Brokerage
How to vet a carrier before you tender them a load
One unvetted carrier can cost you more than a year of margin. This is the check order that stops it.
The fastest way to lose real money in this business is not pricing a load wrong. It is handing freight to a carrier who is not who they say they are. Cargo theft and double brokering are organized, patient, and specifically good at looking legitimate on a Friday afternoon when you are in a hurry.
Vet the same way every time, including when you are rushed. Especially when you are rushed, because that is when it happens.
Step 1, verify the authority yourself
Look up the MC and DOT number in FMCSA's own system. Not the numbers on the emailed packet, the numbers you type in yourself.
Check that operating authority is active, the entity type matches what they claim, and the legal name matches the paperwork. A common carrier authority means they can haul. A broker authority on a company presenting as a truck is a red flag for double brokering.
Step 2, insurance from the insurer, not the carrier
Ask the agent listed on the certificate to send it to you directly, or confirm it. A certificate forwarded by the carrier can be edited in thirty seconds.
Verify coverage is active today, cargo limits cover the value of your load, and the certificate holder line is filled in properly. Insurance that expires mid-transit is insurance you do not have.
Step 3, check the contact details against the record
This is where identity theft gets caught. Compare the phone number, email domain, and address on the packet against what FMCSA has on file.
Warning signs worth stopping over:
- A free email address instead of a company domain
- A phone number that does not match the registered record
- Recently changed contact information on an older authority
- An address that is a mail drop or does not exist
- Someone pushing hard to move fast and skip paperwork
Any single one means slow down. Two together means do not tender the load.
Step 4, safety record
Look at the safety rating and the inspection history. You are not looking for perfection, small carriers have violations. You are looking for patterns, especially in unsafe driving and maintenance, and for anything catastrophic.
Step 5, the paperwork that protects you
- A signed broker-carrier agreement, yours, not theirs
- No re-brokering language, stated plainly and in writing
- A rate confirmation naming the actual carrier who will move it
- The driver name and truck number before pickup, then confirm at pickup
Then confirm the truck at the dock. Ask the shipper who showed up. If the name on the truck does not match the carrier you tendered to, your load has been double brokered and you need to know before it leaves, not after delivery when two parties are invoicing you.
Payment discipline
Never advance money to a new carrier before delivery. Quick pay on a first load with a carrier you have never used is how a lot of brokers fund their own losses.
What it actually costs, both ways
| Scenario | Cost |
|---|---|
| Vetting one new carrier properly | 10 minutes, $0 |
| Paid carrier monitoring service | $50 to $200/mo, optional |
| One double brokered load on a $2,400 invoice | $2,000 paid twice, plus the customer |
That last row is the whole argument. A single double brokered load can wipe out the margin on five clean ones and cost you the account that gave you the freight. Ten unpaid minutes against a four-figure loss is not a close call.
Build the file once
Keep a folder per carrier with the authority screenshot, the verified certificate, the signed agreement, and your notes. It takes ten minutes the first time and nothing after that, and it turns your carrier list into an asset instead of a spreadsheet of phone numbers.
Ten minutes of checking beats a claim you cannot collect on. Every time, no exceptions.
Common questions
How do you vet a carrier before giving them a load?
Verify the MC and DOT authority in FMCSA's own system yourself, confirm insurance directly with the agent listed on the certificate, compare the packet's contact details against the registered record, review the safety and inspection history, then get a signed broker-carrier agreement with no re-brokering language before you tender anything.
What are the warning signs of a double brokered load?
A free email address instead of a company domain, a phone number that does not match the FMCSA record, recently changed contact details on an older authority, pressure to skip paperwork, and a truck arriving at pickup under a different name than the carrier you tendered to.
Can you trust an insurance certificate the carrier sends you?
No. A forwarded certificate can be edited in seconds. Ask the agent named on the certificate to confirm or send it directly, and verify the coverage is active today with cargo limits that cover the value of the load.
Should you quick pay a new carrier?
Not on a first load. Never advance money to a carrier you have not used before delivery is confirmed, because paying early on an unverified carrier is how brokers end up funding their own losses.
How do you confirm the right truck showed up?
Get the driver name and truck number before pickup, then ask the shipper who actually arrived at the dock. If the name does not match the carrier on your rate confirmation, the load was re-brokered and you need to catch it before it leaves the facility.
Want the whole system instead of the summary?
The Brokerage Accelerator is the full build, from authority paperwork to the call scripts that get you your first shipper. 500+ members inside.