You’ve got the truck and the miles in you — what you don’t have yet is your own MC. That’s not a wall, it’s a starting line. You can often be running legal within about a week under a vetted carrier’s authority, keep the bulk of the revenue, and build toward your own numbers when the math is right. Fortuna lines up the carrier, checks the fine print, and puts a real dispatcher on your load from day one.
Lease-on means you legally operate under a real, active carrier’s MC and DOT authority — not a number rented on the side. Renting an MC is illegal and FMCSA prohibits it, so we don’t touch it. Before you sign anything, Fortuna vets the carrier for you: payment history, CSA safety score, and the fine print that decides how your money and your miles get treated. Their authority covers the freight, with primary auto-liability and cargo insurance sitting behind the load. On your side, we point you toward occupational-accident and non-trucking-liability coverage so you’re protected in the cab, not exposed.
How you actually get paid
You see the broker’s real rate confirmation on every load — what the load paid is what you see, no hidden markup layered on top. You keep the large majority of the linehaul, typically 70–85% depending on the carrier’s split, and settlements run through the carrier. There’s no deposit to start, ever. If anyone asks you to pay to “hold a spot,” walk away. Your dispatcher also chases the paperwork most drivers eat alone — TONU when a load cancels, lumper receipts, detention — so nothing quietly disappears from your check.
What the carrier keeps vs. what you keep
Every lease-on split looks a little different, but the shape of it tends to repeat. Here’s a typical breakdown of where a load’s revenue goes. These are common industry ranges, not Fortuna’s numbers and not a quote for your deal. Read your own carrier agreement for the real figures before you sign anything.
Where it goes
Typical range
Who carries it
Driver settlement (linehaul)
70 to 85% of the load
You
Carrier’s share (authority, dispatch admin, back office)
15 to 30% of the load
Carrier
Primary auto liability and cargo insurance
Included in the carrier’s authority
Carrier
Occupational accident and non-trucking liability
Often a separate weekly premium
You, usually bought on your own
ELD or tablet fee
Roughly $30 to $45 a week where charged — a typical industry range, not a Fortuna fee
You, sometimes waived
Fuel, tolls, and truck maintenance
Driver expense either way
You
Factoring, if you use it
A few percent of the invoice
Whoever elects to factor
This is why Fortuna checks a carrier’s split and fine print before you ever sign a lease agreement. A carrier that keeps 30% and covers your ELD is a different deal than one that keeps 20% and bills you for it on the side. Same headline number, a different check at the end of the week. Ask any carrier you’re considering to show you a real settlement statement from another driver on a similar lane before you sign, not just the summary sheet. That single document tells you more about how you’ll get paid than any pitch.
Moving to your own MC when you’re ready
Lease-on is a fast start, not a cage. There’s no lock-in, and when the numbers say go, we help you file for your own MC and DOT so you keep more and answer to no one. Before that move, know what belongs in the reserve first — see our owner-operator readiness checklist. Until then:
Your hours and your ELD stay yours — we never push you past HOS or touch your logs.
You build a clean load history and broker relationships under real authority.
You move to your own numbers on your timeline, with the same desk still booking your freight.
Common questions
Is running under someone else’s authority even legal?
Yes. Leasing on to an active carrier is legal and common — you operate under their MC, DOT, and insurance on a proper lease agreement. What’s illegal is renting an MC number to run as if it were your own, which FMCSA prohibits. We only place you with real, vetted carriers, never a rented number.
Do I need my own insurance if I have no MC?
The carrier’s authority carries the primary auto-liability and cargo coverage on the freight itself. You’ll typically still want your own occupational-accident and non-trucking-liability coverage for injuries and time off-dispatch. We point you to the right cover before your first load, not after something goes wrong.
How do I get paid, and how fast?
You keep the large majority of each load’s linehaul and settle through the carrier, and you see the broker’s actual rate confirmation on every load. Exact pay timing depends on the carrier’s settlement schedule, which your dispatcher walks you through up front so there are no surprises.
Will leasing on trap me from getting my own MC later?
No. There’s no lock-in. Lease-on is meant as a running start while you build a clean load history. When you’re ready, we help you file for your own MC and DOT and keep dispatching you the whole way through the switch.
How soon can I actually haul without an MC?
Usually about 5–7 days: a short call, your truck and a couple of documents, then carrier onboarding. Once the paperwork clears, your dispatcher books your first load. We can’t promise an exact date, since carrier onboarding times vary, but we push it as fast as it’s safe to.
Get loaded this week.
A real dispatcher picks up, day or night, in your language: English, Ukrainian or Russian. No contract to start.