Verify FMCSA carrier operating authority and safety rating before tendering a domestic regulated motor carrier shipment
domain: safer.fmcsa.dot.gov · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
Sampled — shipped under file-level sampling, not individually fact-checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Steps
Query the FMCSA SAFER Web API or the License and Insurance (L&I) subsystem with the carrier's USDOT number or MC number to retrieve current operating authority status
Confirm the carrier has Active operating authority for the commodity type being shipped (property, household goods, passengers) and that authority has not been revoked or suspended
Review the carrier's current safety rating (Satisfactory, Conditional, or Unsatisfactory) and check for any outstanding out-of-service orders or conditional compliance issues
Verify current insurance on file by confirming the carrier's Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X (liability) and BMC-34 (cargo) endorsements are active and meet the minimum coverage thresholds for your commodity
Document the verification results with a timestamp and retain for carrier qualification records; re-verify periodically (at minimum annually) and before every high-value shipment
Known gotchas
SAFER data can lag real-time authority changes by 24-48 hours; for high-value or time-sensitive freight, supplement with a real-time authority check through a carrier monitoring service
A carrier with a 'Not Rated' safety rating is not the same as 'Satisfactory'; 'Not Rated' means FMCSA has not yet conducted a compliance review, which may indicate a newly licensed or low-activity carrier
Cargo insurance minimums differ by commodity: household goods require $5,000 per vehicle minimum, while general freight requires $5,000-$10,000 minimum; high-value electronics or pharmaceuticals require shipper-mandated higher minimums
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