How to verify a carrier before you tender

Guide · 3 min read

Freight fraud has grown fast: stolen carrier identities, fake dispatchers and double brokering. A few checks before you tender protect the load and the relationship.

• Look up the USDOT or MC number on FMCSA SAFER. Confirm the operating status is authorized and the legal name matches who you are talking to.
• Check the contact details. The phone number and email should match what the carrier has on file. Be careful with a lookalike email domain or a phone number that has never been tied to the company.
• Get the insurance certificate from the agent. Ask the carrier’s insurance agent to send the certificate directly, rather than accepting a PDF from whoever answered the phone.
• Confirm the W-9 and payment details. Last-minute changes to where payment should go are a classic warning sign.
• Watch for re-brokering. If the truck and driver at pickup do not match the carrier you booked, stop and call.

Verify us anytime: USDOT 2038847, MC 715370. Open our FMCSA SAFER record.