How to check a car shipping company's USDOT and MC numbers
A step-by-step check on FMCSA SAFER and Licensing & Insurance: authority, insurance on file, fleet, safety rating and inspection history.
Checking a car shipping company takes about five minutes and uses only free federal records. You need its USDOT number, which every interstate carrier must have, and ideally its MC (docket) number. Here is what to look at and what each item means.
1. Get the numbers in writing
Ask the company for its USDOT number and the exact legal name, and make sure they appear on the quote or contract. Search by number rather than name: many carriers operate under a trade name, and similar names are common. Every profile on this site shows the USDOT and MC numbers from FMCSA's records.
2. Open the SAFER Company Snapshot
Enter the USDOT number on FMCSA's SAFER Company Snapshot. Check these lines:
- Entity Type: CARRIER means the company runs its own trucks. BROKER means it arranges transport by other carriers. Some companies are both.
- USDOT Status: should be ACTIVE. An out-of-service date means the company is not allowed to operate.
- Operating Authority Status: should read AUTHORIZED FOR Property. NOT AUTHORIZED means the authority has been revoked, was never granted or has lapsed.
- Power Units and Drivers: the fleet the company reported. A one-truck operator is common in car hauling and is not a warning sign by itself.
- Cargo Carried: should include Motor Vehicles. Every carrier on this site lists it.
- MCS-150 Form Date: carriers must update their registration every two years. Every carrier on this site has updated it within the last 24 months.
Also note the Carrier Operation line. Interstate means the company may haul across state lines. A carrier marked intrastate only should not be taking your car from one state to another.
3. Check insurance on file
Interstate carriers must keep proof of public liability insurance on file with FMCSA. For trucks of 10,001 pounds or more carrying non-hazardous property, the minimum is $750,000 (49 CFR 387.9); fleets made up only of lighter vehicles, such as some pickup-and-trailer "hotshot" haulers, must carry at least $300,000 (49 CFR 387.303). Search the USDOT or MC number on FMCSA's Licensing & Insurance site to see the insurer, policy and coverage amount, and whether any cancellation is pending. Where FMCSA's new registration system (Motus) shows the liability amount on file, the profile on this site shows it too.
Liability insurance covers injuries and damage to others on the road. It is not cargo insurance for your car. FMCSA requires cargo coverage only for household-goods movers, so ask a car carrier for its cargo insurance certificate and the limit per vehicle.
4. Look at the safety record
The SAFER snapshot shows roadside inspections and crashes over the last 24 months, with out-of-service rates compared with national averages. A higher-than-average vehicle or driver out-of-service rate is worth asking about. A safety rating (Satisfactory, Conditional or Unsatisfactory) is issued only after an FMCSA compliance review, and most carriers have never had one. "Not rated" is not a bad mark. A Conditional or Unsatisfactory rating is a dated record; check the date and ask what changed.
5. Check the authority history
On the Licensing & Insurance site, the authority history shows when the company's authority was granted and whether it has ever been revoked and reinstated, often for lapsed insurance. A long, uninterrupted history is a good sign. A company whose USDOT number is only weeks old is not necessarily a problem, but ask for references.
6. Match names and addresses
The name, address and phone number on the quote should match FMCSA's records. Scammers sometimes copy a real carrier's USDOT number. If the phone number you were given does not match the one on SAFER, call the number on SAFER to confirm the job.
7. Read the contract and bill of lading
The carrier must issue a receipt or bill of lading for your vehicle (49 U.S.C. 14706). Before pickup, check the pickup and delivery windows, the total price and payment method, the deposit and cancellation terms, and any clause limiting the carrier's liability to a set value. At pickup, inspect the car with the driver and record existing damage on the bill of lading.
What the records cannot tell you
Federal records show whether a company is registered, authorized and insured, and how its trucks fared at roadside inspections. They do not show whether it shows up on time, how it treats customers or how it handles damage claims. For that, ask the carrier for two or three recent customer references on similar routes, search the company name together with the word "complaint", and check how long the phone number and website have been in use. A carrier that has hauled cars for years under the same name and USDOT number has a track record you can look into; a company that changes names often does not.
Also check the quote itself. A written quote should name the carrier and its USDOT number, list the vehicle, the pickup and delivery addresses or areas, the trailer type, the total price and how it is paid, and what happens if the pickup date slips. Keep it with the bill of lading until your car is delivered and inspected.
What our badge means
The Active FMCSA authority badge on this site means FMCSA's operating-authority records showed the carrier authorized for hire as a motor carrier of property on the date shown, and its USDOT registration listed motor vehicles as cargo. Authority and insurance can change any day, so repeat the SAFER check the week your car ships.
General information only, current as of the date above. The information on Car Shipper Check is not a safety rating or recommendation. Federal registration shows a company's authority and filings, not the quality of its service. Check the carrier's current status on the official FMCSA site and read your contract before you book. Rules and programs change; check the official sources linked in this guide.