How to Check a Trucking Company Before You Give Them a Load

Before a pallet leaves your dock, you need to know three things: the company is who it says it is, it has the authority needed to move your shipment, and the insurance arrangements cover your goods. You can’t prove any of that with a nice sales email or a pretty freight quote.

That doesn’t mean a small manufacturer or online store has to know the ins and outs of trucking. Follow the same short steps with each new provider, and repeat key checks when the carrier, payment instructions, or pickup arrangements change.

Step 1: Find the record and get the right identifiers

Get the business’s legal name, any trade names, its USDOT number, and its operating-authority number, such as an MC number. Also ask whether the company will haul your freight itself or arrange for another carrier.

Before you give the company the green light, learn how to look up a DOT number and read the result. Match the legal name, address, and identifier to the business you’re hiring. Different companies can have similar names, and an impostor can copy a real identifier.

Motus provides federal registration and operating-authority information. SAFER’s Company Snapshot offers identification and safety data. Save the date and the record you checked. An active USDOT registration alone does not prove that a company has active for-hire operating authority.

If the company says it doesn’t need federal authority, ask why. Private transportation, exempt goods, qualifying commercial zones, and intrastate operations have different rules. A truck can stay within one state while its shipment is still part of interstate commerce.

Step 2: Decide whether you’re hiring a broker or a carrier

Question	Motor carrier	Freight broker
What does it do?	Hauls freight using vehicles under its operation.	Arranges transportation with a motor carrier.
What should you verify?	Required authority, liability filings, cargo coverage, and safety record.	Broker authority and $75,000 in financial security; check the actual hauling carrier too.
What should be clear in writing?	Who will pick up, haul, and deliver the goods.	Who selects the carrier, reports changes, handles claims, and invoices you.

A company can hold both carrier and broker authority. Don’t assume its trucks, website, or name tell you which role it’s playing on this shipment. Even if the brokerage has a squeaky-clean administrative record, check the hauling carrier’s safety record too.

Step 3: Check authority, insurance, and financial security

Make sure the authority required for this shipment is active. A docket number or an application still awaiting approval is not enough for transportation that requires that authority. Before releasing the load, check any relevant cancellations, restrictions, or current out-of-service orders.

If you hire a broker

Under 49 CFR 387.307, a property broker must maintain $75,000 in financial security through a BMC-84 surety bond or a BMC-85 trust fund agreement. That is the requirement in effect as of October 2026.

That security covers certain failures to meet transportation arrangements. It is not a $75,000 cargo insurance policy for every shipment, and a filing doesn’t guarantee your claim will be paid in full. Check the broker’s authority, security filing, provider, effective status, and any cancellation details.

If you hire a carrier

BI&PD, also called BIPD, refers to motor carrier public liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage. It is different from insurance covering loss of or damage to your freight.

FMCSA generally does not require ordinary general-freight carriers to file evidence of cargo insurance with the federal agency. Household-goods carriers and household-goods freight forwarders have specific cargo-filing rules. So “no cargo insurance on file” does not necessarily mean a general-freight carrier has no cargo policy.

Ask the insurer or insurance agent directly for a current certificate of insurance, using contact details you verified independently. Check the named insured, policy dates, cargo limit, deductible, and whether your goods and route are covered. For high-value, temperature-sensitive, or theft-prone freight, ask about exclusions and conditions.

The certificate summarizes coverage; it is not the policy or its endorsements. Having your name on it as a certificate holder doesn’t automatically make you an additional insured. If your goods are worth more than the applicable coverage or the carrier’s contractual liability, talk to your insurance adviser before booking.

Step 4: Review the safety record in context

Start with FMCSA’s company safety records. Even if a broker arranged the shipment, check the actual motor carrier.

“Not Rated” means FMCSA hasn’t assigned a safety rating. It isn’t a failing grade or government approval. A Satisfactory rating reflects adequate safety controls at the time of review; it doesn’t promise a safe next trip. Conditional means inadequate controls and deserves closer attention. A final Unsatisfactory rating prohibits interstate operations by the carrier. Don’t treat it as just another warning.

Look at roadside inspections and out-of-service results over the displayed 24-month period, including the number of inspections. One out-of-service result in two inspections is different from a pattern across many inspections. A historical result is also different from a current order prohibiting operations.

Crash counts need context. They don’t prove the carrier was at fault in every crash, and larger or busier fleets may have more exposure. Don’t judge safety on one percentage alone; look for patterns and ask about corrective actions.

Step 5: Match the record to the person and truck

Find a business phone number independently and call to confirm the employee, shipment, and pickup information. Compare the email domain and reply-to address with established contacts. Verify changes, especially new payment instructions or a substitute carrier.

Before loading, warehouse staff should check the carrier name, driver identity, tractor and trailer IDs, and pickup reference against approved instructions. Confirm unexpected substitutions through a known contact. Related businesses or service providers may share addresses and phone numbers; ask for an explanation rather than assuming fraud.

One-page shipper checklist

Use this list for every new provider and after major changes. Record the reviewer, date, shipment reference, and unanswered questions.

Identity: The legal name, trade name, USDOT number, and authority docket match the company you’re hiring.
Role: The agreement identifies any broker and the actual hauling carrier.
Authority: The required authority is active; relevant restrictions and current out-of-service orders have been addressed.
Broker security: Any required BMC-84 or BMC-85 filing and current status are checked.
Carrier insurance: Liability filings are verified and cargo coverage is independently confirmed for the freight’s value and type.
Policy questions: Dates, limits, deductibles, exclusions, and endorsements have been reviewed.
Safety: Rating, inspection totals, out-of-service history, and crashes are considered together.
Contacts: An independently verified callback confirms the employee, load, and payment instructions.
Pickup: Warehouse staff have the approved driver, carrier, equipment, and release reference.
Decision: Keep the evidence and send unresolved identity, authority, or coverage concerns to a manager before cargo release.

Keep the checklist with the shipment record. If something changes at the dock, pause and check with contacts you already trust.

Sources

eCFR: 49 CFR 387.307 — property-broker surety bond or trust fund
FMCSA: Insurance Filing Requirements
FMCSA: Company Safety Records