Why new carriers get so many calls

Where callers get your number

When you register in Motus you give FMCSA your business phone, cell phone, email, address and the names of company officers. Those business details, along with your authority grant and the insurance on file, aren't treated as confidential, and they reach the companies that sell to new carriers within days.

FMCSA grants authority to about 237 for-hire carriers every business day. Factoring companies, insurance agents, dispatchers, compliance services, people offering loads, and scammers all watch for new grants, so the same new carriers get called by all of them in the same week.

We're part of this. Rookiefeed sells a daily list of newly granted carriers with their contact details. We'd rather say that plainly than pretend the calls come from somewhere else.

What new carriers say it's like

On a TruckersReport thread started in late 2025, a carrier two weeks into their authority described more than 20 calls and 10 texts a day, offering compliance help and loads. Others in the thread called it mostly scams and spam, said blocking a number doesn't help because callers switch numbers, and one said they still get calls two years after selling their authority.

It isn't all noise. In the same thread a carrier said an insurance company that called them unprompted in 2011 ended up saving them a lot of money. And some calls are brokers checking that the number on your authority really reaches you, which you want to answer.

What callers are and aren't allowed to do

This is a summary, not legal advice. Federal rules from the FCC and FTC that apply to sales calls and texts:

• Prerecorded telemarketing calls to a home or wireless number need your prior written consent. Autodialed or prerecorded calls and texts to your wireless number need your consent too, and commercial texts need written consent.
• Prerecorded sales calls must offer an opt-out at the start, and you can revoke consent for robocalls or robotexts at any time, in any reasonable way.
• If you ask a company not to call you again, it has to stop. Write down the date you asked.
• The National Do Not Call Registry covers personal numbers, including cells, and is free at donotcall.gov. The FTC says business numbers aren't covered, so a cell you use for both is the one worth registering.
• Commercial email must follow CAN-SPAM: honest headers and subject lines, a physical postal address and a working opt-out honored within 10 business days.

How to cut the calls down

• Register a dedicated business line for your FMCSA record instead of your personal cell, and keep it current in Motus. Brokers will call it, so it has to reach you.
• Tell each unwanted caller, once, not to call again, and note the date. Legitimate companies keep internal do-not-call lists.
• Register your personal cell at donotcall.gov and report illegal robocalls to the FTC. Don't press buttons on a robocall to be removed; the FTC warns it can lead to more calls.
• Ask list sellers to drop your record. For our list: email hello@greatwork.company with your USDOT number and we'll suppress it within 10 business days, as promised on our privacy page. Your registration with FMCSA isn't affected.
• Verify before you pay anyone. Calls and letters that look official are a known scam pattern for new authorities. Check filings and deadlines in Motus or with FMCSA at 800-832-5660.
• Use email for the offers you might want. Most vendors also email, and an inbox is easier to sort than a ringing phone.

What we ask of our own subscribers

Rookiefeed subscribers are factoring reps, insurance agents and dispatchers. We tell them not to sell speed: the carrier is already getting dozens of calls, so the useful call is the one that knows the owner's name, the equipment, the insurer and whether it's a first authority. We flag cell numbers so subscribers can follow TCPA consent rules, and our guide on calling new carriers under the TCPA and DNC rules covers the rest.

If you sell to carriers: 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 to see what a row looks like.

Questions

How do companies get my number after my authority is granted?

From your FMCSA registration. The phone, cell, email, address and officer names you file aren't confidential, and they reach companies that sell to new carriers soon after your authority is granted. Some, including us, sell daily lists of new carriers.

How do I get removed from Rookiefeed's list?

Email hello@greatwork.company with your USDOT number. We'll suppress your record from our feed within 10 business days, as our privacy page promises. Other list sellers need separate requests, and your registration with FMCSA isn't affected.

Can companies text my cell without permission?

The FCC says commercial texts need your written consent, and autodialed calls or texts to a wireless number need consent too. If you get unwanted marketing texts, ask in writing that they stop, and keep the date. This isn't legal advice.

Does the Do Not Call Registry cover my trucking business number?

The FTC says the National Do Not Call Registry is for personal numbers, and business numbers aren't covered. A personal cell you also use for business can be registered free at donotcall.gov. Any company you ask directly not to call you again must stop.

Related

• What happens after your MC authority is granted
• Calling new carriers: TCPA, DNC and CAN-SPAM basics for reps
• MC number vs DOT number
• How long does MC authority take?
• MC authority status explained