Before you haul: a 7-minute broker check

Fake brokers and double brokering cost carriers real money. Run these checks before you move a load.

General information, not legal advice. Rules and tools change. Use official FMCSA pages.

1. Check 1 Get the full legal name, MC number and DOT number. A first name and a company nickname are not enough.
2. Check 2 Look them up on FMCSA's public records. Confirm the authority is active. For a broker, confirm broker authority and that financial security (a bond or trust) is on file.
3. Check 3 Check how new the authority is. A very new authority is not automatically bad, but take extra care.
4. Check 4 Match the details. The name, address and phone number on the load post and rate confirmation should match the FMCSA record.
5. Check 5 Call back on the number FMCSA lists. Do not rely on a number that came in an email or text.
6. Check 6 Check the email address. Does the domain match the company's real website? Watch for look-alike spellings.
7. Check 7 Read the rate confirmation before you move. Company name, MC number, pickup and delivery details, rate and payment terms must match what you agreed. Get it in writing.
8. Check 8 Ask about payment. How many days to pay? Is quick pay offered, and at what cost? Pressure to move before the paperwork is signed is a red flag.
9. Check 9 Watch for double brokering. Red flags: the company on the rate confirmation is not the company you spoke with; contact names at pickup or delivery keep changing; the load is posted again under another name.
10. Check 10 Never pay to see a load, and never share your bank login.
11. Check 11 Ask other carriers or your factoring company about the broker's payment history.

Want a second pair of eyes on a broker before you book? Call us at (470) 285-9946.