Carrier vetting guide
Double-brokering red flags: how to spot them before you tender
Double-brokering is one of the fastest-growing forms of freight fraud — and the warning signs are usually sitting right in the carrier’s federal record. Here’s what to look for before you hand over a load.
Check a carrier now
MC or DOT number — free, no account. We break out common, contract, and broker authority and flag broker-only setups.
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.
What double-brokering actually is
You tender a load to what you think is a carrier. Instead of hauling it, they quietly re-broker it to a third party — pocketing the difference, or worse, handing your freight to someone you never vetted. When the load is stolen or the real hauler isn’t paid, the calls come back to you. It’s a top channel for cargo theft and identity fraud in freight.
The red flags
- Broker-only authority. The single clearest tell: active broker authority but no active carrier authority. They can legally re-broker your load but can't haul it themselves. CarrierClear shows a hard warning when it sees this.
- Mismatched contact info. The phone or email doesn't match the company on the FMCSA record, or the number is a VoIP/burner line. Fraudsters impersonate real carriers using throwaway contacts.
- Brand-new or recently reactivated authority. Freshly granted authority with no inspection or safety history deserves extra scrutiny before a high-value load.
- Pressure and odd payment terms. Urgency to book, reluctance to verify, or requests to change remittance details mid-deal are classic fraud signals.
How to check before you tender
Look up the carrier’s MC or DOT number and read the operating authority. Active common or contract authority means they’re authorized to haul for hire. Broker-only means confirm who is physically moving the freight before you commit. Then verify the contact details against the federal record — not the ones in the email that solicited you.
Keep a record
Every free lookup includes a dated vetting record (PDF)showing exactly what you checked and when. If you book the carrier again later, paid monitoring re-checks authority daily and flags a change — so a carrier whose authority lapses or flips to broker-only after you onboard them doesn’t slip past.
Common questions
- What is double-brokering?
- Double-brokering is when a party you tendered a load to re-brokers it to another carrier instead of hauling it themselves — often without your knowledge or consent. It's a leading vector for freight fraud and cargo theft, and it can leave you paying twice or holding the liability when a load goes missing.
- What's the biggest red flag for double-brokering?
- An entity that holds active BROKER authority but no active carrier (common or contract) authority. That means they're legally allowed to broker your load to someone else, but aren't authorized to haul it themselves. CarrierClear flags this 'broker-only authority' situation directly on the carrier's record.
- How do I check if a carrier can actually haul the load?
- Look up their MC or DOT number and check operating authority. Active common or contract authority means they're authorized to carry freight for hire. If only broker authority is active, confirm exactly who will physically move the load before you tender.
- Can FMCSA data prevent double-brokering?
- No tool can prevent it outright — but checking authority, confirming the carrier's identity and contact details, and keeping a dated record of what you verified makes you far harder to defraud and gives you a defensible record if something goes wrong.
CarrierClear displays public FMCSA records and records your own verification. It is not legal advice and not a certification of any carrier’s fitness, legitimacy, or insurance. Verify independently before relying on any record.