Is this broker legitimate?
Before hauling a load, confirm the entity offering it holds active FMCSA broker authority and carries the required surety bond. A revoked authority or a missing bond is the single most common sign of broker fraud and double-brokering. These are factual FMCSA records — DOTScreener does not rate or score brokers.
Broker Trust Signals
Broker operating authority
Active broker authority on file with FMCSA.
Surety bond / trust fund
$75K on file — meets the $75K federal minimum. Surety: MERCHANTS NATIONAL BONDING, INC.
Authority tenure
Authority active for about 7 years.
Carrier reviews on DOTScreener
1 verified carrier review · See all
Authority & Financial Responsibility
- Operating Status
- Authorized
- Authority Status
- Active
- Entity Type
- Broker Only
- Authority Granted
- Jul 2019
- Authority Age
- 7 years
- Bond / Trust On File
- $75K
- Federal Minimum
- $75K (BMC-84 / BMC-85)
- Domiciled
- BIRMINGHAM, AL
Bond Filings (FMCSA L&I)
- Active
Surety Bond (BMC-84)
MERCHANTS NATIONAL BONDING, INC · #101642109
Effective 2025-11-08 · Cancels 2026-11-08
- Cancelling
Surety Bond (BMC-84)
ALLEGHENY CASUALTY COMPANY · #ACC006004901
Effective 2024-10-25 · Cancels 2025-11-08
102 days in the last 24 months with no bond on file — uncovered exposure for shipments during the gap.
Contingent Coverage (broker-provided)
Contingent cargo and contingent auto-liability are optional — not every broker carries them, and their absence is not a negative signal. The required $75K surety bond is shown above. Documents here are provided by the broker and are not verified by DOTScreener.
This broker has not provided contingent cargo or contingent auto-liability documents. These are optional — you can still work with this broker.
Officers & Identity Cluster
- Officer (Primary)
- TYLER UPCHURCH
- Officer (Secondary)
- MASON LAVALLET
Shared Operational Infrastructure — Mailing Address
This mailing address is on file for 352 other DOT registrations — typical of a process agent, registered-agent, or mailbox service address rather than a relationship between the carriers.
Linked records: SMITH MACHINE SERVICE INC (FL) · SEGREST FEED & SEED CO INC (AL) · G W TATRO CONSTRUCTION INC (VT) · VILSMEIER AUCTION COMPANY INC (PA) · ARTHUR A JONES AND ASSOCIATES INC (GA) · +7 more
Sourced from the FMCSA Company Census. Shared contact and officer counts reflect public-record overlap with other USDOT registrations — surfaced for review, not as a verdict.