Free tool
Broker authority check
Rates verified · By TruePermit · Free, no signup
Before you haul for a broker you haven't worked with, read what FMCSA has on them: is the broker authority active, is the $75,000 bond on file, are they allowed to operate. Type the MC number from the rate confirmation and get the record, dated, with the link to verify the rest.
The docket number printed on the rate confirmation.
What a clean record does and doesn't prove
Active broker authority and a bond on file mean the entity may legally arrange freight and there is a $75,000 claim path if it doesn't pay. They do not mean it pays on time, and they do not stop a fraudster from using a legitimate broker's MC number on a fake confirmation. Match the MC to the company name FMCSA returns, match the email domain and phone to that company, and treat a mismatch as the answer.
Frequently asked questions
What does this broker check actually look at?
FMCSA's own record for the MC or USDOT number, read live: whether broker authority is active, inactive or absent; whether a surety bond or trust fund (BMC-84 / BMC-85) is on file and for how much against the $75,000 federal minimum; whether the entity is allowed to operate or out of service; and whether its MCS-150 biennial update is current. Nothing else — no scores, no opinions.
Does it tell me whether the broker pays on time?
No, and neither does any public record. Days-to-pay, claims history and reputation live with factoring companies, load-board credit products and other carriers' experience. This tool says exactly what FMCSA shows and says plainly what it can't see, so you know which questions are still yours to ask.
The MC has carrier authority but no broker authority. What does that mean?
The entity is registered as a motor carrier (common or contract authority), not as a property broker. A carrier may double-broker your load without authority to do so — ask under which authority they are arranging the freight, and check the number printed on the rate confirmation against the number FMCSA returns.
Why does the bond show $75,000 for a large broker?
FMCSA records the filing on file in thousands of dollars, and the federal minimum for property brokers and freight forwarders is $75,000 (49 CFR 387.307). Most brokers file exactly that. A figure below it, or none, is the flag.
Where does the data come from and how fresh is it?
FMCSA's QCMobile service, the same source behind the SAFER and Licensing & Insurance sites. Each result shows the date it was read, and the link takes you to the Licensing & Insurance record for the insurance filings themselves.
Related
Checked the broker? TruePermit prices the whole load
Paste the rate confirmation and get the net after every cost, whether your unit and driver can legally run it on the pickup date, this broker check, and one call: accept, negotiate at a stated counter, or decline. Free for one truck.
Start freeFMCSA records as read at the time shown; filings change daily. This is not a credit check, a payment-history report or legal advice. Verify insurance filings on FMCSA's Licensing & Insurance system before dispatch.