1. Pre-Booking Due Diligence Protocol
Before entrusting valuable freight, vehicles, or equipment to a motor carrier, conducting formal verification against official FMCSA records is an essential risk mitigation practice.
Verifying a carrier helps prevent identity theft, unauthorized double-brokering, and uninsured loss events.
2. The 5-Step Diligence Checklist
Follow this structured procedure for every new carrier onboarding:
- 1. Identity Verification: Cross-check the legal name, DBA, and physical address on the rate confirmation against FMCSA records.
- 2. Active Authority: Confirm active Common or Contract operating authority on the Licensing & Insurance database.
- 3. Insurance Filings: Verify Form BMC-91X public liability insurance ($750K to $1M+ minimum) with active policy numbers.
- 4. Safety & OOS: Check that vehicle and driver out-of-service rates do not severely exceed national averages.
- 5. Contact Matching: Always confirm contact details (phone and email) with official registry listings to guard against stolen identities.