Carrier check — verify any DOT or MC number
Brokers lose money two ways with new carriers: tendering to one who can't legally haul, and tendering to one who's been double-brokered onto. Carrier Check returns verified authority, current insurance, observed equipment, and fraud signals in one card so you can rule out both in under a minute, with no per-search fee.
Quick Answer
Type a DOT or MC number into the search box on the homepage. We return operating-authority status, current insurance, equipment footprint, recent inspection activity, and any fraud signals — joined into one card and refreshed daily.
What we check on every carrier
Every Carrier Check pulls four signals in parallel. None of them depend on the carrier filling out a form — they come from public-domain carrier filings and our own inspection-driven inference.
| Signal | What it tells you | How we derive it |
|---|---|---|
| Operating authority | Whether the carrier is authorized to haul today | Public registry, refreshed daily |
| Insurance status | Active vs lapsed liability and cargo coverage | Latest insurance filings on record |
| Equipment footprint | Power units + trailers actually observed on the road | Roadside inspections, VIN-decoded |
| Fraud signals | Double-broker risk, dormancy, identity-flip patterns | Internal rules engine |
Why fraud signals matter
How to run a check
There are two ways to verify a carrier with Carrier Check.
| Method | When to use it | Latency |
|---|---|---|
| Single-carrier lookup | You have one DOT/MC to verify before a tender | <1 second |
| Lane-driven leads | You want a ranked list of carriers running a specific lane | <2 seconds |
Where the data comes from
Every field on Carrier Check traces back to a primary source. We don't aggregate from other broker tools or rely on carrier self-reporting. Specific source provenance is available to customers and regulators on request.
Verified by default
How this compares to other tools
Most broker carrier-check tools either charge per query (CarrierWatch, MyCarrierPackets) or ship a thin re-skin of a free public lookup. Carrier Check is built for brokers who need to run dozens of checks a day without burning $5 each.
Free for the first 100 lookups/day
Pro Tips
- Always check authority status, not just MC presence. A carrier with an MC number can still be revoked or out-of-service. Authority status is the gate, not MC existence.
- Verify insurance the same day you tender. Insurance can lapse between booking and pickup. The most recent cancellation date on the carrier's filings is the field to watch.
- Match equipment to load type. A carrier authorized to haul general freight may not have a single reefer in their fleet. Use the equipment footprint, not just the cargo-classification field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carrier Check free?
The single-carrier lookup is free for the first 100 lookups per day. Heavy users (brokerages running hundreds of checks daily) can talk to us about bulk pricing.
How fresh is the data?
Operating authority and insurance fields refresh daily from authoritative public filings. Inspection-driven fields (equipment, lane footprint) update within an hour of a new roadside inspection posting.
Can Carrier Check detect double-broker fraud?
Yes — our rules engine watches for the precursors of double-broker fraud (dormant carriers reactivating, identity flips, address mismatches, freshly-issued MCs claiming established carrier names). Public carrier records won't flag these directly.
Do I need to create an account?
No, single-carrier lookups work without an account. Lane-driven leads and saved searches require a free account.
Where does the equipment information come from?
We VIN-decode every power unit and trailer that appears on a roadside inspection. The footprint on each carrier page is the union of equipment observed in the last 12 months.
Verify your next carrier
Search by DOT, MC, or carrier name. Under a second to the answer.