Draylo blog
Carrier vetting, fraud & broker liability
Plain-English guides for freight brokers on how to check carriers, spot double-brokering, and keep a defensible record — from the team building carrier-vetting software.
We Built AI Risk Analysis for Carrier Email. Our First Version Flagged a Normal Booking Message.
An AI risk check that fires on ordinary carrier email is worse than none at all. What broke, why the fix was about teaching the model to stay silent, and what we measured.
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Live data
How many freight brokers are there in the US? (live monthly count)
The current number of active broker authorities, recomputed on the 2nd of every month from the full FMCSA census file — with new-entrant and departure trends as frames accumulate.
Updates monthly · citable
How many trucking companies are there in the US? (live monthly count)
Every registered motor carrier in the federal census, updated monthly — including the carrier-broker hybrid count at the center of double-brokering risk, published nowhere else.
Updates monthly · citable
Data reportsAug 1, 2026Why Carrier Impersonation Works: Nobody Is Watching the Records You Verify Against
Half of freight fraud now starts with communication-based attacks. We measured the federal contact layer brokers verify against: 72.5% webmail, one in eight filings two-plus years stale, and 21,093 aged carriers whose records nobody is watching.
Data reportsJul 30, 20261 in 27 Active Carriers Is Under a Revocation Notice Right Now. Almost Nobody Checks.
We counted every carrier in the July 2026 federal authority file: 13,905 of 379,783 with active operating authority carry a pending revocation flag — invisible in the safety snapshot most brokers pull. Here's what the flag means, what it doesn't, and the question about it nobody has answered.
Broker liabilityJul 29, 2026C.H. Robinson Did the Vetting. The Jury Awarded $604 Million Anyway.
A Dallas County jury returned a $604 million verdict against C.H. Robinson over a carrier it had vetted — Satisfactory rating, nearly 270 prior loads. What happened, and what a small brokerage can realistically document.
- Vetting how-toJul 29, 2026
Your Carrier's Safety Score Is a Month Behind. The Inspection Isn't.
FMCSA posts most roadside inspections to the federal record the same day, but a carrier's safety score only recalculates monthly — so an out-of-service order can sit there invisible.
Broker liabilityJul 25, 2026Freight Broker E&O Renewal: How Documented Carrier Vetting Changes the Conversation
What E&O and contingent-cargo underwriters weigh at renewal, why carrier-selection documentation is the factor you control, and what to assemble before the questionnaire lands.
Vetting how-toJul 25, 2026How to Put an Existing Carrier Book on the Record (Step-by-Step)
A screenshot walkthrough for a brokerage that already has a carrier book: import the list, re-vet it against live federal data, walk the carriers with nothing on file, and attach the COIs and W-9s you already hold.
Vetting how-toJul 23, 2026How to Onboard a Carrier as a New Freight Broker (Packet, E-Sign, Paper Trail)
You vetted the carrier — now make it official. A plain-English walkthrough of carrier onboarding: what goes in the packet, how the broker-carrier agreement gets signed, and how the whole file lands on the record.
Vetting how-toJul 19, 2026How to Read a COI (Certificate of Insurance) as a Freight Broker — Field by Field
A plain-English walkthrough of reading a carrier's certificate of insurance: the named insured, coverage types and limits, dates, and fine print — and why the certificate alone is never proof of coverage.
Vetting how-toJul 19, 2026Your Carrier Book Has Rot In It — Here's How to Find It Fast
Carriers you cleared months ago go bad quietly — authority revoked, insurance lapsed, an out-of-service order. Import your book and see the whole thing against live federal data in minutes.
Vetting how-toJul 18, 2026What Draylo Actually Does When You Turn On a Defense Layer
Defense-in-depth in Draylo isn't a manual checklist — it's layers you switch on per load, and the app runs them for you. Here's exactly what each layer does when activated.
Vetting how-toJul 18, 2026Is FMCSA Down? What to Do When SAFER or QCMobile Isn't Working
FMCSA's SAFER and QCMobile go down without warning and have no official status page. How to tell if it's really down, and how to keep vetting carriers when it is.
Vetting how-toJul 18, 2026How to Vet Your First Carrier as a New Freight Broker (Step by Step)
Brand-new to freight brokering? A plain-English, step-by-step walkthrough of vetting your first carrier — the exact checks, what each result means, and how to do it fast.
Vetting how-toJul 17, 2026Carrier Vetting Tools Compared: Prices, Tiers, and Which Fits a Small Brokerage
A buyer's guide to carrier vetting tools with real pricing — Truckstop RMIS, MyCarrierPortal, Highway, Carrier Assure, SaferWatch, and Draylo — and who each one is built for.
Vetting how-toJul 17, 2026The Carrier Vetting Process: A Freight Broker's End-to-End Map
What the carrier vetting process actually is: a five-phase lifecycle — identify, verify, assess, document, monitor — that runs every load, not a one-time check.
Vetting how-toJul 17, 2026What Is Carrier Vetting? A Freight Broker's Definition (and Why It Matters in 2026)
Carrier vetting is how a freight broker verifies a carrier's identity, authority, insurance, and safety before tendering a load. Here's what it is and why it matters.
Broker liabilityJul 17, 2026Will Your Carrier Vetting Record Hold Up in Court? The Evidentiary Standard
Having a vetting file isn't the same as having admissible evidence. How FRE 803(6), Palmer v. Hoffman, and spoliation decide whether your record reaches the jury.
Carrier fraudJul 17, 2026Anatomy of a Double-Brokering Attempt: How a "Clean" Carrier Steals a Load
A modern double-brokering scam passes the obvious checks — active authority, a real MC, a professional packet. Here's how the attack actually works, step by step, and the checks that catch it.
Broker liabilityJul 17, 2026You Hold the Liability, So You Should Hold the Controls: The Case for Broker-Chosen Vetting
After Montgomery, the broker owns the liability for carrier selection — which is exactly why vetting depth should be the broker's call, not a platform mandate. A risk-based framework.
Vetting how-toJul 15, 2026Why Carriers and Factoring Companies Avoid New Freight Brokers (and How to Survive Your First 90 Days)
A new MC number makes carriers and factoring companies treat you as a credit and fraud risk. Why your authority age is the first thing everyone checks, and how a new freight broker builds trust fast.
Vetting how-toJul 14, 2026FMCSA Says Active, Your Vetting Tool Says Inactive? The Motus Transition, Explained
FMCSA's new Motus registration system is producing conflicting carrier statuses — authority and insurance filings that disagree between federal surfaces. What's happening, and how to vet without wrongly rejecting good carriers.
Vetting how-toJul 13, 2026How to Check if a Carrier's Insurance Is About to Lapse (the COI Date Isn't Proof)
A COI shows coverage as of its issue date — policies get cancelled mid-term with no new certificate. How to check a carrier's real insurance status against FMCSA filings, and catch a lapse before it bites.
Broker liabilityJul 12, 2026What the Montgomery Ruling Means for Small Freight Brokers
Montgomery means even a one-person brokerage can be sued over carrier selection. What a small shop should actually change this week — no legal department required.
Vetting how-toJul 12, 2026New Freight Broker Carrier Vetting Checklist: Your First Loads, Step by Step
The ordered carrier vetting checklist for a new freight broker: FMCSA authority, out-of-service, authority age, insurance, W-9, contact verification, documentation, re-checks.
Vetting how-toJul 12, 2026FMCSA Carrier Verification: What to Check Before You Tender a Load
A field-by-field read of the FMCSA carrier record — authority status, allowed to operate, out-of-service, insurance on file — what disqualifies, and how often to re-verify.
Vetting how-toJul 10, 2026How to Check if a Trucking Carrier Is Legit (and Not Double-Brokering)
A step-by-step way to verify a trucking carrier before you tender a load — FMCSA authority, insurance, and identity checks that catch double-brokering and fraud.
Broker liabilityJul 10, 2026Broker Liability After Montgomery: What "Ordinary Care" Now Requires
The Supreme Court's Montgomery decision let freight brokers be sued for negligently selecting a carrier. Here's what the ruling actually says — and what a defensible vetting process looks like.
Carrier fraudJul 10, 2026Cargo Theft and Carrier Fraud in 2025: What the Data Shows
Cargo-theft losses hit an estimated $725 million in 2025 — up 60% — even as incident counts stayed flat. Here's what changed, and how the fraud actually works.
Vetting how-toJul 10, 2026What a Defensible Carrier File Looks Like: A Broker Vetting Checklist
After Montgomery, your carrier decision can become a courtroom exhibit. Here's what a documented, defensible vetting file should contain — and why timing matters.