Rate confirmation
A rate confirmation, often called a rate con, is the document a broker issues to a carrier to confirm a specific load: the agreed rate, the pickup and delivery details, the commodity, and the terms that apply to that shipment. The carrier signs and returns it, and it becomes the shipment-level record of what the two parties agreed.
What it contains
Beyond the money, a rate confirmation typically names the broker and the carrier, references the carrier's MC or USDOT number, states any accessorial terms, and sets expectations for paperwork like the bill of lading and proof of delivery. It sits underneath the broader broker-carrier agreement, which governs the ongoing relationship, while the rate con governs the single load.
Where identity matters
Because the rate confirmation names the carrier that agreed to haul the load, it is a natural place for identity to slip. A load handed to a party whose name and MC number on the returned rate con do not match the carrier that was checked is how a load ends up on an unvetted truck, the mechanics behind double brokering. The rate con documents who agreed to move the freight; matching that identity to the federal record confirms it is who you think.
A concrete case
A broker vets a carrier, confirms its authority and insurance, and sends a rate con. The document comes back signed, but the MC number on it belongs to a different company than the one that was checked, or the carrier name is a near-match with one letter off. That gap between the vetted carrier and the party on the returned rate con is exactly where a load slips onto an unvetted truck.
fleetfax reads public FMCSA data and is not affiliated with FMCSA or the U.S. Department of Transportation. This page explains terminology; it is not legal advice.
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