Frequently Asked Questions

ESSE Inc is a licensed freight carrier and logistics platform based in Dayton, Ohio. We operate under USDOT 4323811 and MC 1687368. We move freight across the United States and provide software tools for carriers, drivers, and shippers — including a Carrier TMS (Transportation Management System), ELD (Electronic Logging Device) hardware and software, and a full driver onboarding platform.

In short: we're a freight company that also builds the technology we use to run it — and we make that technology available to other carriers and owner-operators.

Our headquarters are in Dayton, Ohio. We operate freight nationwide across the contiguous United States. Our portal platform and carrier tools are available to any US-based carrier, fleet, driver, or owner-operator regardless of location.

You can reach our support team through any of these channels:

• Email: support@esseinc.com
• Phone: 937-240-0708
• Contact form: esseinc.com/contact.html

Business hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM EST. After-hours email responses are sent the next business day.

Both. ESSE Inc is a licensed property carrier and freight broker. We move real freight under our own authority (USDOT 4323811, MC 1687368). We dispatch our own drivers, operate our own trucks, and coordinate freight for shippers nationwide.

We also provide platform tools — TMS, ELD, onboarding — that we built to run our own operations, now available to other carriers and fleets. The software is built by operators, for operators.

Our federal authority numbers are:

• USDOT Number: 4323811
• MC Number: 1687368

You can verify our active authority, safety record, and insurance on file at the FMCSA SAFER system: safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.

Yes. ESSE Inc is licensed for nationwide freight operations across the contiguous United States. Our portal platform is available to all US-based carriers, fleets, drivers, and owner-operators. There is no geographic restriction on using our platform tools.

Go to portal.esseinc.com/carrier/register.html. You'll need your MC number or USDOT number for FMCSA verification. The registration process takes about 10 minutes, and your account is active immediately after FMCSA data is verified.

To register a carrier account you need:

• MC number or USDOT number (used for FMCSA company lookup)
• Legal company name
• Contact email address

Full operational document requirements (insurance certificates, operating agreements, etc.) are outlined in the portal after registration. Your carrier account will prompt you through any additional requirements for your account tier.

The free plan includes up to 5 active drivers, 10 loads per month, and 500 MB of document storage. No credit card is required to start. The free plan is a permanent tier — not a trial — so you can use it indefinitely within those limits.

When you're ready for more capacity, upgrading to Pro ($49/month) takes about 30 seconds from your portal settings and gives you unlimited loads, unlimited drivers, and the full feature set.

Yes. Pro and Enterprise plans support multiple dispatcher and recruiter accounts under a single carrier company. Each team member gets their own login credentials. Permissions are configurable — you can control what each user can see and do within the platform.

When you register as a carrier, you receive a unique carrier portal link you can share with driver applicants. Drivers click the link, create their own account, and complete a digital application. They upload all required documents (CDL, medical cert, MVR, etc.) and sign any required consents via e-signature.

Your recruiter or admin team reviews applications in the carrier dashboard, approves or requests additional information, and marks drivers as onboarded when complete. Typical time from application to approval: 2–5 business days depending on document review speed and background check turnaround.

Yes. Pro plan includes full data export in CSV, PDF, and XLS formats for all reports — load history, driver records, document status, and compliance summaries. Export is available from the Reports section of your carrier dashboard.

A dedicated mobile app for drivers is in development. Currently, the driver portal and carrier portal both work on mobile browsers (Chrome, Safari) and are designed to be mobile-responsive. ELD functionality uses the ERETHELD app available for Android and iOS.

Your data is retained for 90 days after account cancellation. During that window, you can log in and export all your records in CSV and PDF format. After 90 days, data is permanently deleted in accordance with our retention policy. We recommend exporting everything before canceling.

Go to portal.esseinc.com/register.html and select "Driver" when prompted for your role. Complete the multi-step digital application, upload your CDL and current medical certificate, and submit. A recruiter will review your application and contact you — typically within 1–2 business days.

Per 49 CFR Part 391, the following documents are required for commercial driver qualification:

• Valid CDL (Class A or B as applicable)
• DOT Medical Certificate (current physical)
• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) — pulled by recruiter
• PSP report — Pre-Employment Screening Program
• Application for employment (completed in portal)
• Previous employer verification (3-year history)
• Drug test consent and pre-employment negative result

Typically 3–10 business days from completed application to approval. The main variables are document review speed (how quickly you upload all required docs) and background check / drug test turnaround times, which depend on third-party labs and verification services. Applications with complete documentation submitted on day one move the fastest.

For OTR (over-the-road) and most highway driving roles, yes — a Class A CDL is required. Some positions may accept a Class B CDL depending on equipment type. Check the specific requirements for the position you're applying for. Local or regional non-CDL positions may be available — contact us at office@esseinc.com to inquire.

Yes. Driver onboarding is always free for drivers. You will never be charged to apply, create an account, complete your application, upload documents, or sign agreements. There are no hidden fees for applicants at any stage of the process.

After your application is approved, you'll receive a confirmation email and full access to your driver portal at portal.esseinc.com. You'll complete any remaining e-signature requirements (company policy acknowledgments, consent forms), then be connected with dispatch to begin taking loads.

Yes. Owner-operators with their own power unit can apply through the owner-operator registration at portal.esseinc.com/register.html?role=owner_operator. Owner-operator onboarding includes additional documentation for your equipment (registration, insurance, inspection records). You can also visit esseinc.com/owner-operators.html for more information.

Log into your driver portal at portal.esseinc.com, navigate to your Documents section, and upload the new file. The system automatically updates the document record and recalculates any expiration alerts. Your recruiter or admin is notified of document updates automatically.

An Electronic Logging Device (ELD) is a device that automatically records a commercial driver's hours of service (HOS) as required by FMCSA's ELD mandate (49 CFR Part 395). It connects to the vehicle's Engine Control Module (ECM) and automatically records engine power status, vehicle motion, miles driven, and engine hours — replacing paper logbooks.

ELDs make HOS records more accurate, reduce paperwork for drivers, and allow DOT officers to verify compliance quickly during roadside inspections.

Yes. Our ELD device, the ERS238, is registered on the FMCSA's list of self-certified ELD devices. You can independently verify its registration at the FMCSA ELD registered devices list: eld.fmcsa.dot.gov/List. Search for "ERETHELD" or device identifier ERS238.

All CDL drivers operating commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate commerce who are required to maintain Records of Duty Status (RODS) must use an FMCSA-registered ELD.

Exemptions include:

• Short-haul drivers operating within a 150 air-mile radius (may use time card exception)
• Drivers using paper logs no more than 8 days in any 30-day period
• Driveaway/towaway operations where the vehicle being transported is part of the shipment
• Vehicles manufactured before model year 2000

ERETHELD ERS238 supports both transfer methods required by FMCSA:

• Telematics (wireless): Transfer logs via web service to the FMCSA portal or directly to the DOT officer's laptop/tablet. Preferred method — no cables needed.
• Local (USB / Bluetooth): Transfer to a USB drive or via Bluetooth to the officer's device. Select from the ELD menu when prompted during inspection.

At a roadside inspection, the officer will direct you. Select "Transfer Data" from the ELD main menu and follow the on-screen prompts. If you have trouble, contact support at 937-240-0708.

The ERETHELD ERS238 hardware unit connects to your vehicle via the OBD-II port or ECM diagnostic connector. The companion driver app — which displays HOS status, log data, and inspection transfer options — is available for:

• Android smartphones and tablets (Android 8.0 or later)
• iOS iPhones and iPads (iOS 13 or later)

The carrier fleet dashboard is web-based and works in any modern browser.

Per FMCSA requirements, the ERS238 records the following data elements:

• Engine power on and off events
• Vehicle motion (start/stop)
• Miles driven per trip segment
• Engine hours
• Driver ID and co-driver ID
• GPS location (recorded at minimum every hour while in motion, and at each duty status change)
• Malfunction and diagnostic event codes

If the ERS238 malfunctions, follow this procedure as required by 49 CFR 395.34:

• Note the malfunction on the current day's log (paper or reconstructed)
• Notify the carrier (ESSE dispatch) within 24 hours of the malfunction
• Reconstruct the current day's HOS on paper logs
• Continue using paper logs for up to 8 days while the device is repaired or replaced

Contact ESSE support at support@esseinc.com or 937-240-0708 to arrange a replacement device. Carry your paper log copies for 8 days after returning to ELD use.

Monthly billing occurs on the anniversary of your signup date. For example, if you started your Pro plan on the 15th of a month, you'll be billed on the 15th of each subsequent month. Annual plans are billed once upfront on your signup date.

We offer a 14-day money-back guarantee for new Pro subscribers. If you're not satisfied within the first 14 days of your paid subscription, contact support@esseinc.com for a full refund. After 14 days, we do not offer prorated refunds for unused time, but you can cancel at any time and retain access through the end of your paid period.

We can accommodate account pauses for operational reasons — for example, seasonal carriers who don't operate year-round. Contact support@esseinc.com to request a pause. We can pause accounts for up to 3 consecutive months. Your data is retained in full during a pause.

Yes. Annual plans are billed upfront at a 2-month discount — you pay for 10 months and get 12 months of service. This applies to Pro and Enterprise plans. Contact support@esseinc.com or switch to annual billing in your carrier portal settings.

Log into your carrier portal at portal.esseinc.com, navigate to Settings > Billing, and update your credit card or bank account details. Changes take effect immediately and apply to your next billing cycle. For ACH setup or billing questions, email support@esseinc.com.

The ESSE Portal supports all modern browsers:

• Google Chrome (latest)
• Mozilla Firefox (latest)
• Apple Safari (latest, desktop and iOS)
• Microsoft Edge (latest)

Mobile browsers are fully supported. We recommend Chrome or Safari on mobile for the best experience. Internet Explorer is not supported.

Yes. Pro and Enterprise plans include access to the ESSE REST API for integrating with your existing dispatch tools, accounting software, or custom workflows. API documentation is available upon request — contact support@esseinc.com with details about your integration use case.

All data transmitted to and from the ESSE Portal is encrypted in transit using TLS 1.3. Data at rest is stored in an encrypted MariaDB database with connection pooling and access control. Authentication uses session-based auth with secure cookies. Document uploads are stored in a protected directory outside the web root, inaccessible without authenticated session tokens.

We do not sell or share your data with third parties except as required for service delivery (e.g., background check providers, drug testing labs).

Enterprise plan includes custom integration services. We can work with your existing TMS, dispatch software, or accounting system to build data bridges via API or CSV/EDI exchange. Contact us at support@esseinc.com to discuss your current tech stack and integration requirements.

We target 99.9% uptime for the ESSE Portal platform. For Enterprise customers, a formal Service Level Agreement (SLA) with defined uptime guarantees, response time commitments, and credit provisions is available. Contact us at support@esseinc.com to review Enterprise SLA terms. All customers can check current platform status at portal.esseinc.com.