What DBE certification actually is
DBE stands for Disadvantaged Business Enterprise. It is a U.S. Department of Transportation program, and certification is issued by state transportation agencies after they review a company's ownership, its day to day control, its independence from other firms and its size.
It is worth being blunt about what certification is not. It is not a set-aside, it is not a price break and it does not hand anyone a contract. What it does is confirm that a firm qualifies under the federal program, so that a prime contractor can count that firm's scope toward a project's DBE participation goal.
The other half of that equation is performance. DBE credit generally depends on the certified firm performing a commercially useful function, meaning it does real work with its own workforce and its own equipment rather than passing the load to someone else. That standard is exactly why an owned fleet matters.
The short version
What a certified hauler does for your bid
Participation goals, documented
Agencies receiving federal transportation dollars set DBE participation goals on many contracts. Certified subcontractor scope is how primes document progress toward those goals, and hauling is real, measurable scope on almost every earthwork and paving project.
A commercially useful function
DBE credit generally hinges on the certified firm actually performing the work with its own people and equipment. We are not a broker desk. 60+ company trucks, 75+ company trailers, our own drivers, our own dispatch and our own shop.
Certified in 5 states
Our certification footprint spans 5 states, which matters if your company bids public work in more than one of them. Contact estimating and we will confirm coverage for the specific agency and project you are bidding.
Capacity that will not embarrass you
A DBE partner is only useful if the trucks show up. More than 1,000,000 loads hauled since 2001, GPS dispatching, electronic logging and an in-house repair facility that keeps equipment on the road.
One vendor for material and hauling
We supply Class 5 base, sand and aggregates and we haul them. On projects where material and trucking are both in play, that consolidates scope and paperwork instead of splitting it.
A track record agencies recognize
MnDOT named Rock On its DBE of the Year. We are also an Inc. 5000 honoree at #366 overall and #70 in Transportation, plus recognition from the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal and Twin Cities Business.
A partner your agency already knows
Rock On is an Inc. 5000 honoree, ranked #366 overall and #70 among transportation companies. The Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal listed us at #500 on its Top 500 and #70 on its Top 100 Transportation list. Twin Cities Business has recognized us, and ABC of Minnesota named our leadership Construction Woman of the Year.
Those are growth and service awards, not certifications, and that is the point. Bringing us onto a project adds a DBE-certified subcontractor with a public track record instead of an unknown name on a bid sheet.
See all awards and recognition →Real scope, on real equipment
Public and DOT projects need trucks more than almost anything else. Here is what we can take off your plate.
Sand, gravel, crushed rock and rip rap in end dumps and side dumps.
View service →Paving support and roadway aggregate on tight delivery windows.
View service →Class 5 base, sand and aggregates supplied and delivered together.
View service →Machinery and oversized loads moved between staging and site.
View service →Quint axle trucks for tighter urban and municipal job sites.
View service →Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Texas.
View service area →DBE questions we get from primes
What does DBE certification mean?
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) is a U.S. Department of Transportation program. Certification is granted by state transportation agencies after they review a firm's ownership, day to day control, independence and business size. It confirms the company qualifies under the federal program. It is not a discount, a set-aside or a guarantee of work.
How does using a DBE hauler help my bid?
Agencies that receive federal transportation funding set DBE participation goals on many of their contracts. Prime contractors document participation from certified firms as part of meeting those goals. Using a certified hauler for real scope on the project is one of the most straightforward ways to do it.
Is Rock On a broker or a pass-through?
Neither. We own 60+ company trucks and 75+ company trailers, employ our own drivers, run our own repair shop and supply material ourselves. DBE credit generally depends on the certified firm performing a commercially useful function with its own forces, and we do the work.
How do I get your certification documentation?
Call our estimating team at 320-828-7133 or email [email protected] and tell us which state agency or program the project falls under. We will send the current certification documentation you need for your bid file.
Bidding work with a DBE goal?
Send us the hauling scope and the agency, and we will price it and send the certification documentation you need for your bid file. Ask for our estimating team.
Email [email protected] · Main office 320-230-2998