How do I check if a freight broker is legitimate?

Search the MC number on FMCSA's SAFER Company Snapshot or a lookup tool, confirm the name matches the rate con, that broker authority is active and that a BMC-84 bond or BMC-85 trust is on file. Then call the phone number on the FMCSA record, not the one you were given.

How much is a freight broker bond?

$75,000, as a surety bond (BMC-84) or trust fund (BMC-85), under 49 CFR 387.307. Since January 16, 2026, a broker whose security drops below $75,000 faces suspension within seven business days of FMCSA's notice unless it restores it or settles the claims.

Does the broker bond guarantee I get paid?

No. It is one $75,000 bond for all of a broker's claims. If the broker fails, the surety must accept claims for 60 days after FMCSA publishes the cancellation, but the money may not cover everyone. Check credit and payment history before booking.

What are signs of double brokering?

Being asked to use a different carrier name at pickup, a blind load, paperwork that names a different broker, a company with carrier authority only offering loads, rates far above market from a new authority, and payment to personal accounts.

Can I see what the shipper paid the broker?

Under 49 CFR 371.3, each party to a brokered transaction has the right to review the broker's record of it, which includes the broker's compensation. Brokers must keep those records for three years.

Where do I report a fraudulent broker?

FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov or the FMCSA contact center at 1-800-832-5660. FMCSA also lists the FTC, the DOT Inspector General hotline and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

How to vet a freight broker before you book a load

A five-minute check before you book: broker authority on FMCSA, the $75,000 BMC-84/85 bond and what it covers, contact verification, credit and days to pay, and double-brokering red flags.

Most brokers pay. The ones that don’t usually show warning signs before the load, not after, and checking takes about five minutes. This guide is that check, in the order it makes sense to run it, with the federal rules behind each step. The free MC / DOT number lookup covers the first three steps in one search.

1. Find the real company behind the MC number

Take the MC number from the rate con or the load posting, not from an email signature. Search it on FMCSA’s SAFER Company Snapshot, which takes a USDOT number, an MC/MX number or a company name. Check that the legal name or DBA, the address and the phone number match the company you are talking to. A broker name on the rate con that differs from the name on the federal record is a stop sign, not a typo.

2. Confirm broker authority, not just carrier authority

A company can hold carrier authority, broker authority, or both. To arrange freight for others it needs active broker authority. FMCSA’s 2023 guidance on the broker definition is meant in part to help carriers decide whether they should work with an entity that doesn’t have broker authority (FMCSA: final guidance on broker and bona fide agent definitions). If a company offering you a load shows only carrier authority, the load has probably been taken by one carrier and passed to you. Ask who the original broker is and book with them directly.

Also look at how long the authority has been active and whether it has been revoked and reinstated. New brokers are not automatically bad, but a weeks-old authority paying well above the market on a lane deserves a phone call to the shipper.

3. Check the $75,000 bond, and know what it does

Every property broker must have a surety bond or trust fund of $75,000 in effect (49 CFR 387.307). A bond is filed on form BMC-84 and a trust on BMC-85. The FMCSA record should show one of them on file.

Rules that took effect January 16, 2026 tightened how this works (FMCSA: broker and freight forwarder financial responsibility rule):

Try it on your own trucks

Every plan includes every feature. Start a 30-day free trial and set up your first load, driver and settlement.

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How to vet a freight broker before you book a load

A five-minute check before you book: broker authority on FMCSA, the $75,000 BMC-84/85 bond and what it covers, contact verification, credit and days to pay, and double-brokering red flags.

1. Find the real company behind the MC number

2. Confirm broker authority, not just carrier authority

3. Check the $75,000 bond, and know what it does

Rules that took effect January 16, 2026 tightened how this works (FMCSA: broker and freight forwarder financial responsibility rule):

Try it on your own trucks

Every plan includes every feature. Start a 30-day free trial and set up your first load, driver and settlement.

Start free trial

How to vet a freight broker before you book a load

1. Find the real company behind the MC number

2. Confirm broker authority, not just carrier authority

3. Check the $75,000 bond, and know what it does

Try it on your own trucks

How to vet a freight broker before you book a load

1. Find the real company behind the MC number

2. Confirm broker authority, not just carrier authority

3. Check the $75,000 bond, and know what it does

Try it on your own trucks

4. Verify the person, not just the company

5. Check credit and days to pay

6. Watch for double-brokering red flags

7. Get it in writing, and know your record rights

If something goes wrong

The five-minute checklist

Sources

Common questions

How do I check if a freight broker is legitimate?

How much is a freight broker bond?

Does the broker bond guarantee I get paid?

What are signs of double brokering?

Can I see what the shipper paid the broker?

Where do I report a fraudulent broker?

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