Steplane › Guides › Carrier vetting checklist
Updated 19 October 2026 · Written by Paul, founder of Steplane, a logistics process specialist with over 13 years in logistics, including at some of the biggest freight forwarders in the world.
In short: To vet a carrier, look up its USDOT and MC number in FMCSA SAFER, confirm active authority and insurance, then call the phone number listed in SAFER, not the one in the email. Match the legal name to the W-9, bank account and truck. If anything does not match, stop the load and report it to FMCSA.
Double brokering and identity theft usually work by borrowing a real carrier's numbers. The checks below take about 10 minutes per new carrier and follow FMCSA's own fraud guidance.
Run it for every new carrier, and again when a known carrier's contact details, bank or authority change.
| Check | Where | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| 1. USDOT and MC (docket) number | FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot and the Licensing and Insurance (L&I) search | No record; legal name or DBA does not match the paperwork; operating status not authorized |
| 2. Operating authority | L&I: authority type and status | Broker-only authority offered as a carrier; authority revoked, pending or voluntarily suspended |
| 3. Phone and email | Compare the SAFER phone with the one you were given; call the SAFER number | No phone in SAFER; number does not match; free webmail or a lookalike domain |
| 4. Insurance | L&I insurance filing, then call the insurer or agent named on the certificate directly | No filing; cancellation pending; certificate agent cannot be reached or has never heard of the policy |
| 5. Address | SAFER physical and mailing address | Address differs from the packet; residential or virtual office for a claimed large fleet |
| 6. Equipment | Ask for photos of the truck and trailer with unit numbers and plates | Photos refused; plates or unit numbers do not match the packet |
| 7. Safety record | FMCSA SMS and inspection history | Out-of-service order; no inspections at all for a carrier that claims years of operation |
| 8. W-9 and bank details | Name on the W-9 and the bank account vs the legal name in SAFER | Bank account in a different name; remit-to changed before the first load |
| 9. Rate | Compare with the market rate for the lane | Carrier asks far above market, or accepts a rate change instantly |
| 10. Pickup | Shipper records driver name, truck and trailer plates at pickup | Different carrier name on the truck; driver cannot say who he works for |
FMCSA warns that the top search results for a company may be fake. Use safer.fmcsa.dot.gov and the FMCSA registration lookup directly.
FMCSA tells carriers to stop the transaction if:
If SAFER shows no phone number for the company, FMCSA suggests not contracting until you have verified the transaction.
Other signs to watch on the broker side:
A new authority is not fraud in itself. Treat it as a reason to run every check, not as a reason to refuse.
FMCSA reminds carriers that holding loads hostage until paid is illegal. Settle payment disputes through the proper channels.
For each brokered transaction you must keep, for 3 years:
| Record | Rule |
|---|---|
| Name and address of the consignor | 371.3(a)(1) |
| Name, address and registration number of the originating motor carrier | 371.3(a)(2) |
| Bill of lading or freight bill number | 371.3(a)(3) |
| Compensation received for the brokerage service and the name of the payer | 371.3(a)(4) |
| Description of any non-brokerage service performed, the compensation for it and the name of the payer | 371.3(a)(5) |
| Freight charges collected and the date paid to the carrier | 371.3(a)(6) |
Each party to the transaction has the right to review the record (371.3(c)). Also keep your vetting evidence with the carrier file: dated SAFER and L&I screenshots, the insurance call note, equipment photos and the bank-change log.
A seven-step process to approve new carriers: authority, insurance confirmed with the insurer, tax and bank details, agreement and rates, a first-load check and an annual review. Six files, including the onboarding checklist, a carrier information form, a broker-carrier agreement and an Excel register that warns 30 days before insurance expires. US and EU versions.
Get the carrier onboarding kit
€49 (about $55) per kit, one-time. EU and US versions. Any 3 kits €99, all 6 kits €199. 14-day money-back guarantee.
A carrier or other party takes a load and hands it to another carrier without the shipper's or broker's knowledge, often under a stolen or borrowed USDOT number. Arranging transport for pay without broker registration is unlawful brokerage under 49 U.S.C. 14916.
Brokering without FMCSA registration and financial security is unlawful. Anyone who knowingly allows it faces a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation and liability to the injured party for all valid claims; officers, directors and principals can be jointly and severally liable.
Search the USDOT or MC number in FMCSA SAFER and the Licensing and Insurance system. Check the operating status, the authority type and that an insurance filing is active.
Check the filing in L&I, then call the insurer or agent named on the certificate using a number you looked up yourself. FMCSA warns that certificates can be fraudulent.
3 years for each transaction, under 49 CFR 371.3(b).
FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database (nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov) or the FMCSA Contact Center (1-800-832-5660), plus the USDOT OIG hotline, the FBI's IC3, the FTC and local police or your state attorney general.
Not on its own. New carriers are legitimate, but run every check, ask for equipment photos and call the SAFER number before you tender a high-value load.
Answer simple questions about how your company works today. You get the process map with owners, triggers and records, the money leaks with estimates and a written procedure. Free, no sign-up.
Start the free check