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Carrier vetting by state

Freight Carrier Vetting in Tennessee

Tennessee is home to 22,595 FMCSA-registered motor carriers, the #30 most of any U.S. state. Before you tender a load to one, check its federal record — authority, insurance, safety, and fraud signals — and keep a dated vetting record.

22,595
Registered carriers in Tennessee
1.1% of all U.S. carriers
14,204
Authorized for-hire carriers
The ones that haul freight for pay
#30
National rank by carrier count
Of 50 states + DC

Where Tennessee carriers are based

The cities with the most registered carriers in Tennessee.

  • Memphis2,294
  • Nashville1,665
  • Knoxville1,024
  • Chattanooga756
  • Murfreesboro663
  • Antioch514

How to vet a Tennessee carrier before you book

  1. Confirm active operating authority

    A Tennessee carrier must hold active FMCSA authority for the freight it hauls. Watch for broker-only authority posing as a carrier — the classic double-brokering setup.

  2. Verify insurance on file

    Check that liability and (where relevant) cargo coverage are on file and meet the required minimums — not lapsed or below the requirement.

  3. Read the safety record

    Out-of-service rates versus the national average, crash history, and inspections tell you how the carrier actually operates — not just that it's registered.

  4. Screen for fraud signals

    A VoIP/burner phone, a mail-drop or residential address, or an identity reused across multiple carriers are classic ghost- and chameleon-carrier tells a single lookup misses.

Check a Tennessee carrier now

Free, no signup — enter any carrier’s MC or DOT number to see its full federal record and get a dated vetting record (PDF).

Just the number works — with or without the MC/DOT prefix, and spaces are fine. Tip: prefix an MC number with “MC” (e.g. MC123456) so it isn't read as a DOT number.

Demo:— click to see a sample result + PDF

Why vetting is a legal issue now

In Montgomery v. Caribe (U.S. Supreme Court, 2026), the Court held that freight brokers can be sued for negligently selecting a carrier — in Tennessee and nationwide. Documenting that you checked a carrier, and when, builds your defensible vetting record.

Related

Carrier counts are aggregate figures from the public FMCSA Motor Carrier Census, by the carrier’s physical-address state. CarrierClear is an independent service, not affiliated with or endorsed by FMCSA or the U.S. Department of Transportation. This page is general information, not legal advice, and not a certification of any carrier. Verify any specific carrier independently before doing business.