Check The Broker Before You Book

What Information Should You Gather First?

Ask for the legal business name, any trading name, the applicable USDOT or operating-authority identifier, the booking contact and the party that will pay the invoice. Keep the load reference and the written offer with those details. The aim is to connect the company, the person and the specific movement.

If the offer uses one company’s logo, another company’s email and a third payer, ask for the relationship to be explained before treating the booking as ready. A name difference can have an explanation, but guessing that explanation is not verification.

Which Official Records Answer Which Question?

FMCSA’s Licensing & Insurance system provides public licensing and insurance information for authorized for-hire carriers, freight forwarders and property brokers. Use the relevant company record to inspect authority and financial-responsibility filings. Read the current status and any pending or cancellation information instead of relying on a screenshot sent by the other party.

Use SAFER’s Company Snapshot to compare identifying and contact details. A USDOT number alone is not proof that the company holds the broker authority relevant to your proposed transaction.

How Do You Verify The Person Offering The Load?

FMCSA’s fraud guidance recommends comparing phone numbers with SAFER and calling the listed company number when the incoming details differ. Ask the business to confirm the contact and the particular load. Do not use only the callback number printed on the same message you are trying to verify.

Record whom you reached, when, and what was confirmed. If the official record has no usable number, resolve the identity through other independently established company channels before accepting the work. A copied website or insurance certificate can also be misleading.

What Should Match In The Booking Packet?

Use the oversize booking checklist for the measurements, permit and access questions that follow identity verification.

What If Instructions Change After Booking?

Reconfirm an unexpected destination, payer or contact change through the already verified business channel. Preserve the previous instruction and the proposed change. Do not allow urgency to replace the identity check, particularly when someone tells you to use a different company name or conceal who is carrying the freight.

If a transaction looks fraudulent, stop the booking process and use the reporting channels in FMCSA’s guidance. Preserve the records. For an active delivery dispute, seek appropriate professional direction; holding the freight is not a substitute for resolving the problem lawfully.

Which Part Can RouteAll Help With?

After the business and assignment checks, RouteAll can help you review the issued permit and follow the roads it names. Keep relevant trip and expense records for your operational file. These records document work; they do not verify a broker’s authority, credit or promise of payment.

Resolve a suspicious booking before uploading the movement as if it were confirmed. For a verified assignment, read the multi-state packet checklist before briefing the driver and escorts.