guides
broker guides & checklists.
Cited desk checklists: one topic per guide.
how to use these
Each guide is one desk problem: authority, identity, insurance filings, a commodity, or a fraud pattern. Read the sections, run the checklist against the load in front of you, put the listed items in the load file, and stop when a fail-closed line is true. The snapshot from DOT lookup does not replace the guide.
Start with how to verify carrier authority if you are building a habit. Use MC versus DOT when the inbox mixes identifiers. Use identity verification when the phone and the legal name do not obviously match. Commodity guides (hazmat, reefer, flatbed) sit on top of that baseline — they do not skip it.
How to verify carrier authority: L&I Active, then SAFER
How to verify carrier authority: open FMCSA Licensing & Insurance. Active means registered plus required insurance; Inactive means for-hire interstate operations are illegal. Then match SAFER identity. A green snapshot is not the grant.
Reading FMCSA insurance filings
What BOC-3, BMC-91, and policy limits mean on a carrier record.
Double brokering red flags: three facts, then 371
Double brokering red flags are three facts, not one rumor. 49 CFR 371.2: a motor carrier who accepted and legally bound themselves to haul is not a broker. 371.7: a broker shall not represent its operations as a carrier. Write which fact you have, then L&I and the census callback.
FMCSA safety ratings explained: 385.3 words, not a BASIC
FMCSA safety ratings explained: 49 CFR 385.3 (eCFR, fetched 2026-11-10) defines Satisfactory, Conditional, Unsatisfactory, and Unrated after a compliance review. SMS percentiles are not a rating. Unsatisfactory is a 385.13 operating stop — write the 385 word, then the date.
Vetting new-authority carriers
Carrier vetting checklist for new-authority motor carriers under 12 months: authority age, insurance filing timing, phone and address cross-checks, and free verification tools.
Reinstate DOT authority after insurance lapse
Reinstate DOT authority after insurance lapse: brokers re-check L&I, not the $80 MCSA-5889. Confirm Active authority, new BMC-91, same named insured.
MC number vs DOT number: census identity, then the docket
MC number vs DOT number: a USDOT is census identity; an MC is a Part 365 docket. FMCSA says for-hire interstate carriage needs both. Prefix the digits, join MC to USDOT, then read L&I — a green SAFER snapshot is not Active authority.
How to verify a certificate of insurance: L&I first, then the PDF
How to verify a certificate of insurance: open FMCSA Licensing & Insurance for the BMC-91. 49 CFR 387.5 (eCFR, fetched 2026-11-14) says insured and principal is the motor carrier named in the policy. 387.15 says the MCS-90 is issued in that exact name. The emailed ACORD is not the filing.
Carrier identity verification checklist: match the census, then call SAFER
Carrier identity verification for freight brokers is matching the person on the thread to one FMCSA census record — legal name, USDOT, and MC. If the number they gave you is not posted in SAFER, call the SAFER number. FMCSA’s registrant identity-proofing (IDEMIA in URS) is a different job.
Shared phone number carrier red flags: call the SAFER line
Shared phone number carrier red flags are a match problem, not automatic fraud. FMCSA’s fraud page says if the number you were given does not match SAFER, call the number posted in SAFER. 49 CFR 386.73(c)(7) lists a shared telephone as one reincarnation-continuity factor. Confirm the legal name that answers.
Address change monitoring: two MCS-150 snapshots, then L&I
Address change monitoring for freight brokers is comparing the MCS-150 physical and mailing address you stored at approval to a fresh census pull. 49 CFR 390.19T is the carrier’s biennial identification report — FMCSA does not email you when they move. Then open L&I: BOC-3 is not the yard.
Hazmat carrier requirements for brokers: L&I, then 387.9
Hazmat carrier requirements for brokers are the carrier’s filings, not a broker PHMSA badge. PHMSA 22-0122: a property broker that only arranges loads does not register under Part 107 Subpart G. Confirm Active authority on L&I, the 387.9 BI&PD row for this UN number, PHMSA when it applies to the carrier, and an HMSP when 385.403 applies.
Reefer carrier vetting: L&I first, then the box
Reefer carrier vetting for freight brokers starts on L&I: Active property authority and BMC-91. MCS-150 codes J (fresh produce), R (meat), and W (refrigerated food) are census hints, not a trailer. 49 CFR 387.9 is BI&PD, not spoilage — match cargo and the reefer-breakdown endorsement to this load.
Flatbed securement and capability checks
Questions to ask flatbed carriers about equipment and experience.
Owner-operator vs fleet carrier records: power units, not a label
Owner-operator vs fleet carrier records are census fields, not an FMCSA category. FMCSA’s § 382.107 Q&A (fetched 2026-11-09) neither defines owner-operator nor uses it in regulation. The MCMIS glossary (fetched 2026-11-09) defines fleet size as total power units. Read power units and drivers on SAFER, then ask whose truck will pick up.
Broker-carrier agreement basics: L&I first, then the packet
Broker-carrier agreement basics: a signed packet allocates risk. It does not make an unauthorized carrier authorized. Open L&I first. 49 CFR 371.115 is a household-goods estimate rule, not a general-freight onboarding substitute.
Cargo insurance limits: 387.9 is BI&PD, then the commercial policy
Cargo insurance limits for freight brokers: 49 CFR 387.9 is public liability, not cargo. FMCSA requires cargo insurance only for household-goods carriers and HHG freight forwarders. For ordinary property, match the commercial cargo limit to this load’s value after exclusions.
Authority revocation warning signs
Spot motor carrier authority revocation warning signs: insurance cancellations, rejected BOC-3 filings, and interstate authority pending revocation on L&I.
Chameleon carrier detection
Linking shut-down carriers to new DOT registrations through shared details.
NOA factoring: notice of assignment for brokers
NOA factoring is a notice of assignment. Match the NOA carrier name to FMCSA, then pay the factor. Call the factor from their website, not the PDF.
Dispatch service red flags
A dispatcher can book for a carrier. Your rate con, vetting, and payment stay on the motor carrier. Red flags, the census-phone callback, and what to file.
How to read carrier inspection history: 24 months of events, not a 385 rating
How to read carrier inspection history: FMCSA SMS uses 24 months of roadside inspections and crashes (Company Safety Records + SMS glossary, fetched 2026-11-08). An inspection is an event; a 49 CFR 385 rating is a fitness determination. Write last inspection date, last OOS date, power units, and the official rating as four fields.
Interstate vs intrastate authority: write the lane, then L&I
Interstate vs intrastate authority: interstate is the FMCSA for-hire grant (an MC, MX, or FF). Intrastate is a state grant for work that stays inside one state and is not a through interstate movement. 49 CFR 390.5 still counts a same-state hop as interstate if the freight originated or will terminate outside the state. Confirm the line on Licensing & Insurance.
Broker liability basics for carrier selection
Due diligence standards and documentation habits that hold up under scrutiny.
Rate con carrier detail verification
Cross-checking MC, DOT, and company name on every rate confirmation.
After-hours carrier approval workflow
A trimmed checklist when the load boards close but freight still moves.
Monitoring approved carriers post-onboarding
Setting alerts for insurance, authority, and contact changes.
Using broker community flags without treating them as FMCSA
Peer flags are prompts. Open L&I and the census record, call the census phone, and write the federal fact (not the rumor) in the load file.
How to document a denied carrier so the next desk can replay it
Write the system, field, and date. Keep the L&I or SAFER screen. Re-check if they return. Do not publish the list as an FMCSA finding.
Seasonal carrier checks: idle is not approved
Unused 30 days or more: pull L&I and a fresh census snapshot before cover. Peak season does not skip identity, cargo endorsements, or an MC swap at pickup.
SAFER vs FMCSA census data: snapshot, then L&I
SAFER vs FMCSA census data: SAFER is a daily one-carrier snapshot of the MCS-150. The bulk census file lags 24 hours. Authority and BMC filings stay on L&I.
what a guide is not
These are not interpretations you can file. They are not cargo insurance. They are not a score. Use them with the load in front of you and a callback to the census telephone.