ltl common carrier: name the MC on the BOL.

when $750,000 applies

For-hire property carriers in interstate or foreign commerce operating vehicles of 10,001 lbs or more GVWR/GCWR, not transporting the hazardous materials listed in 49 CFR 387.9.

census mapping

There is no official “LTL” cargo-carried code. National LTL counts cannot be derived from a single cargo checkbox.

FMCSA cargo-carried codes used as hints

• code 1 — General freight

Released-value / cargo limits

LTL carriers often limit cargo liability by tariff (per pound). That limit is contractual. It is not the FMCSA BI&PD filing.

an LTL common carrier is the MC on the BOL, not the quote brand

An LTL common carrier is the motor carrier that will be on the bill of lading for a less-than-truckload move — not the 3PL or sales shop quoting the rate. Confirm Active property authority and the BMC filing on Licensing & Insurance before you treat the quote brand as the hauler. The legal name and docket on L&I are the hauler, not the logo on the PDF.

FMCSA has no cargo-carried code labeled LTL. National LTL counts cannot be derived from the census. Carriers who run terminals, hourly city drivers, and cross-docks still usually mark general freight. You infer LTL from how they handle freight: pickup and delivery, terminal transfer, PRO number, tariff, and released-value cargo.

If the only entity you can verify is a broker docket, you have not selected a hauler. Do not tender on the brand name.

desk sequence before you tender

Open the MC on the quote — or the MC the sales shop says will pick up — on MC number lookup. Confirm that docket joins to the USDOT you expect on DOT lookup. If they only gave a trade name, resolve it on carrier name search before you treat the quote as a carrier.

On Licensing & Insurance, read authority type and status, then the BMC-91 or BMC-91X (or surety). Pending cancellation before pickup is a stop. Verifreta is a second look before booking. SAFER and L&I stay the government sources of truth.

Identity match is the same as truckload: legal name or listed DBA, MC, and DOT on the rate con and the BOL. A terminal nickname is not the docket. See rate con carrier details for the name-block check.

• MC and legal name on the BOL — not only the quote brand.
• Active property authority and current BMC filing on L&I.
• Census telephone or office that will own the pickup.
• Tariff released-value versus invoice; declared value in writing if needed.

released value is not BMC-91

LTL carriers often limit cargo liability by tariff, commonly per pound. That limit is contractual. The $750,000 federal BI&PD filing is public liability. It does not restore a $200,000 pallet to full invoice value when the tariff released at $0.50 per pound.

For high-value freight, get a declared-value agreement in writing before pickup. Do not assume the quote includes full value. Read the rules circular the quote incorporates.

If you are the freight broker arranging the LTL move, your broker-carrier agreement and the BOL still have to name entities that exist on FMCSA. A trade name that is not a DBA on the census is a mismatch.

PRO numbers, terminals, and appointments

A PRO or tracking number is not authority. It is a handling number. Confirm the SCAC or carrier code maps to the MC you put on the load file.

Terminal networks miss appointments when the pickup is a truckload-style live-load with no dock schedule. Ask whether this is a true LTL pickup with a window, or a volume/spot quote pretending to be LTL.

Volume LTL and partials sit between LTL and truckload. Identity and cargo rules still apply. Do not skip the census callback because “it’s just a partial.”

what to keep in the file

Quote, tariff or rules circular reference, declared value if any, BOL showing the motor carrier, L&I screen, and the PRO. If a claim happens, that file is the due-diligence record.

This hub does not list LTL terminals by city. City directories publish later. Use a DOT lookup for the specific carrier, and the national cargo notes here for the insurance and tariff questions.

equipment and desk questions

• Which motor carrier — MC and legal name — will be on the bill of lading?
• Is cargo liability released-value, and at what per-pound rate?
• Is there a declared-value option, cost, and written confirmation?
• Pickup window versus live-load expectation at this shipper?
• Does the quote brand match a DBA on the FMCSA snapshot?
• Did you resolve this MC or DOT on a lookup and confirm L&I Active the day you tender?
• Who is the process for OS&D, and what is the claim window in the tariff?

quote from a brand, BOL from a different MC

Verify the MC on the BOL. If that docket is not Active for property, or is a broker-only grant, you do not have a motor carrier. Do not tender on the brand name.

pallet of electronics, tariff $0.50/lb, no declared value

The federal BI&PD floor can be fine and the cargo recovery still be a few hundred dollars. Get declared value or use a carrier whose contract covers invoice value. Write the choice in the file.

desk checklist

• Confirm the entity on the bill of lading is the motor carrier with authority — not a sales agent.
• Resolve that MC on MC number lookup or the USDOT on DOT lookup; if you only have a trade name, start on carrier name search.
• Read authority type, status, and BMC-91/91X on L&I the day you tender. Pending cancellation before pickup is a stop.
• Read the cargo liability tariff before you assume full invoice value is covered.
• For high-value freight, get a declared-value agreement in writing.

common mistakes

• Publishing an “LTL carrier count” from cargo-carried codes. That number would be invented.
• Treating a $750,000 BMC-91 as coverage for a $200,000 pallet.