Frequently Asked Questions

FreightWatch is a carrier and broker intelligence platform built for the freight industry. It gives you instant access to FMCSA safety data — authority status, safety ratings, insurance records, inspection history, and BASIC scores — on every licensed motor carrier and freight broker in the United States. Data is synced daily from FMCSA public datasets.

Primarily freight brokers and third-party logistics providers (3PLs) who have a legal obligation to vet carriers before dispatching loads. After a Supreme Court ruling expanded broker liability for carrier accidents, proper carrier vetting is no longer optional — it's a compliance requirement. Carriers also use FreightWatch to vet brokers before accepting loads — confirming authority status, bond on file, and that the broker is legitimately registered with FMCSA.

Yes. FreightWatch has 160K+ FMCSA-registered freight brokers in its database. Search by broker name or MC number and see their operating authority status, broker bond on file (BMC-84/BMC-85), and registration details. This is useful for carriers who want to confirm a broker is legitimate and financially backed before hauling a load.

A recent Supreme Court decision held that freight brokers can be held liable for accidents caused by carriers they hire if they failed to properly vet those carriers. This means brokers need documented evidence of due diligence — checking authority status, safety ratings, and insurance — before every carrier engagement.

No. FreightWatch is an independent platform. We source our data from FMCSA public datasets (data.transportation.gov) and the FMCSA Licensing & Insurance database, but we are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

All data is sourced directly from FMCSA public datasets published on the U.S. Department of Transportation Open Data Portal (data.transportation.gov) and the FMCSA Licensing & Insurance (L&I) database. This is the same data the government uses — we just make it faster and easier to access.

Authority status, insurance records, and carrier registrations sync nightly. Inspection and crash records update daily. Safety ratings sync monthly from the FMCSA Company Census file. MCS-150 filing dates update as carriers submit them to FMCSA.

A formal safety rating is assigned by FMCSA following a compliance review. The three ratings are Satisfactory (meets safety standards), Conditional (deficiencies identified — monitor closely), and Unsatisfactory (serious violations — do not use). Most carriers have no formal rating because FMCSA hasn't reviewed them — this doesn't mean they're unsafe, just unreviewed.

The FreightWatch Safety Grade is an A–F composite score built from 7 FMCSA data axes across 110 points: operating authority & OOS orders (20 pts), FMCSA safety rating (20 pts), BASIC scores across all 7 categories (25 pts), driver/vehicle/hazmat OOS rates vs. national averages (20 pts), total crash rate per million miles (10 pts), fatal crash rate per million miles (10 pts), and MCS-150 filing currency (5 pts). A full reasoning breakdown is shown below the grade explaining every factor and whether it helped or hurt the score. An A means low risk across all factors; F means authority failure or critical safety issues. The Safety Grade is a Pro feature.

A 'ghost carrier' is a real, active carrier whose identity — FMCSA credentials, phone number, email — has been taken over by a fraud ring, so it still passes a standard one-time vetting check. Ghost Carrier Detection Alerts watch every carrier on your watchlist for changes to contact email, phone, company officers, and mailing address, and alert you the moment one shifts — on top of the existing authority and safety-rating alerts. It's included for Pro, Business, and Enterprise subscribers at no extra cost.

BASIC stands for Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories. FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS) scores carriers across 7 categories: Unsafe Driving, Hours of Service Compliance, Driver Fitness, Controlled Substances & Alcohol, Vehicle Maintenance, Hazardous Materials Compliance, and Crash Indicator. Scores represent a carrier's percentile rank among similar carriers — higher percentiles indicate worse performance. Scores above the intervention threshold trigger FMCSA review.

The MCS-150 is the Motor Carrier Identification Report that carriers must file with FMCSA every two years (or when certain operational changes occur). An 'MCS-150 Outdated' badge on a carrier means their last filing is more than 24 months old — a signal that the carrier may be inactive or non-compliant with reporting requirements.

A carrier is authorized to operate when FMCSA has granted them active operating authority (common or contract) and they are not under an out-of-service order. Before dispatching a load, always verify the carrier has active authority — revocations can happen quickly and without notice.

Pro subscribers see full insurance policy records sourced from the FMCSA L&I database — insurer name, policy type (BIPD, Cargo, Surety/Bond), coverage amount, effective date, and any policies cancelled in the past 90 days. For brokers, this includes their BMC-84/BMC-85 freight broker bond on file. This is the same database brokers and carriers are required to check under FMCSA regulations.

A recently cancelled policy with no active replacement is a serious red flag. Do not dispatch a load to that carrier until you confirm new coverage is in place. You can use the 'Check FMCSA L&I for pending cancellations' link on every carrier detail page to verify real-time status directly with FMCSA.

An out-of-service (OOS) order is issued by FMCSA or a state enforcement agency when a carrier has critical safety violations. Carriers under an OOS order are prohibited from operating in interstate commerce. Using an OOS carrier exposes you to significant legal and financial liability.

A revocation pending flag means FMCSA has initiated the process to revoke the carrier's operating authority — typically due to insurance lapses, safety violations, or failure to pay civil penalties. While authority hasn't been revoked yet, this is a strong warning sign to avoid the carrier until resolved.

No. You can search carriers and view full carrier detail pages without an account. An account is required to save carriers to your watchlist, receive email alerts, and access Pro features like insurance policy details.

FreightWatch uses passwordless authentication. Enter your email address and we'll send you a magic link — click it to sign in instantly. You can also sign in with Google.

Yes. No contracts, no cancellation fees. Cancel from your account settings and you keep access until the end of your current billing period.

Pro is designed for individual brokers or small teams doing regular carrier vetting — it includes the FreightWatch Safety Grade (A–F), insurance details, unlimited watchlist, email alerts, Ghost Carrier Detection Alerts, and CSV export. Business adds bulk DOT# upload with scored reports, audit log for legal documentation, team seats, onboarding packets, API access, and dedicated support — ideal for compliance teams running high-volume carrier onboarding programs.