Most carriers who get burned did not skip the check because they were careless. They skipped it because the load paid well and the dispatcher was in a hurry. The check below takes about five minutes and it is the only thing standing between you and an unpaid invoice.
1. Confirm the broker holds active authority
A freight broker must hold operating authority from FMCSA to broker property loads. Look up the MC number and confirm the authority is active, not inactive, not revoked, and not out of service. An inactive authority means the broker cannot legally broker your load today, even if the paperwork looks normal.
Check the MC number on the rate confirmation against the MC number on file. This is where double brokering shows up: the rate confirmation carries one company name and a different MC.
2. Confirm the $75,000 surety bond or trust fund
Since October 2013, property brokers have been required to maintain a $75,000 surety bond or trust fund. The bond exists so carriers have somewhere to go when a broker does not pay. If a broker with revoked authority still has a bond on file, there is at least a claim path. If the authority is revoked and no bond is on file, there is usually nothing to collect against.
3. Read the review history, not just the star rating
A 4.5 average from three reviews means less than a 2.8 from forty. Read the most recent reviews for payment speed and whether the broker answered the phone when a payment went missing. Reviews that mention "paid after 60 days" or "stopped answering" matter more than a single angry post.
4. Look at how long the authority has been active
Brand-new authority is not automatically a problem, but a broker that received authority three weeks ago and is already offering above-market rates is the classic double-brokering setup. Pair a new MC number with a high rate and a refusal to share the bond certificate, and you have your answer.
5. Keep the paper
Save the signed rate confirmation, the BOL with the broker's MC on it, your signed POD, and the invoice. If you end up filing a bond claim, those four documents are the claim. Without them, a bond claim is a story.
What the three results mean
- Active authority, $75,000 bond on file — normal risk. Still verify payment history in reviews.
- Revoked authority, bond still on file — do not haul. There is a claim path if you are already owed money, but taking a new load here is a bet you will need it.
- Revoked authority, no bond — walk away. There is no bond to claim against.
Reviewed October 28, 2026. General information for carriers, not legal advice.