We have relationships with over 40,000 truckload carriers with everything from 53′ dry vans, refrigerated trailers, intermodal/rail, flatbeds, conestogas, and everything in between.
We are very strict when it comes to partnering with carriers, and we deny carriers regularly if they do not meet our high standards. All carriers must have at the minimum of $100,000 of cargo liability and $1,000,000 in auto liability. You would not really know if this is something your broker requires, so it is always best to ask what kind of coverage you have.
We also do not allow double brokering, which has become a huge problem in the freight world. The carrier that is booked on the load is the actual carrier that has to the one moving the shipment. Every broker has their own set of rules, but this can lead to potential issues.
There is also a lot of theft happening and it is very important the shipper is verifying that the carrier name on the bill of lading matches the name on the truck. If the carrier name does not match, I would hold off on loading the truck and have the person you booked it with verify that everything is ok. Keep in mind, that if the name on the truck does not match the bill of lading, then you will probably not be insured if something were to go wrong.
As a safety precaution, we always recommend that the shipper take a photo copy of the drivers license of the driver, get his cell phone number, write down the license plate number, and also make notation of the truck and trailer number as well. The more information the better to protect yourself. Freight theft is becoming more of an issue every day, and these criminals are getting smarter and smarter. You do not want to be a victim of theft, so protect yourself. We also offer supplemental insurance on all of our shipments as well so please ask about that when you speak with us.