How to Verify a Freight Broker Before You Haul (2026 Checklist)

A five-step checklist to verify any freight broker using free FMCSA data — authority, BMC-84 bond, authority age, phone match, and community reviews — before you accept the load.

Every broker you haven't worked with before is an unknown. The good news: the same public FMCSA data the DOT uses is free, and five quick checks will catch the overwhelming majority of fraud and non-payment risk. Run this list before you accept the load — not after you've already rolled.

Step 1 — Confirm active operating authority

A broker's operating authority must be active. Inactive or revoked authority is an automatic stop — it means the broker isn't legally allowed to arrange freight, and any money owed to you has no protection. Check the authority status by USDOT or MC number; if it says anything other than active, walk away.

Step 2 — Check the BMC-84 bond

Brokers are legally required to carry a $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond— the fund you file against if they don't pay. Confirm the bond is on file and at least $75,000. No bond, or a bond below the minimum, is one of the strongest red flags there is. Here's how the BMC-84 bond works →

Step 3 — Check the authority age

Brand-new authority isn't automatically fraud, but fraud rings frequently spin up fresh authority, steal a few loads, and disappear before complaints land. If the authority is under about six months old, verify everything twice and be extra cautious with payment terms.

Step 4 — Match the phone number

Compare the number that actually called you against the number FMCSA has on file. Scammers impersonate real, active brokers but route you to a different call-back number. If the numbers don't match, treat it as hostile until proven otherwise. Our phone verification tool checks this for you in seconds.

Step 5 — Read what other drivers say

Community reports surface patterns the paperwork can't — slow-pay, non-payment, and double-brokering complaints tend to pile up fast once a broker starts burning carriers. A broker with clean FMCSA records but multiple driver fraud flags deserves real scrutiny.

Do all five in one check

You can run each step by hand at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov, or enter a name, DOT, or phone number below and get all five rolled into a single SAFE / CAUTION / HIGH-RISK verdict. For the bigger picture on how these scams work, read the complete guide to freight broker fraud.