MC numbers: the change that was announced but not made
Through 2025 many trucking and surety websites told carriers that the FMCSA would stop issuing Motor Carrier (MC) numbers on 1 October 2025 and use the USDOT number as the only identifier. That was the plan on paper. The idea dates back to the 2013 Unified Registration System final rule, and FMCSA has said existing MC numbers would not be swapped for new USDOT numbers.
In practice, FMCSA told stakeholders in March 2025 that the MC number change had been pulled from the first release of its new registration system so the agency could assess the impact and adjust its systems, and that it would take "a measured approach" in later releases. Carriers who rushed to strip MC numbers from invoices, rate confirmations and broker setup packets created mismatches for no reason.
What this means for factoring clients:
- Keep both identifiers on your paperwork until FMCSA actually completes the switch. Factors and brokers still verify carriers by MC and USDOT number.
- If anything about your authority or numbers changes, tell your factor first. A mismatch between your notice of assignment, your invoices and the FMCSA record is a common reason for a held payment.
English proficiency became an out-of-service violation
On 28 April 2025 the President signed the executive order Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America's Truck Drivers, which directed that a violation of the English language proficiency requirement result in the driver being placed out of service. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance added the violation to its North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria effective 25 June 2025.
The requirement itself is not new. What changed is the consequence: a driver who cannot read road signs or answer an officer's questions in English can now be taken off the road at the roadside, stranding the load. For a small carrier that factors, a stranded load means a late delivery, a delayed proof of delivery, and an invoice that cannot be submitted on time. Make sure every driver can handle a roadside inspection in English and keep driver qualification files current, because factors increasingly ask for compliance documentation during onboarding.
The Pro-Trucker Package
On 27 June 2025 the Department of Transportation announced a "Pro-Trucker Package" tied to the April executive order. It included more than $275 million in truck parking funding and the withdrawal of the long-pending proposal to mandate speed limiters on heavy trucks. The speed limiter withdrawal was published in the Federal Register on 24 July 2025. Neither item changes how factoring works, but dropping the speed limiter proposal removes an equipment cost carriers had been bracing for.
Port fees on Chinese ships began on 14 October
Fees imposed by the U.S. Trade Representative on ships built in China, ships with Chinese owners or operators, and foreign-built vehicle carriers calling at U.S. ports took effect on 14 October 2025. They were part of a wider set of tariff changes that disrupted import patterns through 2025. Within weeks the fees were suspended for one year from 10 November 2025 after a U.S.-China trade agreement.
For drayage and import-heavy carriers, the practical effect was more uncertainty about container volumes rather than a direct charge on the carrier. Uncertain volume is exactly when a predictable factoring arrangement helps, and when checking each broker's credit before you haul matters most.
Diesel
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly survey put the national average retail price of diesel at $3.754 a gallon in the week of 29 September 2025 and $3.711 in the week of 6 October. Fuel is one of the largest operating costs for any carrier, and fuel advances from a factor are only worth using if you know what they cost. See our guide to factoring hidden fees before you sign up for one.
Market conditions and what to check in your factoring agreement
The freight market stayed soft through the autumn of 2025, with carriers continuing to leave the market and brokers paying on 30-day or longer terms. If you are reviewing your factoring arrangement this quarter, focus on:
- The full cost, not just the headline rate: fuel advance fees, ACH or wire fees, minimum volume charges and termination fees. Our freight factoring cost guide lists the common ones.
- Recourse terms: who carries the loss if a broker fails or never pays. See recourse vs non-recourse factoring.
- Broker credit checks: whether your factor will tell you before you haul that a broker is slow or risky.
- Exit terms: how much notice you must give and how the buyout works if you leave. See how to switch factoring companies.
New carriers can read our guide to factoring with new authority, and anyone comparing providers can start at the freight and trucking factoring page.