Reviews tell you how a company treats people. The federal record tells you whether it’s allowed to do the job at all. Checking it takes about ten minutes, costs nothing, and screens out a lot of the operators you want to avoid. Here’s how.
Step 1: Get the Numbers
Ask for the company’s USDOT number and MC number. They should be on the website and the quote. Ours are at the bottom of every page: USDOT 3813762, MC 1377368. If a company dodges the question, you’re done.
Step 2: Look Them Up
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) publishes the record of every registered company. Search its Company Snapshot by USDOT number, MC number or name. FMCSA’s records also show whether the company’s operating authority is active and whether its insurance is on file.
Step 3: Read the Record
Is the authority active?
The record should show the operating authority as active, usually listed as authorized. If it says not authorized, inactive, revoked or out of service, stop there.
Does the name match?
The legal name on the record should match the name on your quote and contract. Some bad operators use a name that’s one letter off from a real company’s. Check the phone number on the record too.
Is insurance on file?
Carriers have to keep liability insurance on file with FMCSA, and the record shows filings and cancellations. A string of cancellations is worth asking about.
What does the safety record say?
For carriers, the snapshot shows roadside inspections, out-of-service rates and reported crashes, next to national averages. One bad inspection isn’t a verdict. An out-of-service rate well above average is a pattern.
Step 4: Check the Carrier, Too
If you book with an auto transport company like us, a carrier moves your car. Once one is assigned, ask for its name, its USDOT or MC number and its certificate of insurance, and run the same check. A company that stands behind its carriers won’t mind.
Signs to Walk Away
- No USDOT or MC number, or numbers that belong to a different company
- Operating authority that’s inactive or revoked
- Pressure to pay by wire transfer, gift card or a payment app before anything is in writing
- A quote far below every other quote for the same route
- A phone number that never reaches a real person
For the rest of the checklist, including reviews and contracts, see how to choose a car transport company.
Questions
What’s the difference between a USDOT number and an MC number?
The USDOT number identifies a company to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The MC number is the operating authority a company needs for for-hire transport across state lines. A company that arranges or hauls cars between states should have both. Ours are USDOT 3813762 and MC 1377368.
What if a company won’t give me its numbers?
Walk away. Every legitimate interstate auto transport company and carrier has them, and they’re public.
Is a newer company automatically risky?
No. Every company was new once. Look at the whole picture: active authority, insurance on file, a clean record and real reviews.
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