FMCSA carrier verification checklist
A practical pre-load sequence for brokers and shippers. Complete the public-record checks,
verify the facts FMCSA data cannot prove, and print the result for your load file.
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Carrier verification steps Step 01 Match the legal identity Confirm that the legal name, DBA, DOT number, and MC number agree across the carrier packet, email signature, and public FMCSA record. Step 02 Confirm operating authority Check that the authority needed for this load is active. An active USDOT registration alone is not operating authority. Step 03 Check out-of-service status Do not tender the load if the company is under a federal out-of-service order. Record the date and source you checked. Step 04 Review safety and fleet facts Compare the safety rating, power units, drivers, cargo, and reported mileage with what the carrier represented. Step 05 Verify contact details independently Call a phone number from the public registration, not only the number in the booking email. Investigate recent phone or address changes. Step 06 Verify insurance with the source Confirm the certificate and coverage directly with the insurer or authorized producer. This site does not independently validate insurance coverage. Step 07 Match the truck at pickup Give the shipper the expected carrier, driver, truck, and trailer details. Require a call before loading anything that does not match. Step 08 Keep the decision record Save the lookup, checks performed, exceptions, who approved them, and the date and time with the load file. What this checklist cannot prove
A clean public record does not prove that the person emailing you controls the authority,
that an insurance certificate is genuine, or that the booked carrier will be the truck at
the dock. Those are direct-source and pickup checks, which is why they remain in the sequence.