Carrier packet insurance update
Your insurance agent sends it, not you. C.H. Robinson and TQL accept a certificate of insurance only when it comes from the agent: C.H. Robinson says "the certificate must come directly from your insurance agent," and TQL says insurance is "not accepted directly from carriers." So for those two, an insurance update is a request to your agent: a new certificate sent where the broker's page says, showing the limits the broker requires. For them, uploading a PDF yourself does not finish the update. Other platforms word it differently, so follow each request as written.
Updated . Written by Andre Beukers, principal at Redoubt, a commercial insurance agency in Salt Lake City, not a government office.
What is a carrier packet?
A carrier packet is the set of documents a freight broker collects before it will tender you a load: who you are, proof of operating authority, a W-9, the signed broker-carrier agreement, payment details, and a certificate of insurance. Small brokers still send it as a form. Priority Logistics lists the required documents as a "Copy of Operating Authority," a "Current W-9" and a "Copy of Certificate of Insurance, Priority Logistics Services INC listed as certificate holder," with $1,000,000 auto, $100,000 cargo and an insurer rated B+ or better by A.M. Best.
Larger brokers run the packet on a platform. Descartes MyCarrierPortal, which carriers reach at mycarrierpackets.com, describes itself as an online carrier packet: the broker uploads its agreement and questions, invites the carrier, and the carrier verifies its profile, agrees to the contracts and completes an electronic W-9 or W-8. Highway and RMIS are the other names carriers meet in broker setups; their carrier-side insurance rules are not published as text we could find, so the broker's own page and the request you received are the rule.
- Operating authority (MC or DOT number) and how long it has been active
- W-9 and payment or factoring details
- The signed broker-carrier agreement, which carries the full insurance clause
- A certificate of insurance from your agent, with the broker or platform as holder
How do I do an RMIS insurance update?
RMIS is a carrier onboarding service that Truckstop sells to brokers; rmis.com now redirects to Truckstop's RMIS product page. Truckstop says RMIS "continuously monitors carrier compliance, providing automatic alerts for any changes in status or documentation." So a renewal or policy change is something the broker's RMIS view is watching for, and a new certificate has to reach it.
No RMIS or Truckstop page we found says what name to put as certificate holder or exactly how the certificate gets in, so use the request as you received it and forward it to your agent unchanged. The clearest published description of the timing comes from a broker that uses it. Amazon Relay's insurance post says its "third-party vendor gets the COI from your company's agent, broker, or insurance company on file," and, a few lines later, "Plan to renew at least two to three weeks before your expiration date. This gives RMIS time to update their records." Relay also asks carriers to add updated details in the Relay account at least five days before the policy ends.
How do I update my insurance on MyCarrierPackets?
MyCarrierPackets keeps a carrier packet that the carrier can update for its brokers. Its own FAQ says that once a carrier completes a main packet, "they only need to update it if there are changes to their company," and that "carriers can update all their customers simultaneously." The platform also says it holds a database of certificates for more than 90% of active carriers, which it uses to verify insurance.
The FAQ describes packet updates, not how a certificate gets into the platform, and we found no published MyCarrierPackets rule on that step. What is published is the broker side: C.H. Robinson and TQL want the certificate from your agent. After a renewal, a new truck or a new cargo limit, update the packet and ask your agent for a fresh certificate to wherever the broker's request points.
What are Highway carrier setup requirements?
Highway is the platform C.H. Robinson and J.B. Hunt each name for carrier verification. J.B. Hunt tells third-party carriers to "complete verification using Highway," which gives the broker "active authority and insurance, carrier identity and ownership, and safety and compliance status." The insurance requirement itself is the broker's, not Highway's: Highway checks you against whatever minimums the broker has set.
For insurance, the step that matters is the certificate. C.H. Robinson's FAQ says the application moves to final review once "Highway receives your certificate of insurance directly from your insurance agent," and that to update insurance you should "have your agent submit your certificate to Highway via email" (the address on that page is insurance@certs.highway.com). Separately, Highway runs a certification program for insurance agencies built on "accurate COIs, coverage schedules complete to the VIN, and prompt notice of every policy change." Those are agency standards, not carrier rules, but they show the data Highway puts in front of brokers.
What are TQL carrier insurance requirements?
TQL publishes its minimums on its carrier vetting page: "$1,000,000 auto liability insurance, except where local law requires additional coverage" and "$100,000 cargo insurance." It verifies insurance "directly with the carrier's insurance agent (not accepted directly from carriers)" and "continuously monitors insurance for cancellations, lapses, or changes." The page also says changes in authority, insurance or safety indicators can trigger removal from its network.
TQL adds that it "utilizes third-party vendors to facilitate the vetting and maintenance," without naming where the certificate goes; follow the setup request TQL sends you. Because TQL monitors for cancellations, lapses and changes, an update is not only a new certificate: the policy behind it has to keep matching.
What are C.H. Robinson insurance requirements?
C.H. Robinson lists "$100,000 (USD) cargo liability" and "$1,000,000 (USD) automobile liability," an active MC or DOT number, and an electronic W-9. It also says "your MC authority must be active for at least 7 days before you can be considered," and that processing "can take 1-2 business days after all required documents are received." The certificate goes to Highway from your agent.
One line on the same page needs care. It says federal law requires "$25,000 cargo insurance." There is no general federal cargo minimum for freight carriers; J.B. Hunt's page states "there is no USDOT requirement for maintaining cargo insurance for freight motor carriers, only carriers who transport household goods." The federal auto floor is $750,000, and J.B. Hunt notes that "brokers may set their own requirements." The $100,000 cargo figure is C.H. Robinson's own rule, not the law.
Why is my carrier setup not approved?
When the packet is complete and the setup still shows pending or not approved, check the insurance line against the broker's own page. No broker publishes a list of rejection reasons, so treat these as checks, not diagnoses.
Two causes are not insurance at all. Authority age is a time rule, not a coverage gap; no certificate fixes a C.H. Robinson setup before the MC has been active seven days. And a certificate cannot add what the policy does not carry. ACORD 25 states that if the holder is an additional insured, "the policy(ies) must have ADDITIONAL INSURED provisions or be endorsed," and "a statement on this certificate does not confer rights to the certificate holder in lieu of such endorsement(s)." If a packet asks for the broker as additional insured, that is an endorsement request to the carrier, not a typing change.
- Check whether you sent the certificate yourself; C.H. Robinson and TQL take it only from the agent
- Check whether it went where the broker's page says; C.H. Robinson's update goes to Highway
- Check whether auto liability prints $1,000,000 rather than the $750,000 federal floor
- Check whether cargo appears at all and at $100,000 or more
- Check whether every truck you dispatch is on the vehicle schedule
- Check whether the platform still holds a certificate with expired dates
Who actually sends the certificate, and how fast?
The retail agency that placed your policy. That is not always the company whose name is on the policy. When a policy is written through a wholesale managing general agent, the MGA may not issue certificates at all; one told Redoubt that certificates "would need to come directly from the agency office." If your agent cannot say who issues certificates on your policy, sort that out before a broker is waiting.
Once the policy is bound, a certificate that only adds a holder or reprints current coverage needs no endorsement; one aggregator Redoubt works with puts it as "Certificate holders do not need to be endorsed." If the agency issues its own certificates, that can go out the same day. Making the broker an additional insured is different: ACORD 25 says the policy must have additional insured provisions or be endorsed, so that waits on the carrier. Send your agent each platform's request as written, with the deadline, so every certificate goes out at once.
Do I need a separate certificate for each broker?
One per certificate holder. If a broker reads your certificate from Highway, RMIS or MyCarrierPackets, the platform is the holder the request names; a broker that collects packets itself, like Priority Logistics, asks to be named as holder directly. Follow the wording of each request.
Does my FMCSA insurance filing update my carrier packets?
No. The filing (BMC-91 or BMC-91X) is filed electronically by your insurer with FMCSA, not sent to brokers. Brokers and their platforms ask for a certificate from your agent showing their own limits, which are higher than the federal floor.
How early should I send an insurance update before renewal?
Amazon Relay asks carriers to renew two to three weeks before expiration so RMIS can update its records. Starting the renewal that early gives your agent time to issue new certificates to every platform before the old ones expire.
Where these answers come from
Each entry carries the exact words of the source so you can check it yourself. Forms and statutes change; read the current version before acting.
- 1. Priority Logistics Services Inc, carrier setup form (Jotform)
“Copy of Operating Authority Current W-9 Copy of Certificate of Insurance, Priority Logistics Services INC listed as certificate holder 1. Minimum Auto Liability $1,000,000 2. Minimum Cargo $100,000 3. Insurer must be rated B+ or higher by AM Best”
form.jotform.com, accessed October 3, 2026. A small broker's own setup packet. - 2. Descartes MyCarrierPortal (mycarrierpackets.com), FAQ: what is MyCarrierPortal
“Descartes MyCarrierPortal is a unique Online Carrier Packet solution. Customers upload their logos, color schemes, legal documents, and select the questions they want to ask freight carriers.”
mycarrierportal.com, accessed October 3, 2026. mycarrierpackets.com serves the MyCarrierPortal login page (page title "Home Page | MyCarrierPortal.com", Descartes MCP logo), checked 2026-10-03. - 3. Descartes MyCarrierPortal, FAQ: why carriers prefer MyCarrierPortal
“Once they complete a main carrier packet, they only need to update it if there are changes to their company. This system improves organization and communication, as carriers can update all their customers simultaneously and have access to all contracts and customer interactions.”
mycarrierportal.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 4. Descartes MyCarrierPortal, Carrier insurance monitoring feature page
“Speed up verification processes with access to our database of COIs (certificate of insurance) for over 90% of active carriers.”
mycarrierportal.com, accessed October 3, 2026. The platform's statement about its own database. - 5. Truckstop, RMIS Carrier Onboarding product page (rmis.com redirects here)
“RMIS continuously monitors carrier compliance, providing automatic alerts for any changes in status or documentation.”
truckstop.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 6. Amazon Relay, Understanding Amazon Relay insurance requirements (blog, 2026-02-13)
“You submit your current insurance details when you apply to Relay. Then our third-party vendor gets the COI from your company’s agent, broker, or insurance company on file.”
relay.amazon.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 7. Amazon Relay, Understanding Amazon Relay insurance requirements, renewal timing
“Plan to renew at least two to three weeks before your expiration date. This gives RMIS time to update their records and helps you avoid any service interruptions.”
relay.amazon.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 8. Amazon Relay, Understanding Amazon Relay insurance requirements, updating the Insurance tab
“Before your policy expires, you’ll add your updated details through the Insurance tab in your company’s Relay account. We recommend doing this at least 5 days before your policy ends”
relay.amazon.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 9. C.H. Robinson, Frequently Asked Carrier Questions: how to become a contract carrier
“Once you complete the registration and Highway receives your certificate of insurance directly from your insurance agent, your application will move into final review. Please note: Activation is not always immediate. Our onboarding team carefully reviews each submission, and processing can take 1-2 business days after all required documents are received.”
chrobinson.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 10. C.H. Robinson, Frequently Asked Carrier Questions: how do I update my insurance information
“To update your insurance, please have your agent submit your certificate to Highway via email”
chrobinson.com, accessed October 3, 2026. The page continues with the address insurance@certs.highway.com (rendered through an email-protection script) and "Please note the certificate must come directly from your insurance agent." - 11. C.H. Robinson, Frequently Asked Carrier Questions: documents needed to haul
“You will need the following documents to haul for C.H. Robinson : An active MC/MX# or DOT# Electronic W-9 Proof of insurance $100,000 (USD) cargo liability $1,000,000 (USD) automobile liability”
chrobinson.com, accessed October 3, 2026. The same page says "Federal law requires motor carriers to have a minimum of $25,000 cargo insurance"; no federal cargo minimum applies to general freight (see the J.B. Hunt source). - 12. C.H. Robinson, Frequently Asked Carrier Questions: authority age
“Your MC authority must be active for at least 7 days before you can be considered for hauling with C.H. Robinson.”
chrobinson.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 13. TQL, Carrier Vetting page: insurance requirements
“Minimum required coverage includes: $1,000,000 auto liability insurance, except where local law requires additional coverage. $100,000 cargo insurance. Insurance is verified directly with the carrier’s insurance agent (not accepted directly from carriers). TQL continuously monitors insurance for cancellations, lapses, or changes.”
tql.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 14. TQL, Carrier Vetting page: vendors
“Agreement to the terms of TQL’s Broker/Carrier Agreement. TQL utilizes third-party vendors to facilitate the vetting and maintenance.”
tql.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 15. J.B. Hunt, Third-party carrier requirements and onboarding
“Complete verification using Highway , a specialized technology platform used to verify carrier identity. It provides us with updated company and contact information, active authority and insurance, carrier identity and ownership, and safety and compliance status.”
jbhunt.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 16. J.B. Hunt, Third-party carrier requirements: federal auto liability floor
“The USDOT requirement for auto liability insurance coverage for freight motor carriers is $750,000. However, brokers may set their own requirements for minimum insurance coverage for contracted carriers.”
jbhunt.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 17. J.B. Hunt, Third-party carrier requirements: cargo liability
“There is no USDOT requirement for maintaining cargo insurance for freight motor carriers, only carriers who transport household goods.”
jbhunt.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 18. Highway, Certified Insurance Agencies page
“A Highway Certified Insurance Agency is an agency that attests to Highway to meet three enforceable data standards : accurate COIs, coverage schedules complete to the VIN, and prompt notice of every policy change.”
highway.com, accessed October 3, 2026. Highway's own program page; Highway's carrier-side rules are not published as text. - 19. ACORD 25 (2016/03), the additional insured and waiver notice, blank form hosted by NY DFS
“IMPORTANT: If the certificate holder is an ADDITIONAL INSURED, the policy(ies) must have ADDITIONAL INSURED provisions or be endorsed. If SUBROGATION IS WAIVED, subject to the terms and conditions of the policy, certain policies may require an endorsement. A statement on this certificate does not confer rights to the certificate holder in lieu of such endorsement(s).”
dfs.ny.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 20. Pathpoint to Redoubt, email thread, 2026-08-21 (docs/coi/moments/_shared.md B9)
“As the MGA, we do not provide COI's. These would need to come directly from the agency office.”
Redoubt agency records, accessed August 21, 2026 - 21. Smart Choice to Redoubt, email thread, 2026-07-17 (docs/coi/moments/_shared.md B1.5)
“Certificate holders do not need to be endorsed and you can add them once the policy is bound when we issue the Master COI.”
Redoubt agency records, accessed July 17, 2026 - 22. 49 CFR 387.323, Electronic filing of surety bonds, trust fund agreements, certificates of insurance and cancellations (eCFR)
“Insurers must electronically file forms BMC 34, BMC 35, BMC 36, BMC 82, BMC 83, BMC 84, BMC 85, BMC 91, and BMC 91X”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Supports the FAQ on FMCSA filings; pulled through the eCFR versioner API.
A freight broker or platform will not release the load
Broker minimums, carrier packets, load boards and Amazon Relay: the certificate the agent sends directly.
Elsewhere on the site
Forward the packet request, not a summary
Send Redoubt each broker or platform request as you received it, with the load or setup deadline. We will tell you which certificates can go out today and what, if anything, needs a policy change first.
This is general insurance information, not legal advice or a coverage determination. The policy forms, the endorsements the carrier issues, and the holder’s written requirement control.