CarrierScrub
What is carrier vetting?
Carrier vetting is the set of checks a freight broker runs before tendering a load: that the carrier is who it says it is, that it is legally able to haul the freight, that it is insured for it, and that the person arranging the load actually works for it. Almost all of it can be checked against FMCSA's public records, for free.
The checks exist because the failures are common and specific. In FMCSA's legacy files, last updated 14 May 2026, 13,951 of the 379,060 carriers holding active FMCSA operating authority had a revocation pending, and 3,528 shared a telephone number with a carrier whose authority had been revoked, according to CarrierScrub's Q3 2026 fraud signals report.
How do you vet a carrier?
Run these seven checks in order. The first four take a minute and catch the failures that stop a load outright; the last three are judgment calls.
- Confirm who you are dealing with. Get the carrier's USDOT number, and its MC number if it has one, then look the number up yourself. The legal name on FMCSA's record should match the name on the rate confirmation and the carrier packet. If all you have is a name, find the USDOT number from the legal name. Do not take a number or phone from a search result: FMCSA warns that the top results can be fake profiles created by scammers.
- Check that operating authority is active. An active USDOT number says nothing about for-hire authority or insurance. Check that the carrier holds active motor carrier authority, not only broker authority, and that no revocation has been served against it. A revocation pending is a reason to hold the load until it is resolved. The DOT status check explains what each FMCSA status means.
- Check the insurance on file against the minimum. For-hire carriers of non-hazardous property in vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more must keep at least $750,000 in liability coverage on file with FMCSA, and certain hazardous materials require $1,000,000 or $5,000,000. What FMCSA holds is the insurer's filing, not a certificate naming you. FMCSA's own guidance is blunt: “Even insurance certificates can be fraudulent.” Compare any certificate with the filing on record, and confirm it with the insurer at a number you look up yourself.
- Verify the dispatcher through the registered phone number. Open the carrier's SAFER Company Snapshot and compare the telephone listed there with the number you were given. If they differ, FMCSA's advice is to “call the number posted in SAFER for the company to discuss the load.” If the record shows no phone at all, FMCSA says to consider not contracting until you can confirm the transaction is valid. How to verify a dispatcher covers mismatches and caller-ID spoofing.
- Look at the registration history. Some facts do not make a carrier unlawful but deserve a question before you tender: authority granted recently, an insurance cancellation already filed, three or more insurers in its filing history, a telephone number shared with a carrier whose authority was revoked, or new authority registered at a revoked carrier's contact details under a different name. A newly registered carrier is also under FMCSA's 18-month new entrant safety monitoring.
- Review the safety record. The SAFER Company Snapshot shows a carrier's safety rating, inspections, out-of-service rates and crashes. Weigh them against the freight: a carrier with a high vehicle out-of-service rate is a different risk on a high-value load. CarrierScrub does not ingest this data yet, and every result marks those sections pending rather than passing them.
- Check again at pickup, and before the next load. Authority and insurance change without notice, so a carrier that passed last month is not vetted for today's load. At pickup, FMCSA advises confirming that the name and numbers on the truck match the carrier you contracted, and requesting pictures of the truck and trailer to compare with the carrier packet.
Where to check each item
Every check has a free federal source. Since 14 May 2026, registration and insurance filings go through FMCSA's Motus system, and the older Licensing & Insurance site holds records from before the switch.
| Check | Where FMCSA publishes it | CarrierScrub |
|---|---|---|
| Legal name and USDOT number | SAFER Company Snapshot, Motus | Yes Name search and every result |
| Operating authority status | Motus, SAFER | Yes Active, broker-only or not active |
| Revocation pending | FMCSA's operating-authority data | Yes Flagged on the result, dated where FMCSA’s Motus data holds the order |
| Insurance on file against the minimum | Motus since 14 May 2026; L&I for earlier records | Yes Coverage filed against coverage required, and filed cancellations |
| Registered phone number | SAFER Company Snapshot | Yes Shield compares a caller's number, $0.50 a check |
| Safety rating, inspections, out-of-service, crashes | SAFER Company Snapshot | No Not yet. Marked pending on every result |
What FMCSA records can't tell you
- Who is on the phone. A registered number confirms a carrier's contact details, not the caller, and caller ID can be spoofed. Calling the registered number back is what rules that out.
- Whether you are covered. An insurance filing shows the carrier's liability coverage with FMCSA. It is not a certificate naming you, and it does not show cargo coverage beyond the federal minimum.
- Whether the carrier is good at the job. Active authority and insurance make a carrier eligible to haul, not reliable. On-time history, claims and references come from your own records and the carrier's.
- Whether a load will be double brokered. A clean record lowers the odds; it is not a guarantee, and no FMCSA fact alleges fraud on its own.