Freight fraud is a growing problem in trucking. Scammers impersonate real brokers, carriers take loads and quietly hand them off to someone else, and shippers find out only when a delivery goes missing or a carrier calls asking to be paid. The good news is that most of it can be caught with a few minutes of checking before you tender a load.
Why verifying a broker matters
A freight broker arranges transportation between you and a carrier. When you hand over a load, you are trusting that broker with:
- your freight and your customer's delivery,
- who actually hauls it and whether they are properly insured,
- and, if something goes wrong, how the claim gets handled.
Checking a broker takes minutes. Untangling a double-brokered load can take weeks.
How to verify a freight broker in five steps
1. Get the USDOT and MC numbers
Every legitimate property broker in the U.S. has a USDOT number and FMCSA broker authority, shown as an MC number. Ask for both before you book. A broker that hesitates to share them is your first red flag.
2. Look them up on FMCSA SAFER
Go to the FMCSA SAFER website (opens in a new tab), search by USDOT or MC number, and open the company snapshot. Check that:
- the legal name matches the company you are dealing with,
- the entity type includes Broker,
- the operating status is active, and
- the operating authority says it is authorized for broker of property.
3. Check the bond and filings
FMCSA requires property brokers to keep $75,000 in financial security, either a surety bond (BMC-84) or a trust fund (BMC-85), along with a BOC-3 filing that names a process agent. You can see these in FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance (L&I) system. If the bond is missing or was recently cancelled, stop and ask why.
4. Confirm you are talking to the real company
Many fraud cases use a real broker's name and numbers with a fake email address. Before you share load details or payment information:
- check that emails come from the company's own domain, not a look-alike or a free email account,
- call the company back using the phone number on its own website, not a number from a suspicious email, and
- be wary if contact or payment details suddenly change.
5. Get everything in writing
A legitimate broker confirms the rate, the pickup and delivery details and the carrier in writing before the truck moves. If you are asked to skip paperwork or move fast before anything is confirmed, slow down.
What double brokering is, and the red flags
Double brokering happens when a carrier accepts a load and hands it to another carrier without the shipper or broker agreeing, or when someone without broker authority arranges freight for pay. The truck that shows up may not be the one you were promised, the carrier that hauls it may never get paid, and a cargo claim can become very hard to resolve.
Watch for:
- a different carrier name, truck or driver showing up at pickup than the one on your confirmation,
- rates far below the market for the lane,
- pressure to book immediately, before you can check anything,
- emails from free or look-alike domains, and
- a company whose authority or contact details changed very recently.
How to report freight fraud
If you suspect fraud or unauthorized brokering, you can file a complaint with FMCSA through its National Consumer Complaint Database (opens in a new tab). Keep your rate confirmations, emails and bills of lading. They are what an investigation, an insurer or a lawyer will ask for first.
Verify Summit Link
We would rather you check us than take our word for it:
- Summit Link Logistics, FMCSA-authorized property broker
- USDOT 6784645 and MC-85100539
- Our email addresses end in @summitlink.biz, and our office phone is 502-463-3192.
Check our record on FMCSA SAFER (opens in a new tab). If anyone claiming to be Summit Link contacts you from another email domain, call us at 502-463-3192 before you share anything.