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Carrier vetting checklist

Vetting a motor carrier means confirming, from official FMCSA records, that it is legally allowed to haul your freight, is insured, has an acceptable safety record, and is the company it claims to be. Search any carrier below to see all of these signals on one page, then work through the checklist.

Why documented vetting matters

Shippers, insurers, and courts increasingly expect brokers to show that a carrier was reasonably selected: that its authority and insurance were verified and its safety record reviewed before the load was tendered. The official FMCSA data is public, but it is split across the SAFER snapshot, the Licensing and Insurance system, and the safety measurement system. A written, dated vetting record built from those sources is your evidence that selection was reasonable.

The 8-step checklist

  1. Confirm the USDOT and MC numbers match the company. Search by name and by number; the legal name, DBA, and address on the record should match the carrier you are talking to. A mismatch is the first sign of identity theft or double brokering.
  2. Check operating authority is Authorized. Not Authorized means the carrier cannot legally haul regulated freight for hire, whatever its USDOT status says. See how to check if an MC number is active.
  3. Check how long the authority has been active. Fraud rings and chameleon carriers cluster in the first months of a new authority. The carrier page shows years registered and the authority grant history where available.
  4. Verify insurance on file. Look for an active BMC-91X liability filing at or above the required minimum (generally $750,000, $1,000,000 for most freight by contract, higher for hazardous materials) and cargo coverage if you require it. A pending cancellation date is a red flag. See how to check carrier insurance.
  5. Review the safety record. Compare the vehicle and driver out-of-service rates over the last 24 months with the national averages (roughly 21% for vehicles and 5% for drivers), note the crash count, and check for an Unsatisfactory or Conditional safety rating. Most carriers are unrated, which is not the same as rated poorly.
  6. Check the MCS-150 is current. A filing older than two years is overdue and the FMCSA can deactivate the USDOT number for it.
  7. Verify contact details independently. Call the phone number on the FMCSA record, not the one on the email you received, and confirm the dispatcher. Email domains that do not match the company name are a common fraud signal.
  8. Save the record with the date. Keep the carrier page or snapshot with the date you checked it. The data changes; your file shows what you knew when you made the decision.

Red flags that should stop a load

Authority revoked or Not Authorized; no liability insurance on file or a cancellation pending; a safety rating of Unsatisfactory; a USDOT status of Inactive; an authority granted within the last 60 days with no inspection history; or any mismatch between the carrier contacting you and the FMCSA record. Any one of these is reason to decline until resolved.

Frequently asked questions

What does it mean to vet a carrier?

To confirm, from official records, that a motor carrier holds active operating authority and insurance, has an acceptable safety record, and is the company it claims to be, before tendering freight to it.

Is an Active USDOT number enough to tender freight?

No. An Active USDOT registration only means the carrier is registered. For-hire freight requires Authorized operating authority and liability insurance on file.

How often should a carrier be re-vetted?

At least before each new relationship and periodically for ongoing ones. Authority and insurance can lapse at any time, and the FMCSA posts insurance cancellations about 30 days in advance.

Where does dotsearch.us get its vetting data?

From the FMCSA motor-carrier census, operating-authority registry, insurance filings, and safety data, refreshed as the FMCSA publishes. See the methodology page for details.

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