Carrier vetting checklist

1. ✓

   1. Confirm FMCSA operating authority & status

   Active authority for this freight type; legal name and address match who you think you're dealing with. Broker-only authority presenting as a carrier = stop.

2. ✓

   2. Confirm no out-of-service order

   "Allowed to operate" is Yes and no OOS date. Tendering to an out-of-service carrier is indefensible at any rate.

3. ✓

   3. Weigh the age of the authority

   New isn't disqualifying — but a very young authority earns extra scrutiny on identity, contact, and insurance. Set your threshold; apply it every time.

4. ✓

   4. Verify insurance — both layers

   Layer 1: COI limits and dates against your minimums. Layer 2: the federal filing — a COI only proves coverage as of its issue date; cancellations must be filed with FMCSA.

5. ✓

   5. Match the W-9 to the registered identity

   The name you'd pay, the authority on record, and the rate confirmation should be the same entity. A mismatch is the classic double-brokering tell.

6. ✓

   6. Verify the contact out-of-band

   Don't confirm through the number or email on the load offer — that's what an impostor controls. Call the contact on the FMCSA registration.

7. ✓

   7. Document the decision, the day you make it

   What you checked, what you decided, and why — dated at decision time. After Montgomery, a contemporaneous note is an exhibit; a memory is not.

8. ✓

   8. Set up re-checks

   Carriers go bad after you clear them. Re-verify before tendering to anyone you haven't used recently; monitor active carriers for changes.

From the New Broker’s Playbook at draylo.us — the free carrier check at draylo.us/tools/fmcsa-check covers steps 1–4 in one pass. Not legal advice.