Every day, logistics brokers and shippers make critical decisions about which trucking companies to trust. But building a reliable carrier network—and choosing the right partner for a specific shipment—goes beyond checking paperwork.
The truth is, not all carriers are what they seem. Some companies have all the right paperwork: an active USDOT number, proper insurance, but haven’t hauled a load in months, or don’t operate in the lane they're claiming to service. Others may be operating under fraudulent MC numbers or engaging in double brokering schemes.
But here’s the problem: the FMCSA report from the DOT doesn’t tell you everything. A trucking company might have an active USDOT number, but that doesn’t mean they’re actively hauling freight. Their safer reports might be nonexistent, and their records might be outdated. So, how do you properly vet a carrier before adding them to your network or assigning them a load?
Here’s everything you need to know.
Why You Can’t Skip Carrier Vetting
Cargo loss prevention must be taken seriously. If you don’t vet a trucking company thoroughly, you’re putting your customer’s freight, your reputation, and your business at risk.
Fraud is rampant in the industry, some carriers manipulate paperwork or operate under fake MC numbers
A sold MC can cost you.
If a carrier hasn’t been seen on the road in months, that’s not just inactivity, it could also be a sign their MC has been sold, which opens the door to major risk.
Best case? You’re dealing with delays and no-shows with failed on time delivery. Worst case? You’re handing your freight to someone with stolen credentials, and it probably will never make it to the destination.
Liability issues can come back, trust us, they do.
If a carrier is uninsured or unsafe, and something goes wrong, you could face financial and legal consequences. Carrier selection and carrier monitoring becomes paramount to prevent such issues.
How To Traditionally Vet Carriers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the first place most people look to check a trucking company’s credentials. Here’s the process:
- Check the USDOT Number:
- Go to the FMCSA SAFER System and enter the trucking company’s USDOT number or name.
- Look at their operating status (Active, Inactive, Out of Service).
- Confirm the MC Number (Operating Authority):
- Use the FMCSA Licensing & Insurance Database to see if the company has interstate operating authority.
- If the carrier’s MC number is inactive or pending, the company may not be legally allowed to haul freight across state lines.
- Review Insurance & Safety Records:
- Check insurance filings and safety performance in the FMCSA Safety Measurement System (SMS).
- Look for inspection history, crash data, and red flags.
However, FMCSA data doesn’t show if a company is currently hauling loads, and digging through their records takes time. So how do you go through the process of carrier selection without taking on unnecessary risk?
How to Vet Carriers More Effectively
Instead of jumping between multiple government databases, combine FMCSA records with real-world activity data and carrier vetting software platforms to make wiser decisions.
Step 1: Get a Full Risk Picture with a Carrier Assure Report
- Access an objective carrier report that factors in safety performance, risk signals, and operational patterns.
The Carrier Assure software vetting platform shows you if a carrier is legally authorized to operate by using FMCSA data, and goes further by revealing operational signals that suggest whether they’re actively hauling freight
Step 2 : Verify Trucking Activity
- See where the trucking company has actually been operating.
- Get access to recent detection records that show where a carrier has actually been active.
The Carrier Assure software vetting platform integrates GenLogs’ highway sensor data, updated monthly in our platform, to show where carriers have been operating across the country.
You’re about to hire a trucking company. They look good to go: active MC number, proper insurance, no major red flags. But have they actually been moving freight recently?
With GenLogs detection data available through Carrier Assure, you can see operational history, even for companies with zero inspections. The data is updated monthly, giving logistics brokers powerful visibility into true carrier operations without guessing.
Step 3: Check FMCSA Carrier Search for Additional Details
Once you've done your initial carrier vetting, go to the FMCSA’s SAFER and Licensing & Insurance portals to fill in any gaps.
You can confirm USDOT and MC status, check authority timelines, insurance filings, or dig into anything else you feel you need to make a confident decision. This could be the final double-check before hitting send on that rate con.
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See the data in action! If you’re a logistics broker or shipper looking for a smarter way to verify over the road carriers, Carrier Assure’s Enterprise plan gives you exclusive access to GenLogs' operational detection data you can’t get through basic FMCSA reports alone.
