For freight brokers
Carrier vetting starts with evidence.
Look up a carrier, check the details, and decide what needs a closer look before you approve it.
VerifyCarrier brings FMCSA records into a readable workflow. Your team makes the approval decision.
Use the vetting checklistCheck a carrier
Search by DOT number, MC number or company name. No account needed for this lookup.
01 / Find the record
Start with the carrier’s DOT or MC number and confirm its identity.
02 / Review the evidence
Read status fields separately and follow up on unknowns.
03 / Keep your decision
With early access, save private decisions and compare later evidence.
A repeatable review
A practical carrier-vetting checklist
Use these steps to organize your review alongside your brokerage’s policies. The checklist supports a decision; it does not certify a carrier or replace independent verification.
- 01
Match the carrier’s identity
Compare the legal name, DOT number, MC number and address with the carrier you intend to use. A matching number identifies a record; it does not establish who is contacting you.
- 02
Check registration and operating authority separately
Read the registration status, authority fields and out-of-service information individually. A DOT number and operating authority are different things. Missing information is a reason to investigate.
- 03
Confirm insurance for the load
Review available FMCSA filings and confirm the policy, limits and relevant coverage with the insurer or agent. A public filing is not a complete assessment of coverage for your shipment.
- 04
Read safety information in context
Review the available safety rating, inspections and crash information. An unrated carrier or missing BASIC data does not establish that a carrier is safe or unsafe.
- 05
Investigate contact changes and shared details
Early-access reviews show exact shared phone and full-address matches in public census records. Shared offices and related businesses can have legitimate explanations; a match is a prompt for follow-up.
- 06
Record the decision and revisit it
Document what you checked and what remains unresolved. Early-access users can save approved, needs-review or rejected decisions with evidence snapshots and compare later reviews.
What the public lookup tells you
The public profile displays available registration, authority, safety and fleet information. Source coverage varies. When information is missing, check the underlying FMCSA record instead of treating the absence as a positive signal.
Understand the SAFER lookupWhat saved reviews add
Approved early-access accounts can save private notes and decisions, inspect shared-contact signals, and compare the current evidence with the latest saved review. Other customers cannot see your decisions.
See how carrier monitoring worksKeep checking after onboarding
A saved approval reflects what you knew at the time. Build a watchlist and revisit the evidence when records change. Monitoring is available to approved early-access accounts.
Explore monitoring and request accessSources and further reading
FMCSA explains the USDOT identifier and the separate role of operating authority. Check the official Company Snapshot when verifying a carrier.