that field. Carriers you already have get the MC number, insurer and grant date added instead of a second record.
- In a spreadsheet, add a column with COUNTIF against your CRM export's USDOT column and drop rows where it's above zero, or keep them as "now authorized" follow-ups. A carrier you emailed at registration now has authority and a reason to talk.
- If you also turn on new applications, a carrier can appear twice: once as Application filed and again as Authority granted. Match on USDOT number plus the event column, or keep only the newest row.
Try it on your states first
The 7-day trial is $19: the real 7am email for one state for a week. After 7 days it becomes the State plan at $149 a month unless you cancel from the billing page. Run it next to TruckerDB for that week, import both into a test list, and compare how many rows match by USDOT number and how many you'd call. To see the columns before paying, build a free list of 25 carriers.
When TruckerDB is the better pick
- You sell to every new DOT registrant, including private fleets and intrastate carriers that never apply for authority. That market is bigger than ours and TruckerDB covers it.
- Price per row is what matters most. TruckerDB Starter ($49) covers 15,000+ rows a month, far less per row than we charge.
- You want renewal dates on established carriers (TruckerDB Pro) or cold-email sending in the same tool.
- Some teams keep both: TruckerDB for the wide net at registration, and the daily new-authority list for the carriers that can haul this week. Dedupe by USDOT number as above.
More comparisons
Side by side on data and price: TruckerDB alternative, CarrierOk vs Rookiefeed and the best new MC authority lead lists in 2026. Before calling cell numbers, read calling new carriers under the TCPA and DNC rules.
Questions
- Will I get the same carriers I got from TruckerDB?
- Some of them, later. TruckerDB lists a carrier when it registers a USDOT number; we list it when FMCSA grants its for-hire authority, which can be weeks after. Private fleets and intrastate-only carriers that never apply for authority stay on TruckerDB only.
- Can I import the CSV into the CRM I used with TruckerDB?
- Yes. It's a plain CSV with one carrier per row and a header row. Map the columns once, match on usdot_number, and reuse the mapping for each morning's file.
- Is there a filter for equipment type?
- Box trucks (no tractors) is a dashboard filter. Other equipment is in the equipment_guess and cargo columns of the CSV, so sort or filter there.
- How do I try it before canceling TruckerDB?
- Start the 7-day trial for $19 on one state and run both for a week. If it isn't worth it, cancel from the billing page before day 7.
Run it next to TruckerDB for a week: $19
One state's new authorities in your inbox by 7am Central for 7 days, as a CSV you can dedupe against your CRM.
Related
Sources: TruckerDB