To check a freight broker before you book, look up its MC or USDOT number on the FMCSA website, confirm its broker authority is active and its $75,000 bond or trust is on file, then check its credit and call the phone number FMCSA lists. Finally, make sure the email and rate confirmation match the same company.
It takes a few minutes per broker, and it is one of the most important habits a dispatcher can build. Here is how to do each check and what to look for.
Key takeaways
- Check every new broker before the truck moves, and re-check familiar ones when anything looks different.
- Look the broker up by MC number on the FMCSA website and confirm broker authority is active, not just carrier authority.
- Confirm the bond or trust (BMC-84 or BMC-85) shows on the FMCSA record.
- Call the phone number on file with FMCSA, not the number in the email, to confirm the person and the load are real.
- If any check fails, walk away. There is always another load.
Why should a dispatcher check every broker?
A dispatcher should check every broker because the carrier carries the risk if the broker does not pay or is not who it claims to be. You work for the carrier, so protecting its trucks, its freight and its money is part of the job.
Most brokers are real businesses that pay their carriers. But freight fraud exists, and some of it starts with someone pretending to be a broker or using a real broker’s name. A short check before every new booking catches most problems before they cost anything. If you are still learning how brokers fit into the picture, our guide to truck dispatchers vs freight brokers explains who does what.
How do you look up a broker on the FMCSA website?
You look up a broker on the FMCSA website by searching its MC or USDOT number, then reading its authority, bond and contact details. Use the number the broker gave you, and get it in writing.
- Search the number. Enter the broker’s MC or USDOT number in FMCSA’s SAFER Company Snapshot.
- Check the company type. The record should show the company as a broker. Some companies hold only carrier authority, which is not the same thing.
- Check the authority status. In FMCSA’s Licensing and Insurance system, broker authority should show as active.
- Check the bond or trust. Brokers must keep a $75,000 surety bond (BMC-84) or trust fund (BMC-85). It should show on the record.
- Compare the details. The legal name, address and phone number should match the company you are talking to.
FMCSA’s websites and rules can change, so if a page looks different, use the search on the FMCSA site to find the current lookup.
What should a broker check include?
A full broker check covers six things: authority, bond, credit, phone, email and the rate confirmation. Our free Broker Check tool lists all six so you can tick them off for every new broker.
| Check | Where to look | Good sign | Red flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authority | FMCSA SAFER and Licensing and Insurance | Broker authority shows as active | No broker authority, or it is inactive or revoked |
| Bond or trust | FMCSA Licensing and Insurance | A BMC-84 bond or BMC-85 trust is on file | No bond or trust listed, or a cancellation notice |
| Credit and days to pay | Your load board’s credit tool or your carrier’s factoring company | A credit rating and payment history you are comfortable with | Poor or missing credit, or a factoring company that will not approve the broker |
| Phone | The number on the FMCSA record | The office confirms the agent and the load | The office has never heard of the agent or the load |
| The address on every message | It uses the broker’s own company domain | A free email address or a domain with a small spelling change | |
| Rate confirmation | The document the broker sends | Name, MC number and terms match what you agreed | A different company name or MC number, or terms that changed |
For a line-by-line guide to the last check, read what is a rate confirmation.
A worked example
You find a load with a strong rate and call the number on the load post. The person says they work for a well-known broker and gives you an MC number. You look it up: the broker is real, its authority is active and its bond is on file.
Then you notice the rate confirmation came from a free email address, not the broker’s company domain. You call the phone number listed on the FMCSA record and ask for the agent by name. The office tells you no one by that name works there.
The broker was real, but the person was not. Someone was using a real broker’s name and MC number. You pass on the load, tell the real broker what happened, and move on. The authority check alone would not have caught this. The phone and email checks did.
What are the warning signs of a bad broker?
The warning signs of a bad broker are pressure, mismatched details and offers that look too good. Slow down and run every check if you see any of these:
- A rate far above everything else for the same lane, with pressure to book right now.
- A request to skip your carrier packet or start loading before paperwork is signed.
- Contact details, pickup addresses or the company name changing after you book.
- Payment offered in an unusual way, or a request for the carrier’s bank or login details.
- Vague answers when you ask for the agent’s full name and a callback through the main office.
Practice spotting these with our free Spot the Scam game. It shows you five load posts, and you decide which ones are real before you book.
This is general information, not legal advice. If you suspect fraud, you can report it to FMCSA and ask a transportation attorney about your options.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a broker check take?
Once you know where to look, the six checks take about five minutes. That is small next to the cost of an unpaid or stolen load.
Should I check a broker I have worked with before?
Yes, at least a quick check. Authority can change, and scammers sometimes pose as brokers a carrier already trusts, so confirm the email and phone match what you have on file.
Can a company have both carrier and broker authority?
Yes, some companies hold both. What matters is that the record shows active broker authority and a bond or trust if the company is brokering your load.
What if the broker’s credit looks weak but everything else checks out?
Talk to the carrier before you book. Some carriers will pass, and others may ask their factoring company whether it will buy the invoice.
Learn to work with brokers safely
Dispatcher 101 covers who brokers are in the Parties Involved section and how to book a load in Booking Your First Load. Students on both plans can ask Joe Piazza about a broker that worries them through 1-on-1 mentorship, and the Gold plan adds the agreements, scripts and templates, 12 months of load board access and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
