Every freight broker and shipper knows the risk — you book a load with a carrier that looks legitimate, and then something goes wrong. Their insurance lapses. Their authority gets revoked. The freight never arrives. These situations are entirely preventable with a proper carrier vetting process.
In this guide we'll walk through the exact steps professional freight brokers use to verify any US motor carrier before booking a single load.
Quick tip: You can do all of these checks instantly using CarrierCheck's free FMCSA lookup tool. Just enter a DOT or MC number and get everything in seconds.
Step 1 — Look Up the Carrier in FMCSA
Get their DOT or MC number
Ask every carrier for their USDOT number or MC docket number before doing anything else. A legitimate carrier will have these immediately available.
Every legally operating motor carrier in the US must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Their registration creates a public record that includes their authority status, insurance, safety rating, contact information, and fleet details.
To look up a carrier you need either their:
- USDOT Number — a unique identifier assigned by FMCSA (e.g. 3359426)
- MC Number — their operating authority docket number (e.g. MC 1699075)
Step 2 — Check Their Operating Authority
Verify their authority is Active — not Inactive or None
A carrier can have a USDOT number and still not be legally allowed to haul freight for hire.
Operating authority (also called Common Authority) is what gives a carrier the legal right to transport goods across state lines for compensation. There are three possible statuses:
- Active — carrier is legally authorized to operate ✅
- Inactive — authority has been revoked or voluntarily surrendered ❌
- None — carrier never applied for or received authority ❌
Important: Never book a load with a carrier whose authority is Inactive or None. Moving freight with an unauthorized carrier exposes you to serious legal and financial liability.
Also check for any pending revocations — this means their authority is in the process of being taken away. Even if it still shows Active, a revocation pending is a serious red flag. Read more about what inactive authority means and when it happens.
Step 3 — Verify Their Insurance
Check insurance type, coverage amount, and expiration
FMCSA requires carriers to maintain minimum insurance levels. Verify they meet the requirements for the type of freight you're shipping.
The two most important insurance types to check are:
- BI&PD (Bodily Injury & Property Damage) — covers accidents. Federal minimum is $750,000 for general freight, $1M+ for hazmat.
- Cargo Insurance — covers your freight if it's lost, stolen, or damaged.
When reviewing insurance always check:
- The coverage amount — is it high enough for your freight value?
- Whether there's a pending cancellation — this means the policy is about to lapse
- The insurer name — verify it's a real, licensed insurance company
Pending cancellation is a major red flag. If a carrier's insurance shows a pending cancellation date, do not book loads with them until the issue is resolved.
Step 4 — Check How Long They've Been Active
Check the "Active for" duration — be cautious of new carriers
New carriers (under 6 months) have no safety track record and represent higher risk.
The FMCSA authority history tells you exactly when a carrier was first granted their operating authority. This is important because:
- Carriers under 6 months old are statistically higher risk
- Very new authorities (under 1 month) warrant extra scrutiny
- Double brokering fraud schemes often use newly registered carriers
CarrierCheck color-codes this for you — red for under 6 months, orange for under 1 year, and green for over 1 year.
Step 5 — Review Fleet Size and Driver Count
Does their fleet match what they're telling you?
A carrier claiming to have 50 trucks but FMCSA shows 2 power units is a red flag.
The FMCSA record includes the number of drivers, CDL drivers, power units, and owned vs leased equipment. Cross-reference this with what the carrier is telling you. Significant discrepancies could indicate fraud or misrepresentation.
Step 6 — Verify Contact Information
Make sure contact info matches what they gave you
Fraudulent carriers often use real FMCSA numbers but fake contact details.
Compare the phone number, email address, and physical address the carrier gave you with what's on file with FMCSA. If there are discrepancies, ask for an explanation. Legitimate carriers update their FMCSA records regularly.
Quick Carrier Vetting Checklist
Use this checklist every time you vet a new carrier:
- USDOT or MC number confirmed
- Operating authority status is Active
- No pending authority revocation
- BI&PD insurance is active and meets minimum requirements
- Cargo insurance is active (if applicable)
- No pending insurance cancellation
- Carrier has been active for at least 6 months
- Fleet size matches what carrier claims
- Contact information matches FMCSA records
- Carrier operation type matches your freight needs
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Verifying a carrier takes less than 2 minutes when you use the right tools. The information is all public — FMCSA makes it available for exactly this purpose. There's no excuse for booking a load without running these checks first.
A few minutes of due diligence can save you from freight loss, legal liability, and the headache of dealing with an unauthorized or uninsured carrier. For a deeper dive into the full vetting process, read our complete carrier vetting guide for freight brokers.