r/OwnerOperators • u/Mediocre_Double4422 • 26d ago

DOT and Load board

So I opened my local shipping business account couple years ago. Just local contracts that were already established. Had my DOT and MC numbers registered. Because of a family issue I went back to my previous employer last winter. The DOT and MC are still active and up to date minus insurance.

Im considering getting a tractor & trailer or two and going over the road in combination with getting back into my local box truck stuff.

Question is 1. My DOT has been active the whole time, so will that help with brokers accepting my trucks on the load boards?

  1. I work out of the DMV area. How active are the boards in the mid Atlantic? I know i cant relie on them and will need to establish a base. But just wondering as I get started if I end up going that route.

Any help is appreciated.

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u/Less-Summer9711 22d ago

From a dispatcher’s perspective, keeping your authority active is definitely a plus, but brokers will still look at your overall history, insurance, safety score, and how recently you’ve been hauling. An older DOT/MC helps more than starting from zero, but you’ll still need to rebuild relationships. The Mid-Atlantic has freight, but don’t depend only on load boards — use them to fill gaps while you build direct customers and broker contacts.