How long do brokers take to pay? Longer than your fuel money lasts.

You deliver the load this week. The broker pays in 30 to 60 days. Everything in between comes out of your pocket.

This is the part nobody explains before the MC goes active. Fuel, tolls, insurance and the truck payment are due now. Broker money shows up a month or two later. That gap is the number one reason a brand-new authority stops running in month two, and it has nothing to do with finding loads.

Size your cash gap

Rough numbers are fine. This is the money you'll be owed before the first broker check lands.

Loads per week

Average rate per load ($)

Days until the broker pays

Fuel and tolls per load ($)

Money you're owed before the first check: $0

Fuel and tolls you pay out of pocket in that window: $0

If you factor at 3%, the cost on that revenue is about $0, and the money lands the day you deliver instead of 45 days later.

Get paid the day you deliver

Two factoring companies take brand-new MCs and built a page for First Load carriers. You apply on their site in a few minutes, it's free to get a quote, and they may pay us if you sign with them. The rate and contract are between you and them, so read them first.

Our top pick: Porter Freight FundingNew-authority program, same-day pay and a fuel card.
Get a quote from Porter

Also takes new MCs: Thunder FundingStarts with a 90-day term, non-recourse by default, fuel card and fuel advances.
See Thunder's terms

Compare them side by side, the catch included

How long brokers actually take to pay

Most brokers pay on net 30, and the clock starts when they approve your invoice, not when you deliver. Add a few days for paperwork and the first check usually lands around day 35 to 40. Some pay net 45 or net 60. A few pay in a week for a fee, which is quick pay. C.H. Robinson publishes its terms on its carrier page; most brokers don't, so ask before you haul.

Savings, quick pay or factoring: the three ways carriers cover the gap

1. SavingsCheapest if you have it. Most new carriers need one to two months of operating cash on hand, which for one truck is often $8,000 to $15,000. Few have it after paying for the truck, insurance and the filing.

2. Broker quick paySome brokers pay in 2 to 7 days for a 2% to 5% fee. Not every broker offers it, not on every load, and you're stuck with the brokers who do.

3. FactoringYou deliver, send the paperwork, and the factoring company pays you the same day or the next, then collects from the broker. They keep 1% to 3.5% of the invoice. Works with any broker, and the good ones also check the broker's credit before you haul.

Quick pay vs factoring for a new authority

Quick pay is the broker paying you early, usually 2 to 7 days, for 1.5% to 5%. It only works on that broker's loads, and every broker sets its own fee. Factoring is a separate company paying you on every load from any broker, same day or next, for a rate you agree once. New authorities usually end up with factoring because they can't afford to turn down the brokers who don't offer quick pay, and because the factoring company checks each broker's credit before you haul.

What factoring is, in one paragraph

The longer version, with the contract terms to check and what the law says about who the broker pays: freight factoring for a new authority.

A factoring company buys your invoice. You haul the load, you send them the rate confirmation and the signed bill of lading, and they pay you most of the invoice right away, usually 95% to 100% minus their fee. They wait on the broker so you don't have to. The fee is a percentage of the invoice, not interest, and there's no loan on your books. Most factoring companies that work with new authorities also run a credit check on each broker before you take the load, which is the single best fraud filter a one-truck company can have.

What to look at before you sign with anyone

The rate, and whether it's flat or tiered by volume.
Recourse or non-recourse. Recourse means if the broker never pays, you owe the money back. Non-recourse costs a little more and covers you.
Contract length and what it costs to leave. Some lock you in for a year with a termination fee. Read that line twice.
Minimums. A monthly minimum volume or fee can eat a slow month.
Advance rate. 95% today with the rest after the broker pays, or 100% now.
Fuel card and fuel advances. Useful, but they tie two products together. Check both sets of fees.

Two factoring companies that take a brand-new authority

Both work with first-year MCs and set up a page for First Load carriers. Applying is free and takes a few minutes. Each pays us if you sign with them; the rate and contract are between you and them, so read them before you sign.

Porter Freight FundingBuilt a new-authority program and a First Load page. Also offers a fuel card.
See Porter's terms

Thunder FundingSays it works with new authorities, starts with a 90-day term, is non-recourse by default (disputes and short-pays aren't covered), and pays same day on invoices sent by noon Pacific. Fuel card and fuel advances too.
See Thunder's terms

Compare 12 factoring companies side by side

A first-month timeline that doesn't run dry

Day 1 Active: set up factoring or a quick-pay broker before your first load, not after. Onboarding takes a day or two.
Loads 1 to 3: run cheaper, shorter loads with brokers who take new MCs (the list). Get paid on each one before you stretch.
Week 2: one voluntary DOT inspection at a scale. Brokers who won't touch a zero-inspection carrier open up.
Week 4: you know your real cost per mile. Now decide whether factoring stays or savings take over.

Questions carriers ask

How long does it take to get paid by a freight broker?

Usually 30 to 45 days after the broker approves your invoice, sometimes 60. The first check on a new authority typically lands around day 35 to 40 after your first delivery.

Is quick pay or factoring better for a new authority?

Quick pay is cheaper on a single load but only works with brokers who offer it. Factoring covers every load from any broker at one agreed rate and checks broker credit first. Most new authorities factor for the first few months, then decide.

How much does factoring cost for a new trucking company?

Published rates run from under 1% to about 3.5% of the invoice, and many new-authority programs sit around 3%. Watch the contract length, minimums and the fee to leave more than the headline rate.

How much cash does a new owner-operator need before the first check?

Enough to cover fuel, tolls, insurance and the truck payment for about six weeks. For one truck running three loads a week that's often $8,000 to $15,000, which is why most new carriers use factoring or quick pay to start.

First Load is a private company, not FMCSA and not a lender. Numbers above are published ranges and carrier reports, not a quote. Any company we point you to may pay us for the introduction, and you can say no to any of them.