Carrier vetting for freight brokers
Check any carrier by MC or USDOT number: authority, insurance, safety record and fraud signals in one search. Or let FreightSafe TMS check every carrier on every load for you.
What the free check looks at
Authority
- Operating authority status and age
- Common, contract and broker authority
- Broker authority cross-check
- A flag for very new authority
Insurance
- Insurance status on the federal record
- Liability (BIPD) and cargo coverage on file
- Bond on file
Safety record
- Crashes and fatal crashes in the last 24 months
- Vehicle and driver inspections
- Out-of-service rates against the national average
Identity and fraud signals
- Address shared with other carriers
- Phone number shared or reused
- Address type and address clustering
The result is summed up as low risk, caution or high risk.
A carrier vetting checklist
- Look up the carrier by MC or USDOT number, never by the name in the email.
- Confirm operating authority is active and not brand new without a reason.
- Confirm liability and cargo insurance are on file with FMCSA.
- Get the certificate of insurance from the agent, and check the insurer matches the federal filing.
- Call the phone number on the federal record, not the one the dispatcher gave you.
- Check for a shared address or phone with other carriers, a common sign of a fake or chameleon carrier.
- Review the safety record: crashes and out-of-service rates against the national average.
- Keep the record of what you checked with the load.
More detail: How to vet a freight carrier
Free check or FreightSafe TMS
| Free Carrier Check | FreightSafe TMS | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | You, one carrier at a time | Runs on its own for every carrier on every load |
| Federal record and fraud signals | Yes | Yes, before dispatch |
| Insurance certificate | Not read | Read by AI and checked against the federal filing |
| If something is wrong | You see the warning | The load locks until it is fixed |
| Record of the check | Not saved to a load | Kept with the load |
| Cost | Free, no sign-up | From the Starter plan; 14 days free |
Watching carriers you already use? Insurance Watch emails you when a carrier's insurance lapses, and New Authority Watch lists newly registered carriers.
Questions
How do freight brokers verify a carrier is legitimate?
Look the carrier up by MC or USDOT number, confirm active operating authority and insurance on file with FMCSA, check the insurer on the certificate matches the federal filing, and call the phone number on the federal record. FreightSafe's free check shows the federal record and fraud signals in one search.
Is FreightSafe's carrier check free?
Yes. Enter any MC or USDOT number above; no sign-up is needed.
What does FreightSafe TMS add?
The TMS checks every carrier on every load before dispatch, reads each insurance certificate with AI and compares the insurer with the federal filing, and locks the load if something does not match. The record stays with the load.
Check every carrier on every load, automatically.
Start free for 14 daysNo contract · No setup fee · Cancel anytime