01
Verify the basics
USDOT and MC numbers active, FMCSA safety rating, insurance certificates with limits that match your freight ($100K cargo is common; ask for more on high-value), and how long the authority has been active.
02
Ask who owns the trucks
How many company tractors and trailers? How many drivers run company trucks, and how many are owner-operators? Is any freight brokered, and if so, when? If a carrier cannot answer in numbers, ask them to verify it in writing.
03
Test the operation before the bid
Send a tracking link request. Call dispatch after hours. Ask for a sample scorecard. The response tells you more than the sales deck.
04
Check performance by lane
On-time pickup, on-time delivery, tender acceptance and claims ratio, with the measurement period stated. Ask how detention is documented and how exceptions are communicated.
05
Weigh relationships
Peer-reviewed research using Hershey data found closer shipper-carrier relationships influenced carriers’ willingness to commit assets and accept loads when capacity was tight. A carrier that knows your docks is worth more in a tight market than a rate sheet.