You might’ve heard horrific tales about auto transport carriers wrecking valuable vintage vehicles or supercars through negligence. Videos of these disastrous scenarios, like reckless vehicle loading or unloading, have become increasingly popular in recent years on social media.

We’re here to help ensure this nightmare scenario doesn’t become your reality by explaining how you can vet carriers by verifying their transport records, insurance, and reliability. These verification stages increase the likelihood that your car will avoid damage during transport and arrive at its destination on time.

On a basic level, viewing transport records allows you to confirm a carrier’s legal compliance, while insurance verification helps you receive claim compensation if damages occur. Lastly, checking a carrier’s reliability through methods like online reviews further reflects an organization’s ability to get the job done right.

Let’s take a closer look at how you can efficiently proceed through verification stages to attain an ideal car shipping experience.

Verifying Carrier Transport Records

The number of carrier transport records to check can seem daunting, but this list should primarily consist of the USDOT Number and MC (Motor Carrier) Number. Keep reading for more insight on each transport record type.

USDOT Number

A USDOT number helps the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) keep track of a carrier’s safety record and other inspection and audit-related data like crash investigations, compliance reviews, and drug and alcohol testing.

Carriers must have a USDOT number to operate legally, so a company missing this credential should always be considered illegitimate. You can also use the FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) to see how likely a carrier is to become the subject of a future safety investigation.

MC Number

The FMCSA distributes Motor Carrier numbers to signal that an auto transport company is an operating authority for transporting goods state-to-state while clarifying their cargo or passenger type. MC numbers are alternatively called an Interstate Operating Authority. Similar to a USDOT number, you can use the FMCSA’s website to verify an MC Number.

DUNS (Data Universal Numbering System) Number

Carrier businesses aren’t legally required to have a DUNS number—but it can serve as an additional indicator of a trustworthy company. Essentially, a DUNS number allows a business, like an auto hauler, to build a credit history. Carriers may also use a DUNS number to support applications for professional development opportunities like grants or certifications.

You can check for a company’s DUNS number through the Dun & Bradstreet website.

Additional Consideration for Record Verification

Remember: a carrier must have records like USDOT and MC numbers classified as active and in good standing. Red flags include these numbers being revoked or suspended.

Insurance Verification

Suffering vehicle damage during a shipping route is terrible—but being left responsible for those damages’ cost because you didn’t verify the carrier’s insurance is even worse. Keep reading for information on coverage types, insurance validation, and the claims process’ steps.

Common Insurance Coverage Types

The minimum legal insurance requirement for carriers is liability insurance, but cargo insurance is often expected despite its existence outside legal standards. Liability insurance is included in car shipping cost, but there are usually additional coverage options you can select while booking. Coverage applies to vehicle damage from an accident involving the carrier’s transport equipment.

Separately, cargo insurance protects customers’ cars from theft, loss, or damage, and is more comprehensive than its liability counterpart. Cargo insurance is based on the declared value of transported vehicles, and claims are often resolved faster than liability insurance.

Insurance Certificate Validation

You can use a few strategies to confirm a carrier’s active insurance policies. It’s helpful to start by contacting the carrier to request an insurance certificate directly. You can also reach out to an auto hauler’s insurance provider to validate their protection and its coverage amount.

Alternatively, auto carrier transport customers can enter a company’s USDOT number or MC docket number on the FMCSA’s website to verify insurance details.

Claims Process Summary

Learning that your vehicle has suffered damage during transport is never fun—but you can mitigate stress in this scenario by understanding how the claims process works.

Bill of Lading Importance

A bill of lading describes the condition of your car when you drop it off for transport and pick it up. Documenting your vehicle’s condition during a dropoff allows you to later prove damages occurred during transport when you receive it back.

You may have to provide additional documentation for a claim like:

  • Driver interaction dates and times

  • Terms and conditions copy

  • Photo evidence

  • Relevant email communication

  • Payment verification

Carrier customers may also file a claim with their personal insurance company—but this is less common due to its time-consuming and complex nature.

Assessing Carrier Reliability

Evaluating a carrier’s reputation will help you gauge its reliability—so checking reviews and testimonials is vital. Ideally, you want a carrier with at least an average four-star rating. It’s also essential to note how many reviews the carrier has received. For example, you should prioritize an auto hauler with a 4.2-star average rating via hundreds or thousands of reviews instead of a carrier with a slightly higher rating but few reviews.

Next, consider the nature of reviews. Customer reviews that you should steer clear of include vehicle damage, communication, and timeliness complaints. While online resources are an excellent way to assess an auto hauler’s reputation, it’s easy to overlook the help you can receive from a word-of-mouth reference.

How a Broker Can Help With Verifying Carrier Transport Records, Insurance, and Reliability

Whether you’re in need of car shipping or cross-country car shipping, working with an auto transport broker can streamline your ability to confirm a carrier’s legitimacy. Since brokers focus on connecting customers with carriers, they have a specialized understanding of consumer needs and what haulers need to meet them.

A broker is responsible for verifying vital car carrier credentials, such as insurance, safety records, licenses, USDOT credentials, and more. Some companies are carrier-broker hybrid organizations with their own fleet, although these are rare.

How Brokers Verify Carriers

Brokers often vet carriers using methods that include but aren’t limited to the following:

  • Technology solutions

  • Checking experience levels

  • On-time performance data confirming reliability

  • CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) program scores

Established brokers have access to a vast network of carriers—increasing your likelihood of finding a proper service solution. For example, a specific single owner-operator carrier might not be able to complete a long-distance route or trip with a remote destination, but working alongside a broker can connect you with multiple reputable carriers.

Similar to single owner-operator carriers, some brokers are better than others, so be sure to research a company’s reliability before proceeding confidently. While brokers can handle the vetting process, you can still use our guide’s tips to perform carrier verification and get additional peace of mind.

Verify Your Carrier Like a Pro

Everybody shipping their car wants to have a smooth, stress-free, and timely experience. Working with a broker or performing your own independent research to verify a carrier’s transport records, insurance, and reliability will significantly increase your chances of a successful transaction and help you avoid frustrating situations like car damage or delivery delays.

Understanding how information like a USDOT number, MC number, and insurance verification will also help you move beyond basic background check methods to get positive results like relying on a few online reviews.