Step 1: Verify active operating authority
Enter the carrier's DOT number or MC number into Truck Graph's DOT Lookup tool. Of the 695,586 carriers in Truck Graph's database, 695,586 hold active FMCSA operating authority. Confirm: authority status shows 'Active' (not 'Inactive' or 'Revoked'), the MC number matches what the carrier provided, and the legal name matches their communications. If any of these don't align, the credentials may be stolen — a growing problem in the freight industry.
Step 2: Confirm current insurance coverage
Truck Graph tracks 967,983 active insurance filings (BMC-91 and BMC-91X). Verify: the filing is 'Active' with a date within the last 12 months, coverage meets minimum requirements ($750,000 for general freight, $1,000,000 for household goods, $5,000,000 for hazmat), and the filing hasn't been recently cancelled. A carrier with insurance filed in the last 7 days may indicate a reinstatement after a lapse — a risk signal worth investigating further.
Step 3: Review safety record and OOS rates
Truck Graph's database contains 5,250,000 roadside inspections. Check the carrier's out-of-service rate against national averages: the vehicle OOS rate across all inspections in our database is 14.5%, and the driver OOS rate is 5.5%. Carriers significantly above these averages have systemic maintenance or compliance issues. Also check: total inspections in the past 24 months (carriers with zero inspections despite claiming active operations are suspicious) and any carrier-level out-of-service orders.
Step 4: Check authority age and risk indicators
34,673 carriers received new authority in the past 90 days alone. Carriers with authority less than 90 days old are in the highest-risk category. Use Truck Graph's Risk Check tool to screen for chameleon carrier signals: address reuse from revoked entities, officer overlap, and temporal proximity to the 650,000 revocations in our database. A new authority at the same address as a recently revoked carrier is a strong risk indicator.
Step 5: Document your vetting for liability protection
Brokers have a legal duty to select safe carriers. Document each verification step: screenshot the Truck Graph results showing authority status, insurance verification, OOS rate comparison, and risk screening. This documentation is your primary legal defense if a carrier causes an incident. With 63,000 out-of-service orders in the FMCSA database, the risk of selecting an unsafe carrier without proper vetting is measurable and significant.
Source: FMCSA compliance records. 695,586 carriers, 5,250,000 inspections, 967,983 insurance filings analyzed. View methodology
External references: FMCSA SAFER System · FMCSA: Protect Your Move
Frequently asked questions
How long does carrier verification take?
Basic verification using Truck Graph's DOT Lookup and Risk Check tools takes 3-5 minutes. The data covers 695,586 carriers with real-time authority, insurance, and safety records synced from FMCSA every 4 hours.
Should I re-verify carriers I've used before?
Yes. Authority status, insurance, and safety records change constantly. Truck Graph tracks 967,983 insurance filings — any of which can be cancelled at any time. Re-verify at minimum every 90 days or before every load tender to carriers not used recently.
What if a carrier has no inspections on record?
Of 695,586 carriers indexed, many small operators have limited inspection history. No inspections doesn't automatically mean fraud, but combined with new authority and other flags, it warrants extra scrutiny.
What are the biggest red flags?
Authority less than 90 days old, insurance filed within 7 days, physical address matching a revoked carrier (from 650,000 revocations on file), zero inspections despite active operations, and MC number discrepancies between what was provided and what FMCSA shows.
Is Truck Graph data sufficient for carrier vetting?
Truck Graph provides comprehensive FMCSA data: 695,586 carrier profiles, 5,250,000 inspections, 967,983 insurance filings, and 650,000 revocations. For high-value or sensitive freight, supplement with direct reference checks and facility verification.