desk tool · COI check
COI check for freight brokers.
A COI check is matching named insured, dates, and BI&PD limits on the certificate to the motor carrier on Licensing & Insurance — the PDF is not the FMCSA filing.
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A COI check for freight brokers is matching the certificate to the carrier already on FMCSA Licensing & Insurance (L&I). Under 49 CFR 387.5, insured and principal means the motor carrier named in the policy of insurance, surety bond, endorsement, or notice of cancellation. FMCSA's MCS-90 Q&A says that endorsement does not require the insurer to satisfy a judgment against anyone else. Then read BI&PD dollars against 49 CFR 387.9 Table 1: $750,000 for ordinary interstate for-hire property in a vehicle with GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more; $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 for the listed hazmat rows. Those figures are public liability. They are not cargo.
A pass/fail of the PDF is not that check. Named insured on the ACORD can look current while L&I already shows a cancellation, a different insurer, or a different legal person. Open L&I first. Then match the certificate to the carrier on file. Desk COI parsing compares named insured, limits, and policy dates against that lookup. It does not issue a policy and it does not replace L&I.
what this check is for
Brokers get COIs by email every day. Some are current. Some name the wrong insured. This page is the desk sequence for reading a certificate before you cover — and the path to upload one on Verifreta Desk for a structured compare.
Free tools handle the DOT/MC first look. COI upload against the carrier on file is on Desk (7-day free trial · then $49/mo).
desk sequence
- Look up the USDOT or MC. Match legal name to the rate con.
- Open Licensing & Insurance: Active property authority, required BMC-91 / 91X (or BMC-82), no cancellation effective before pickup.
- Read the COI: named insured, dates, BI&PD limits, producer, insurer.
- Sign in and upload the COI on Desk to catch name/limit/date mismatches early.
- If the PDF and the carrier on file disagree, fix the file or do not cover.
desk checklist
- Named insured matches the legal person on file (Inc vs LLC included).
- USDOT / MC on the certificate (if present) match the thread.
- Policy dates cover pickup through delivery.
- BI&PD limits meet the 49 CFR 387.9 row for this commodity — cargo asked separately when needed.
- Insurer and cancellation status checked on L&I the same day you cover — not only on the PDF.
worked desk: right limits, wrong insured
Email COI shows $1,000,000 BI&PD, dates that cover the week, producer stamp looks real. Named insured: River Bend Logistics Inc. Rate con: River Bend Logistics LLC, same DOT typed in the footer.
You do not have a name match. Inc and LLC are different legal persons. 387.5's insured is the motor carrier named in the policy, not a cousin LLC on the rate con. Do not cover on the PDF. Get a certificate that names the LLC on the docket, or stop.
common COI failures
- Named insured is a near-name, holding company, or dispatch service — not the motor carrier.
- Certificate expires before pickup.
- BI&PD treated as cargo coverage.
- Covering on the PDF without matching the carrier on L&I.
- Insurer on the COI does not match the carrier on file.
fail closed
- Named insured is not the motor carrier on the rate con.
- Required insurance filing missing or cancellation effective before pickup.
- COI expires before the load moves.
- Covering on COI alone.
why use Desk for COIs
Free tools handle the DOT/MC first look. Desk adds COI upload against the carrier on file, team history, and monitoring so the next dispatch is not another forwarded PDF. 7-day free trial · then $49/mo.
common questions
What is a COI check for freight brokers?
A COI check matches named insured, policy dates, and BI&PD limits on the certificate to the motor carrier already on Licensing & Insurance. The PDF is a claim. L&I is the FMCSA filing of record.
Does a certificate of insurance replace FMCSA L&I?
No. A COI is a producer snapshot. Pending cancellations, form type, and the insurer on the federal file live on Licensing & Insurance — usually BMC-91 or BMC-91X. If L&I and the PDF disagree, believe L&I.
Who is the named insured on a motor carrier COI?
The named insured must be the motor carrier you are dispatching — the same legal person as the L&I record and the rate confirmation, including Inc versus LLC. Under 49 CFR 387.5, insured and principal means the motor carrier named in the policy of insurance, surety bond, endorsement, or notice of cancellation.
What BI&PD limit does 49 CFR 387.9 require?
Table 1 to § 387.9 is public liability, not cargo. Ordinary interstate for-hire property in a vehicle with GVWR of 10,001 pounds or more is $750,000. Listed hazmat rows are $1,000,000 or $5,000,000. Read the table against this shipment.
Can I upload a COI on Verifreta without a Desk plan?
No. DOT lookup, MC lookup, and name search are free without an account. COI parsing against the carrier on file is a Desk feature ($49/mo after a 7-day trial). Sign in to upload.