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How to vet a carrier
The full walkthrough: what is in the federal record, how to read the safety percentiles and the operating map, and the risk flags a report raises.
GuideOpen the guide
Carrier vetting resources
The federal record on a carrier is public, but it is scattered across 24 datasets, and the SAFER snapshot most people check shows only a sliver. These guides and free tools show you how to read the whole record: the safety percentiles, the operating map, the fleet, and the risk flags. They also cover finding carriers by lane and checking fleetfax's own status.
Research · 7 reports
Original findings from the federal record
Seven reports built on the federal record, including “Reopened, not reformed” on new carriers that share details with one FMCSA shut down for cause, and “Active, authorized, uninsured” on the roughly eight-week insurance gap.
fleetfax ResearchBrowse the research
Free tools
MC-000000Free MC number lookupLook up any motor carrier by MC number and pull the full report.
USDOT 99999999Free DOT number lookupSearch by USDOT number for authority, insurance, safety, and the operating map.
Free FMCSA safety checkOut-of-service rates and fleetfax's peer-percentile estimates against carriers with similar activity on the road.
Is this carrier legit?Check a carrier, and learn the double-brokering and reincarnated-carrier patterns to watch for.
Carrier sourcingFind carriers by lane or radius, free with an account. Directory search is free too.
SAFER snapshot lookupThe SAFER snapshot, plus everything the snapshot leaves out.
Site statusWhether fleetfax is up, and when carrier data was last refreshed.
Guides and reference
USDOT vs MC numbersWhat each number is, who needs which, and what the Motus transition changes.
Carrier vetting glossaryPlain-English definitions for the FMCSA terms that show up in a report, from BASIC to BIPD.
Vetting FAQCommon questions about the data, the free report, and how the checks work.
94% unratedWhy most carriers have no safety ratingIn FMCSA's 2021 data, about 94% of rating-eligible interstate freight carriers were unrated. Why "unrated" does not mean unsafe.
Or skip the reading and run a carrier: search by USDOT, MC, company name, phone or email. The full report is free, with a daily limit.
fleetfax reads public FMCSA data and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to FMCSA or the U.S. Department of Transportation.
