How to Vet a Freight Carrier: FMCSA, CSA & Insurance
Insurance certificates, CSA scores, and safety ratings — what to check and what the numbers mean.
To vet a freight carrier, check four things before the truck is dispatched: that its FMCSA operating authority is active, that its insurance is current and the limits cover your load, that its CSA safety scores show no category above the intervention threshold, and that its FMCSA safety rating is not unsatisfactory. Each one is a public record, and each takes a few minutes.
Your load is only as safe as the carrier hauling it. Before a truck shows up at your dock, someone needs to confirm that the company behind it is legally authorized, properly insured, and not carrying a safety record that should scare you off. Here's exactly what to check — and what the numbers actually mean.
Start with operating authority
Every for-hire motor carrier moving regulated freight in interstate commerce needs active operating authority from the FMCSA. That authority is tied to an MC number (and a USDOT number). Your first move is to verify it.
Pull up the carrier in the FMCSA SAFER system and check the MC number status. You're looking for one word: active. Authority can be pending, inactive, or revoked — and a revoked or inactive authority means the carrier has no legal right to haul your freight. A common trap: a carrier hands you paperwork that looks legitimate, but the authority was revoked weeks ago for failure to maintain insurance. SAFER shows you the current status, not the status on the day they printed their packet.
While you're there, confirm the legal name and address match what the carrier told you. Mismatches are a red flag for identity issues and double-brokering.
Read the insurance certificate carefully
A carrier should produce a certificate of insurance (COI) before they touch your load. Don't just confirm it exists — read it.
Two coverages matter most:
- Auto liability — covers damage and injury the truck causes to others. Look for a limit of at least $1,000,000.
- Cargo coverage — covers your freight if it's damaged, lost, or stolen in transit. A $1,000,000 cargo minimum is standard, but confirm the limit clears the value of what you're shipping. High-value loads need higher limits.
Then check the details that catch problems:
- Effective and expiration dates — the policy must be active on your pickup and delivery dates, not expiring mid-transit.
- Additional insured / certificate holder — confirm the COI is current and issued through the carrier's actual insurer, not a stale copy.
A COI is a snapshot. Coverage can lapse the day after it's issued, which is why insurance status should be verified against current records, not taken on faith from a PDF.
Understand CSA scores and the BASICs
The FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program scores carriers across categories called BASICs — Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories. Each one measures a different slice of safety performance:
- Unsafe Driving — speeding, reckless driving, improper lane changes, inattention.
- Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance — driving beyond legal limits and logbook violations, the data points behind fatigued driving.
- Vehicle Maintenance — brakes, lights, tires, and other defects found at inspection.
- Controlled Substances/Alcohol — drug and alcohol violations.
- Hazardous Materials Compliance — proper handling and placarding of hazmat.
- Driver Fitness — licensing and medical qualification of drivers.
Scores are percentile-based: higher means worse relative to peers, and categories above the FMCSA intervention threshold signal elevated risk. A carrier flagged in Unsafe Driving or Vehicle Maintenance deserves a hard look before you trust them with your freight.
An unsatisfactory safety rating is a hard stop
Separate from CSA scores, the FMCSA assigns carriers a safety rating: satisfactory, conditional, or unsatisfactory. An unsatisfactory rating means the carrier failed a compliance review and is generally prohibited from operating. This isn't a negotiation point or a "we'll watch them closely" situation — it's a hard stop. If the rating is unsatisfactory, the carrier doesn't haul your load. Period.
FAQ
How do I check if a freight carrier is legitimate?
Look the carrier up by MC or USDOT number in the FMCSA's SAFER system. Confirm that operating authority is active, that insurance is on file, and that the legal name, address and phone number match the paperwork the carrier gave you.
What is a USDOT number and an MC number?
A USDOT number identifies a company that operates commercial vehicles. An MC number is the docket number for operating authority, which a for-hire carrier needs to move regulated freight across state lines. A carrier can have a USDOT number without active authority, so check both.
How much insurance should a freight carrier have?
The federal minimum for auto liability on general freight is $750,000, and most brokers and shippers require $1,000,000. Cargo coverage is set by contract, so confirm the limit covers the value of your shipment, and check the policy's exclusions as well as the limit.
What are CSA scores?
CSA scores come from the FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability program. They rank carriers against their peers in categories called BASICs, such as Unsafe Driving, Hours-of-Service Compliance and Vehicle Maintenance. A higher percentile means more violations relative to similar carriers.
What is an FMCSA safety rating?
A safety rating is the result of an FMCSA compliance review. It is Satisfactory, Conditional or Unsatisfactory. An Unsatisfactory rating means the carrier failed the review and is generally prohibited from operating. Many carriers have never been reviewed and have no rating.
How do I verify a certificate of insurance?
Ask the carrier's insurance agent to send the certificate directly to you, check the effective and expiration dates against your shipment dates, and confirm the insurer and policy number match the insurance shown in the FMCSA's records. A certificate forwarded by the carrier can be out of date or altered.
How often should I re-check a carrier?
Before every load. Authority can be revoked and insurance can lapse at any time, and a certificate is only a snapshot of the day it was issued.
How Lancashire Freight handles this for you
Vetting every carrier on every load is tedious, and the consequences of skipping a step land on your freight. As a licensed, FMCSA-authorized freight broker, Lancashire Freight runs this checklist on every carrier — before they're ever assigned to a shipment.
We verify active operating authority and MC status through the FMCSA, confirm $1M auto liability and $1M cargo insurance minimums with current certificates, review CSA scores across the BASICs, and screen out any carrier with an unsatisfactory safety rating. Our 24/7 dispatch keeps eyes on the load after pickup, not just before it.
You shouldn't have to become an FMCSA analyst to move a shipment safely. That's our job.
Ready to move a load with carriers held to this standard? Get a freight quote.