Everything a freight broker needs — FMCSA tools, compliance references, legal background, BASIC score thresholds, and regulatory contacts. Bookmark this page.
Free government databases every broker should know. These are the same data sources DOTScreener pulls from automatically.
Look up any carrier by USDOT or MC number. Shows operating authority status, safety rating, OOS rates, crash data, and inspection history.
View carrier safety profiles including BASIC category data, inspection results, crash details, and compliance review history.
Verify insurance filings on record — insurer name, policy number, coverage type, effective dates. This is the BIPD/cargo insurance filing of record.
Free API for programmatic carrier lookups. Returns authority status, insurance, safety data, BASIC indicators, and more. Requires a free webKey.
Bulk download of all FMCSA insurance filings. Free, no authentication required. Includes insurer, policy number, form type, coverage amount, and effective dates.
File or search complaints against carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders. Public-facing database maintained by FMCSA.
The 7 Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) that FMCSA uses to evaluate carrier safety. Higher percentile = worse.
| BASIC Category | Alert Threshold | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | 65th | Speeding, reckless driving, seatbelt, phone use |
| Hours-of-Service | 65th | Logbook violations, driving beyond limits, ELD issues |
| Driver Fitness | 80th | Licensing, medical certificates, qualifications |
| Controlled Substances | 80th | Drug/alcohol test failures, possession, impairment |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 80th | Brakes, lights, cargo securement, defective equipment |
| HM Compliance | 80th | Hazmat placarding, leaks, permits (HM carriers only) |
| Crash Indicator | 65th | DOT-reportable crashes regardless of fault |
Note: The FAST Act of 2015 removed percentile rankings from public view for property carriers, but the underlying violation/inspection data and alert/threshold status remain available through the FMCSA QCMobile API and SMS website.
Reference numbers every broker should know when evaluating carriers.
Minimum BIPD Insurance
$750,000
General freight (non-hazmat). Hazmat requires $1M–$5M depending on commodity.
National Driver OOS Rate
~6.5%
Carriers significantly above this (2x+) are a red flag.
National Vehicle OOS Rate
~20.7%
Carriers with vehicle OOS rates well above average indicate maintenance issues.
New Authority Risk Window
< 18 months
FMCSA data shows carriers under 18 months of authority have statistically higher crash rates.
MCS-150 Update Frequency
Every 24 months
Required biennial update. Outdated MCS-150 = stale fleet/mileage data.
Record Retention
3–5 years
Personal injury statute of limitations varies by state. Some states have discovery rules extending the window.
The May 14, 2026 SCOTUS ruling that changed broker liability forever.
Shawn Montgomery was severely injured when a Caribe Transport truck caused an accident. C.H. Robinson had brokered the load. The carrier had a Conditional safety rating with multiple documented deficiencies.
The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that the FAAAA safety exception preserves state authority over motor vehicle safety, and negligent carrier selection falls within that exception. Brokers owe a duty of ordinary care.
Brokers can be sued under state negligence law for failing to exercise reasonable care when selecting carriers. The defense is documented due diligence — showing you reviewed available safety data before tendering.
Plain-English breakdown of the ruling, what courts will look for, why shippers should also be worried, and the 9 steps every broker should take by Friday.
Montgomery is a broker case in name. The legal theories it endorses apply with equal force to shippers. Three exposure paths every shipping department should understand.
When you tender directly to a carrier without using a broker.
The duty of ordinary care that Montgomery confirmed for brokers applies equally to shippers who select carriers directly. There is no FAAAA preemption available to shippers — that defense was never theirs. Authority, insurance, safety rating, BASIC status, crash history, and OOS rates must be documented at the time of tender, the same as for any broker.
When you tender through a broker who has no documented vetting process.
A growing line of cases holds that shippers owe a duty of ordinary care in choosing transportation intermediaries. If your broker has no policy, no documentation, and no carrier-screening process, the chain of duty extends back to you. Shippers should audit brokers the way they audit any other vendor.
When you exert substantial control over carriers, drivers, equipment, or routes.
Courts have found shipper-carrier or shipper-broker relationships to constitute a joint venture or principal-agent relationship when the shipper specifies key operational details. The shipper can be vicariously liable for carrier negligence even without a separate negligent-selection finding. Review your contracts.
Three theories, the cases driving the trend, insurance considerations, and the broker-vetting audit framework smart shippers are adopting.
Why post-Montgomery liability matters now, not theoretically. The dollars at stake have changed dramatically over the past decade.
1,000%
Increase in average trucking verdict size between 2010 and 2018, per the American Transportation Research Institute.
$10M+
Threshold for a 'nuclear verdict.' Once rare in trucking litigation, these are now routine outcomes in catastrophic-injury cases.
$500M+
Multiple recent trucking verdicts have crossed this threshold. Several have exceeded $1 billion.
$750K
Federal minimum BIPD insurance for general-freight carriers. Plaintiffs look upstream — to brokers and shippers — when carrier coverage is exhausted.
The economic reality:Plaintiffs' attorneys identify the carrier first, then look upstream for deeper pockets. A small carrier with the federal minimum coverage cannot pay a $50M verdict. The broker can. The shipper can pay more. Post-Montgomery, the path to those deeper pockets is clearer than at any time in the past three decades.
When a major accident happens on a load you touched, the discovery requests arrive within weeks. Build the documentary record now.
The right coverage and contract language is your second line of defense after operational diligence.
The primary policy that responds to negligent-carrier-selection claims. Verify the policy specifically covers selection-based claims, not just operational errors. Many older policies have coverage gaps. Review limits — $1M was once standard; $5M+ is increasingly necessary.
A specialty product that covers shipper exposure when carriers cause harm. Many shippers don't carry this; many of those who do are underinsured for the post-Montgomery threat environment. Confirm coverage applies to negligent-selection theories specifically.
With nuclear verdicts now exceeding $100M routinely, primary limits of $1–5M are inadequate for material-volume operations. Stack excess coverage to a level that matches your worst-case exposure, not your average claim size.
Contractual indemnification by the carrier is worth only as much as the carrier's solvency and insurance. Require carriers to add you as Additional Insured on their auto liability and cargo policies. Verify Certificates of Insurance independently — many fraudulent COIs circulate in the industry.
What to verify before tendering a load to any carrier. Organized by priority.
Detailed explanation of each checklist item with sources and documentation requirements.
How to identify broker-only entities and protect your loads from being illegally re-brokered.
Complete breakdown of 49 USC § 14808, detection methods, and prevention steps.
The three safety rating levels and what each means for your carrier selection decision.
The carrier has adequate safety management controls. This is the best available rating and indicates the carrier meets FMCSA safety fitness standards.
The carrier does not maintain adequate safety management controls for one or more areas. Not automatically disqualifying, but requires documented justification for selection.
The carrier does not have adequate safety management controls. After 60 days, prohibited from operating CMVs in interstate commerce. Tendering to an Unsatisfactory carrier is indefensible.
The carrier has never received a compliance review. Most carriers fall here. Does not mean safe or unsafe — means you must rely on other data (inspections, crashes, BASIC indicators) for evaluation.
The line of cases brokers and shippers should know. Montgomery sits at the top, but the doctrine has been building for years.
2026 — SCOTUS, 9-0
608 U.S. ___ (2026)
Unanimous ruling that the FAAAA safety exception preserves state authority over motor-vehicle safety, including negligent-carrier-selection claims against brokers. Ends 15 years of circuit-split litigation. Establishes ordinary care as the broker standard.
2020 — 9th Circuit
976 F.3d 1016 (9th Cir. 2020)
Pre-Montgomery decision finding that the FAAAA did not preempt a state negligent-hiring claim against a broker. Created the circuit split Montgomery resolved. Heavily cited by plaintiffs' attorneys building the post-Montgomery playbook.
2022 — 7th Circuit
74 F.4th 453 (7th Cir. 2023)
The opposite holding from Miller — finding FAAAA preemption applied. The Supreme Court took Montgomery in part to resolve the Miller/Ye conflict. Ye is now effectively overruled by Montgomery.
2023 — 11th Circuit
65 F.4th 1261 (11th Cir. 2023)
Cargo theft case applying negligent-selection theory in the freight context. Important precedent on the scope of broker duty even outside the personal-injury fact pattern.
Pre-Montgomery — Various
408 Ill. App. 3d 1051 (2011)
The Illinois state-court verdict that put broker liability on the map. C.H. Robinson held liable for $23.7M after a broker-tendered carrier's driver caused a fatal crash. The case has been cited by plaintiffs in negligent-selection actions for over a decade.
Key government contacts for broker compliance, complaints, and reporting.
1-800-832-5660
General FMCSA inquiries, registration, and carrier compliance questions.
1-888-368-7238
Report unsafe carriers, drivers, or commercial motor vehicles. Available 24/7.
1-888-368-7238
File formal complaints against carriers and brokers.
Visit website1-800-424-9071
Report fraud, waste, or abuse involving DOT programs.
Visit websiteProfessional organizations and educational resources for freight brokers.
The leading association for freight brokers and 3PLs. Offers the Certified Transportation Broker (CTB) credential, compliance resources, and advocacy.
Official FMCSA page covering broker registration requirements, bond/trust fund obligations, and regulatory updates.
Track proposed and final rules from FMCSA. Essential for staying ahead of regulatory changes.
Key terms every broker should know.
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