Owner-Operator Startup • Authority & Freight Access
DAT Authority and DAT One Load Board
DAT offers two related services that may help a new carrier: DAT Authority assists with starting or updating a carrier’s authority and permits, while DAT One is its freight marketplace and load-board platform. The combination can connect paperwork setup to load-search tools, but it does not cover every decision a driver faces when becoming an owner-operator.
DAT Authority: what it helps with
DAT’s official Authority information says its team can file federal and state paperwork for a carrier MC and DOT setup and help with IFTA, IRP, UCR and BOC-3. The official page also describes a free month of DAT load-board service and a 10% ongoing DAT load-board discount with the authority package. Confirm the current offer, application requirements, agency fees, service charges and exact permit coverage before purchasing.
This can be useful because startup filings have a sequence: authority, insurance and process-agent filings, then applicable plates, fuel-tax accounts and state permits. A provider can manage parts of the paperwork while the owner supplies accurate information and makes sure the filings match the real operation.
DAT One: freight search and eligibility
DAT One provides a paid load board with load search, broker information and market tools. DAT requires active USDOT information for carrier accounts. For an owner-operator under their own authority, DAT says it validates active authority; a leased owner-operator needs the carrier’s authorization confirmed with DAT. A load board helps locate freight; it does not guarantee loads, rates, payment or acceptance by each broker.
Use the board only after deciding how the truck will operate and checking the board’s current eligibility, subscription, cancellation and verification terms. Compare more than one source of freight and calculate the full trip cost before accepting a load.
How it fits a transition plan
- Call DAT Authority before buying a truck or resigning and request a written startup checklist for the driver’s state and operating model.
- Confirm which DOT/MC, BOC-3, IFTA, IRP, UCR and state tasks DAT will file; separate company fees from government fees and clarify sequence and turnaround.
- Get insurance quotes and equipment financing terms independently. Confirm how the truck and insurance requirements affect the timing of authority activation.
- After the carrier is eligible, contact DAT One support to verify account requirements and learn the load-board tools; confirm whether the free month offer still applies.
What DAT does not replace
DAT’s published materials describe authority paperwork and freight tools; they do not promise to find or finance the truck, tell a driver when to quit, provide insurance, or guarantee freight revenue. DAT’s services may have separate fees and eligibility rules. Ask whether a particular service is included before authorizing a purchase.
Contact and departments
Company: DAT Freight & Analytics
Authority department: DAT Authority Sales / Carrier Authority Services
Authority phone: (866) 265-3172
Authority email: authorityadmin@dat.com
Authority hours listed: 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Central
DAT One carrier support: (800) 547-5417 (call or text); customer.support@dat.com
Carrier-support hours listed: Mon–Thu 24 hours; Friday midnight–9 p.m. CT; Saturday 7 a.m.–4 p.m. CT; Sunday 7 a.m.–4 p.m. and 9 p.m.–midnight CT.
Official information checked
- DAT Authority services and included load-board offer
- DAT carrier requirements for own-authority and leased operators
- DAT support contacts and hours
CompanyDriver.TV checked DAT’s official pages October 2026. Offers, contact hours and requirements can change; confirm directly with DAT before purchasing.