— Shipper Checklist

Verify a Broker or Carrier Before You Tender

Side-by-side checks in FMCSA SAFER and Licensing and Insurance (L&I) for a freight broker and a motor carrier: numbers, operating authority, the broker's $75,000 security, carrier insurance, and the red flags for identity theft and double brokering.

— The Check

Broker and Carrier, Side by Side

A broker arranges transportation by an authorized motor carrier; a carrier provides the truck and driver. A company can hold both authorities, so check both columns if it does. Use SAFER (opens in a new tab) and L&I (opens in a new tab), and recheck when anything on the paperwork changes.

Verification checks for a freight broker and a motor carrier, by check type. Rows that span both columns apply the same way to both.
Check	Freight BrokerArranges the shipment	Motor CarrierProvides the truck and driver
Identity and Numbers	Done, Freight broker: Get the legal name, USDOT number and MC number in writing, then search SAFER by USDOT number: Entity Type BROKER, USDOT Status ACTIVE, and the MC number on the same record. Details Search by number, not by name; names and DBAs are easy to copy. INACTIVE means the biennial MCS-150 update was not completed; OUT-OF-SERVICE means the entity is not authorized to operate. Source: FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot (opens in a new tab)	Done, Motor carrier: Get the legal name, USDOT number and docket number (MC, FF or MX) in writing, then search SAFER by USDOT number: Entity Type CARRIER, USDOT Status ACTIVE, and the docket number on the same record. Details FMCSA's Motus system now issues randomized USDOT and docket numbers to new registrants; existing numbers did not change, so an unfamiliar number pattern is not a red flag by itself. Source: FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot (opens in a new tab); FMCSA: About Registration Changes (Motus) (opens in a new tab)
Operating Authority	Done, Freight broker: SAFER reads AUTHORIZED FOR broker of property, and the Broker field in L&I reads Active. Details A broker arranges, or offers to arrange, transportation by an authorized motor carrier. In L&I, Inactive means revoked and None means never granted; Yes under Application Pending or Revocation Pending signals a pending action. Source: L&I Carrier Search Help (opens in a new tab); 49 CFR 371.2 (opens in a new tab)	Done, Motor carrier: SAFER reads AUTHORIZED FOR property, and the Common or Contract field in L&I reads Active. Details A carrier arranging a load it is authorized and legally bound to transport is not acting as a broker. If it hands your load to another carrier, it needs broker authority too. Source: L&I Carrier Search Help (opens in a new tab); 49 CFR 371.2 (opens in a new tab)
Financial Security	Done, Freight broker: A $75,000 surety bond (Form BMC-84) or trust fund (Form BMC-85) is on file: in L&I, Bond shows Required: Yes and On File: Yes. Details Registration stays in effect only while the security does. It pays shippers or motor carriers if the broker fails to carry out its transportation contracts, and it is not cargo insurance. If it drops below the required amount, the surety must notify FMCSA and the broker's authority is suspended unless the security is restored or the claims are resolved. Source: 49 CFR 387.307 (opens in a new tab); L&I Carrier Search Help (opens in a new tab)	Not required for carriers. A motor carrier files liability insurance instead (next row).
Insurance on File	Not required for brokers. A broker files the $75,000 bond or trust fund instead (row above).	Done, Motor carrier: BIPD liability on file in L&I meets the amount required, with no pending cancellation date under Active/Pending Insurance. Details There is no current federal cargo-insurance filing floor for general freight, so general freight carriers often show Cargo: No; ask for the cargo policy. The live federal financial-responsibility minimum in 49 CFR 387.9 is $750,000 in public liability for for-hire carriers of nonhazardous property with a GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more. 49 CFR 387.303, which contained household-goods cargo-security amounts, has been suspended indefinitely since September 30, 2019 (84 FR 51433). FMCSA warns insurance certificates can be fraudulent, so confirm with the insurer at a number you find independently. Source: 49 CFR 387.301 (opens in a new tab); 49 CFR 387.9 (opens in a new tab); FMCSA: Broker and Carrier Fraud and Identity Theft (opens in a new tab)
Process Agent (BOC-3)	Done, Broker and carrier: L&I shows BOC-3: Yes. Details Brokers and motor carriers must file Form BOC-3, the designation of process agents. Failure to file it results in deactivation of the USDOT number. Source: L&I Carrier Search Help (opens in a new tab); 49 CFR 366.2 (opens in a new tab)
Physical Address	Done, Broker and carrier: The physical address in SAFER matches the paperwork, and L&I shows Undeliverable Mail: No. Details If the address on the rate confirmation, invoice or website differs from FMCSA's record, confirm it at the phone number in SAFER. Source: FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot (opens in a new tab); L&I Carrier Search Help (opens in a new tab)
Phone Number	Done, Broker and carrier: Call the phone number listed in SAFER, not the one in the email, and ask for your contact by name. Details FMCSA recommends calling the SAFER number when the number you were given does not match. If SAFER shows no phone number, FMCSA suggests considering not contracting until the transaction is confirmed. Source: FMCSA: Broker and Carrier Fraud and Identity Theft (opens in a new tab)
Email and Website	Done, Broker and carrier: Confirm the email domain and website tie back to the FMCSA record before you rely on them. Details FMCSA notes the top search results can be fake profiles created by scammers. Confirm on more than one site, hover over links before clicking, and type known addresses yourself. Source: FMCSA: Broker and Carrier Fraud and Identity Theft (opens in a new tab)
At Pickup	Not applicable to brokers, which do not send their own trucks. Confirm the truck matches the carrier named on the broker's rate confirmation.	Done, Motor carrier: The name and USDOT number on the truck match the contracted carrier. Record tractor and trailer plates and photograph the truck and trailer. Details FMCSA encourages shippers to keep driver and vehicle logs and compare truck details with the carrier packet. Note the trailer or container number on the bill of lading. Source: FMCSA: Broker and Carrier Fraud and Identity Theft (opens in a new tab)

Informational only, not legal or customs advice. Rules, systems and terminal practices change. Confirm current requirements with the agency, your customs broker or your counsel before relying on any item here.

— Red Flags

Double-Brokering and Identity Theft Red Flags

Double brokering is not defined in statute or regulation; FMCSA has said most concerns describe entities acting as brokers without proper authority. Unauthorized brokerage can bring civil penalties and liability for valid claims, jointly and severally, including for officers, directors and principals.

Source: 49 U.S.C. 14916 (opens in a new tab); FMCSA guidance, 88 FR 39185 (June 16, 2023) (opens in a new tab); FMCSA: Broker and Carrier Fraud and Identity Theft (opens in a new tab)

No broker authority. The company offering to arrange your load is not registered as a broker with the required security.
A different carrier shows up. A carrier that hands off a load it is not legally bound to transport is brokering it. Re-verify before loading.
Truck does not match the paperwork. The name or USDOT number on the truck differs from the rate confirmation. Do not load; record the plates.
Contact details do not match SAFER. Or SAFER shows no phone number. Confirm at the SAFER number first.
A blind load, or a different company name. FMCSA tells carriers to stop in these cases; on the shipper side it points to someone hiding who is hauling the freight.
A price far from the lane's norm. FMCSA flags rates far above market for carriers; a quote far below comparable shipments deserves the same scrutiny.
Pending actions in L&I. Application Pending, Revocation Pending, or a pending insurance or bond cancellation. Recheck before pickup.
Payment details change by email. Treat company and banking details like credit card details, as FMCSA advises, and confirm by a number you already trust.

— Next Steps

If Something Looks Wrong

Hold the tender. Do not release freight or documents until the company is confirmed at the phone number in SAFER.
Call FMCSA. The FMCSA Contact Center is at 1-800-832-5660.
File complaints. FMCSA lists the National Consumer Complaint Database (opens in a new tab), the FTC, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, local police or your state attorney general, and the USDOT OIG Hotline (opens in a new tab).
Tell the people who rely on your records. FMCSA suggests notifying your insurer and the load boards and factoring companies you use.

Source: FMCSA: Broker and Carrier Fraud and Identity Theft (opens in a new tab)

How Whisk Freight screens the carriers it arranges is on Carrier Vetting & Technology. For term definitions, see the Freight Glossary.

— Questions

Short Answers

Does the broker's $75,000 bond cover lost or damaged cargo?

No. The BMC-84 bond or BMC-85 trust fund secures the broker's obligations under its transportation contracts, such as paying carriers. Cargo loss and damage claims run against the carrier and its cargo coverage.

Is an insurance certificate enough?

No. FMCSA warns certificates can be fraudulent. Check L&I for what is on file and call the insurer at a number you find independently.

Is SAFER updated in real time?

Not always. The snapshot states the date its data reflects, and L&I links to pending insurance cancellations. Recheck close to pickup for a new partner.

Are MC numbers going away?

Not as of this checklist. FMCSA's Motus system still issues docket numbers with MC, MX and FF prefixes, and existing numbers did not change. Eliminating docket numbers is under consideration and would go through rulemaking.