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HTS Logistics

Become a Carrier: HTS Logistics Carrier Setup Packet

What we require, what goes in the packet, and how a load reaches your truck

Quick answer

What is included in a carrier packet?

A carrier packet is the paperwork a broker needs before it can give you a load. At HTS it has four parts: proof of active FMCSA operating authority (your MC and USDOT numbers), a certificate of insurance with limits of at least $1 million for auto liability, $1 million for general liability and $100,000 for cargo, an IRS Form W-9, and our signed broker-carrier agreement.

Updated November 2026 by the HTS Logistics broker team (FMCSA MC# 1178470).

What does HTS require from a carrier?

Four documents cover six requirements, three of them insurance limits. Because HTS brokers the load (MC 1178470), it moves under your authority, your insurance and your bill of lading, and the packet checks each one:

HTS Logistics carrier requirements, what to send and why
Requirement What to send Why
Operating authority Your MC and USDOT numbers For-hire interstate hauling needs both (49 CFR 385.301). FMCSA has to show the authority as active for property on the day we book the load.
Auto liability: $1,000,000 Certificate of insurance from your agent $250,000 above the federal floor of $750,000 for a for-hire carrier of general freight (49 CFR 387.9).
General liability: $1,000,000 Same certificate An HTS requirement. FMCSA sets no general liability minimum for carriers.
Cargo: $100,000 Same certificate FMCSA requires cargo filings only from household goods carriers (49 CFR 387.301(b)), so this floor is ours. If a machine is worth more than your cargo limit, your policy does not cover the difference, so ask for its declared value before you accept the load.
IRS Form W-9 Signed W-9 with your taxpayer ID Use the legal name on your FMCSA record. A W-9 in a different name holds up the setup until the two match.
Broker-carrier agreement Our agreement, signed once It sets the terms for every load you haul for HTS. Each load then gets its own written confirmation.

Before you apply, open your own FMCSA SAFER company snapshot: the operating authority line has to say you are authorized for property, and the legal name there is the one your W-9 and certificate of insurance should carry.

How does a load from HTS reach your truck?

Six steps, from the application to the signed bill of lading. For a machine, the offer is built around its shipping size and weight from the manufacturer's spec sheet.

  1. 1

    Apply

    Send the application on this page with your MC and USDOT numbers, your trailer types and the states you run. Add the measured loaded deck height and deck length of each trailer: we match loads to trailers on those two numbers.

  2. 2

    Packet check

    We look up your authority and insurance on FMCSA's record and compare the W-9 name with your legal name there. Once the four items line up, you are set up for loads.

  3. 3

    Load offer

    Each offer lists the pickup and delivery points and their hours, the machine's make, model, shipping dimensions and weight, the trailer it needs, how it loads at each end, the permits and escorts on the route, the dates and the rate.

  4. 4

    Confirmation and permit details

    Accept the load in writing, then send what the permits are issued against: tractor and trailer unit numbers, plates, axle count and axle spacings. A permit names the truck, the trailer and the route.

  5. 5

    On the road

    Run the permitted route inside its travel windows, with the escorts it lists. Off that route the load is running without a permit: Connecticut fines $1,500 for each limit exceeded (CGS 14-270(g)(6)).

  6. 6

    Delivery

    Get the bill of lading signed by the receiver, with any damage or shortage written on it, and send us the signed copy.

Which trailers does HTS book for heavy haul?

RGN, lowboy, step deck, flatbed and multi-axle. The deck height sets the tallest load a trailer can carry without a height permit: legal height minus deck height. In New York and the four neighboring states we track (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts), the legal height is 13 ft 6 in. The machines below use the manufacturers' shipping figures; our heavy equipment transport pages list them for 47 machines, and the heavy haul loads page matches common machines to the deck that keeps each one legal.

Trailer types HTS Logistics books, published loaded deck heights, the tallest load under 13 ft 6 in, and an example machine
Trailer Loaded deck height (makers' figures) Tallest load under 13 ft 6 in Example machine
Flatbed 58 3/16 in (Utility 4000S, 48 ft) About 8 ft 7 in Bobcat T770 compact track loader: 6 ft 9 in and 10,515 lb, legal with room to spare.
Step deck (lower deck) 34 to 40 in (Trail King TK80ACS, XL 80 SD) 10 ft 8 in to 10 ft 2 in Cat D6 dozer: 10 ft 6 in, so legal on a 34 in lower deck and over height on a 38 or 40 in one.
RGN (removable gooseneck) 14 to 24 in across 18 models (Trail King TKHD-S to Fontaine Magnitude 75 MFLD) 12 ft 4 in to 11 ft 6 in Cat 336 excavator: 12 ft 0 in and 81,100 lb, legal height only on a deck of 18 in or lower, and overweight on any tractor and trailer.
Lowboy and double drop 12 to 43 in (Fontaine Renegade N12 to Eager Beaver 50 GLB-3) 12 ft 6 in to 9 ft 11 in Cat 980 wheel loader: 12 ft 7 in, over 13 ft 6 in even in a 12 in well, so it moves on a height permit.
Multi-axle (added axle groups, jeeps, boosters) Depends on the build Set by the deck it rides on Cat 349 excavator: 105,200 lb operating weight, so an overweight permit in every state and enough axles to stay inside each state's axle limits.

Deck heights are the makers' published loaded figures, captured October 2026. Air-ride setting, deck deflection and blocking change the real number, so send us your measured loaded deck height for each trailer.

Which permit and escort duties stay with the carrier?

On HTS loads we arrange the permits and the escorts. Some duties still fall on the hauler or its escorts under state rules; five Northeast examples are below. Limits, fees and escort triggers for each state are on our oversize permit pages by state.

Carrier and escort duties under state oversize rules in five Northeast states, checked October 2026
State What stays with the carrier or its escorts Rule
New York oversize permits Every escort must hold NYS Certified Escort status; another state's certification does not count. The Thruway issues its own permit, and a NYSDOT permit is not valid on it. 17 NYCRR 154-1; Thruway TAP-623
New Jersey oversize permits NJDOT certifies no escorts. A load over 14 ft high needs the permittee to warn the utilities and traffic offices on the route first; without that notice the permit is void. N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.12(d)
Pennsylvania oversize permits A super load (past 201,000 lb gross, 160 ft of length or 16 ft of width) can be applied for only by the hauler, not by a permit service. Above 14 ft 6 in, utilities get at least 24 hours' notice from the permittee. 67 Pa. Code 179.1, 179.10(13)
Connecticut oversize permits The Highway Use Fee applies to any truck at 26,000 lb or more (FHWA classes 8 to 13) driven on Connecticut roads: register with CT DRS, file quarterly, and pay $0.175 per Connecticut mile at 80,001 lb and over. CT DRS Highway Use Fee
Massachusetts oversize permits Trucks taller than 10 ft before loading need their height painted or printed on the side or front in 4 in letters. On the Turnpike, a pilot car shows two flashing amber lights, red 24 in flags and an OVERSIZE LOAD sign. MGL c.90 s.19; 700 CMR 7.07(4)

State rules as checked in October 2026; the permit issued for the load governs.

Apply to haul for HTS

The form takes your company details, MC and USDOT numbers, equipment type and the states you run. The certificate of insurance, the W-9 and the signed agreement complete the packet: send them to htslogisticsllcny@gmail.com or call (631) 683-8275, Monday to Saturday, 24 hours.

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Carrier setup questions

Is it hard to get loads with new authority?

It can be, because a new authority has no inspection history yet, and FMCSA itself monitors new entrants for their first 18 months, with a safety audit once there are enough records, generally after at least 3 months (49 CFR 385.307). Some brokers will not book an authority below a set age. Put the date your authority was granted on your application, along with your equipment.

What is the difference between a shipper and a carrier on a bill of lading?

The shipper (consignor) is the party handing over the freight. The carrier is the motor carrier that takes it, issues the bill of lading as its receipt and is liable for loss or damage in transit (49 U.S.C. 14706). On a brokered load the carrier line should show your company's legal name and MC number, not the broker's, because you are the one hauling.

What is a broker-carrier agreement?

The contract between a broker and a motor carrier that covers every load the carrier hauls for that broker: insurance, how loads are offered and confirmed, paperwork and claims. It is signed once, during setup. Each load then gets its own rate confirmation listing the pickup, delivery, equipment and rate, and that confirmation is what you accept or turn down.

Do I need my own oversize permits to haul for HTS?

Usually not. On HTS loads we arrange the permits for every state and toll or bridge authority the route crosses, issued for your truck and trailer, so we need unit numbers, plates and axle spacings before they are ordered. The exception is a Pennsylvania super load, above 201,000 lb gross, 160 ft of length or 16 ft of width, which only the hauler can apply for (67 Pa. Code 179.1).

Why would a carrier packet be held up?

A setup stops when any one item is off: authority that FMCSA does not show as active, a certificate under our limits ($1M auto, $1M general liability, $100k cargo), a W-9 in a name that differs from the legal name on your FMCSA record, or an unsigned agreement. Check your own SAFER snapshot first, then send all four items together.

Do you book drayage carriers and car haulers too?

Yes. For container drayage at the Port of New York and New Jersey, the carrier must take part in the UIIA, the agreement ocean lines use to interchange containers and chassis, and its drivers need TWIC cards. For dealer, auction and fleet vehicle moves we book car haulers that meet the same insurance minimums as our heavy haul carriers.

Port carriers: the terminal, chassis and UIIA details are on our Port of NY and NJ container drayage page. Car haulers: the vehicle moves we book are on the dealership auto transport page.

Sources

Facts on this page were checked in October 2026 against the sources below. Rules and rates change; we confirm current requirements on every move.

  1. 49 CFR 385.301: USDOT number and operating authority before interstate operations
  2. 49 CFR 385.307: new entrant safety monitoring (18 months)
  3. 49 CFR 387.9: minimum levels of financial responsibility
  4. 49 CFR 387.301: cargo insurance filings (household goods carriers)
  5. 49 U.S.C. 14706: carrier liability under receipts and bills of lading
  6. NYS Certified Escort Manual 2025 and 17 NYCRR Subpart 154-1
  7. NYS Thruway TAP-623 Special Hauling Permit Program Guidelines
  8. N.J.A.C. 13:18 Subchapter 1 (NJDOT-hosted rule)
  9. 67 Pa. Code 179.1: definitions (super load)
  10. 67 Pa. Code 179.10: general permit conditions
  11. CT DRS: Highway Use Fee and rate table
  12. Connecticut General Statutes ch. 248 (14-270 permits and penalties)
  13. MGL c.90 s.19: vehicle dimensions and height marking
  14. 700 CMR 7.00: Massachusetts Turnpike and Metropolitan Highway System
  15. IANA: UIIA motor carrier database
  16. Utility Trailer: flatbed specifications (4000S deck height)
  17. Trail King: aluminum-steel combo step deck (TK80ACS)
  18. XL Specialized: step deck (XL 80 SD)
  19. Trail King: TKHD-S one-pager (14 in loaded deck)
  20. Fontaine Specialized: Magnitude 75 MFLD (24 in loaded deck)
  21. Fontaine Specialized: Renegade N12 double drop (12 in loaded deck)
  22. Eager Beaver: 50 GLB-3 Oilfield spec sheet (43 in loaded deck)
  23. Caterpillar: 336 hydraulic excavator technical specifications
  24. Caterpillar: 349 hydraulic excavator technical specifications
  25. Caterpillar: D6 track-type tractor technical specifications
  26. Caterpillar: 980 wheel loader technical specifications
  27. Bobcat: 2026 full-line equipment specifications (T770)

Keep reading

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