The OnBoard profile is comprised of 8 sections:
- Company
- Contacts
- Fleet
- Lanes
- Tax
- Documents
- Insurance
- Contracts
You will know a section is complete by the green checkbox that appears on that section.
Company
Complete the required fields in this section (indicated by a red asterisk) in order to proceed to the next section.
Take note that when selecting some options, they will expand to include other additional fields. For instance, if you select Minority owned, you will see two more fields light up. When Minority owned is selected, both Minority Type and Certified by NMSDC will appear as seen below.
Your physical and mailing addresses will be populated with information we collect from the FMCSA based on your DOT number (if provided). If this information is incorrect, please make any corrections necessary before proceeding.
You will also indicate whether you are interested in a quick-pay plan and if you use a factoring company in this section.
Note: If selecting "Yes" for a factoring company, you MUST upload your Notice of Assignment (NOA) for the factoring company you use before proceeding. This let's the broker know who your factoring company is in addition to the information you provide under "Payment Remit to Address".
When all the required fields are completed, select the Save & Next button.
Contacts
In this section, at least one contact must be specified for your account. We give you several contact types to add:
- Owner/Officer
- Accounting
- Dispatch & Operations
- Safety & Claims
- After Hours & Emergency
Adding/Editing/Removing a Contact
To add a contact, select the green plus sign for the type of contact you wish to add and fill in the requested information. You can add more than one contact where applicable.
Once you complete the form, select the Save button to add your contact.
Note: When adding a contact, select the Primary box if you would like them to be the primary contact when a broker is viewing your profile. Only one contact can be the primary contact.
At anytime, you can edit a contact by navigating back to the Contact tab and selecting the Edit button adjacent to the contact. If you need to remove a contact, you will just click the trashcan instead. You cannot delete a contact if they have been marked as the primary contact.
Adding References
If you wish to add contacts that can be a positive reference for your company, complete the optional References section of the contact form. Start by selecting the green plus sign in that section.
TIP!: Even though references are not required, many brokers like to reach out to other partners of yours to learn more about the service you provide. Positive references will help to make you even more appealing to the broker.
Complete the form with the reference information and select the Save button.
When finished with this section, select the Save & Next button.
Fleet
The Fleet section in DAT Onboard allows the broker to see the specifics about your fleet of equipment like the number of trucks you have, if you can haul hazardous material and what handling equipment you may have to name a few.
Required fields are indicated by a red asterisk. You are encouraged to fill out the optional fields as well though, as the more information that the broker has, the easier it will be for them to determine if you would be a good fit for a particular load.
Complete the following sections before moving on:
- Fleet Information
- Equipment Information
- Certificates Information
Note: When selecting "Yes" for Hazmat Certified or TWIC Cardholder, you will be prompted to upload a copy of those certificates
- Services Information
- EDI: (Electronic Data Interchange) is a system that allows for the electronic exchange of business documents, such as invoices and purchase orders, between different computer systems. In the trucking industry, EDI is often used to transmit shipment information, delivery receipts, and other important data between carriers, shippers, and receivers.
- Trailer Interchange: Trailer interchange is an arrangement between two or more carriers in which they exchange trailers for transport. This allows carriers to maximize the use of their equipment and reduce deadhead miles (empty trailer miles) by picking up a loaded trailer and dropping off an empty one.
- Spotted Trailers: Spotted trailers refer to trailers that are left at a specific location, such as a warehouse or distribution center, for loading or unloading. They are typically dropped off by a driver and then picked up by another driver or carrier for transport to their final destination.
- Pallet Exchange: refers to the process of exchanging empty pallets for loaded pallets at a designated location, such as a distribution center or warehouse. This allows carriers to maximize the use of their equipment and reduce the need for additional storage space.
- Extra Wide/Heavy/Long Loads: efer to shipments that exceed the standard size and weight limits for commercial trucks. These types of shipments require specialized equipment and permits to transport safely and legally.
- Brokerage: refers to the business of arranging transportation services between shippers and carriers. Freight brokers act as intermediaries between the two parties and help to match shipments with available carriers, negotiate rates, and coordinate logistics.
- Other
When completed, select the Save & Next button.
Lanes
This section of your profile allows you to describe what your preferred lanes are to better qualify you for the loads that brokers have available.
Preferred Lanes
Select the green plus sign to enter a new preferred lane. Now select your states of origin and destination. You can also select from a list of cities within those states or leave entire state as your selection. When finished, select the Save button. At this point you will continue to add any other lanes that are you prefer.
At any point you want to remove a preferred lane, select the trashcan next to it and it will be removed.
Preferred Areas
You may also decide to select preferred areas in addition to, or along with your preferred lanes. You can select areas in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Select individual states or entire zones, which include all the states listed below them. If your preferred area is the entire United States, you can select the All Zones box.
When this section is complete, select the Save & Next button.
Tax
The tax section is used to identify your company’s tax information (W9), including Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). Required information is indicated by a red asterisk.
Your TIN will be submitted to the IRS for validation upon submission. Once validated, you will see an update to the Tax section that usually takes place within 2 - 3 days.
Note: For assistance with filling out the tax information, try selecting the General Instructions link located in the upper-right corner of the screen.
When the form is completed select the Save & Next button.
Note: For Canadian carriers, the Tax section will display your W8 instead. W8 information cannot be validated through the IRS.
Documents
Any supporting documents you have can be uploaded here for the broker to see. For instance, if you selected that you were authorized to haul hazardous material, you would want to upload your Hazmat certificate here.
Uploading a document can be done one of two ways.
You can drag a document directly to the box above and let go or you can choose the Select File button to browse for the document on your computer or mobile device.
When a document has been uploaded, you will be prompted to give it a name and select the type of file that was uploaded.
When finished naming the file, select the Save button to complete the action.
Supported file types include: docx, doc, pdf, jpg, jpeg, tif, png, tiff, gif, xls, xlsx
When finished uploading the documents you choose, select the Save & Next option.
Insurance
Insurance is a requirement to haul loads for brokers and shippers, so DAT will need a valid insurance certificate on file. This can be done two different ways:
- Upload the certificate yourself
- Provide contact information for your insurance to DAT so we can collect it
If you have a copy of your insurance certificate, select the Upload Certificate button and select the certificate from your computer or mobile device.
Supported file types include: docx, doc, pdf, jpg, jpeg, tif, png, tiff, gif, xls, xlsx
If you would like DAT to reach out to the insurance agent to collect the certificate, provide the agent name, phone, email and fax on the form provided and select the Save button.
When finished, select the Save & Next button.
You will now be prompted to sign contracts.
Selecting I understand will keep you on your current screen allowing you to make any changes you need, while selecting Sign Contracts will give you the opportunity to locate contracts for the broker or shipper you are hauling for.
Click the Sign Contracts button to continue.