Frequently asked questions

Is CheckMyBroker really free?

Public broker search is free. A Free account adds 3 AI document reviews per 30 days, 2 active load files and a 5-broker watchlist. The Pro launch list creates no subscription or charge; any paid service requires a separate checkout acceptance. New Recovery document generation is not available.

Where does the data come from?

From FMCSA licensing and insurance records via data.transportation.gov, and dated carrier payment reports (shown separately and not part of the score). The score breakdown is public and every profile links to its official FMCSA record with the refresh date shown.

How fresh is it?

We refresh FMCSA sources on a schedule and show the last successful check for each fact. Source outages, public-record publication time and processing delays can occur. Always confirm anything critical against the official FMCSA record before you act.

What are the “Double-broker risk signals” on a broker page?

Six facts from the public FMCSA record, shown together below the score: authority age, financial-security filing, pending cancellation, shared contact, dual authority, and enforcement history. Each row shows the fact, the date we last read that source, and a sentence saying what it does not prove. The panel is a display, not a second score — it adds no points and cannot change the coloured label. Double brokering is conduct that happens after a load is booked, and nothing in the federal registration record shows it; the panel shows what a carrier can read before booking. See the full guide or the methodology.

What does the “New authority” badge mean?

That the authority date we hold for this broker is less than 90 days old. Ninety days is a threshold commonly used when vetting a new operator; it is not a scoring rule and does not change the score, which has its own separate authority-age factor. New authority is normal for a legitimate new brokerage and says nothing about conduct on its own. Where the federal record has no authority grant date, the badge uses the earliest financial-security filing date instead, and the broker page says which of the two it is showing.

A signal says “not verified in the last N days”. Why?

Because we had not re-read that source recently enough to stand behind an answer. Rather than show a stale fact, or an absence that might only reflect our own lag, the row tells you to check the FMCSA record. A signal missing because our data is old must never look like a signal missing because of reality. The freshness thresholds are published on the methodology page.

What does the 0–100 score mean?

Only official FMCSA public records determine the score: authority status, financial-security filing, authority age, revocation history and shared-contact signals. Carrier payment reports stay separate and unverified; they never influence it. Every point is explained on the broker page — nothing is a black box. The top of the scale is real: a broker with active authority, a current financial-security filing and at least four years of authority on the federal record reaches 100.

Why is this broker not at 100?

The broker page answers that for each broker, under the score: it lists every deduction applied, with the reason, and every factor whose points were not earned — each one linking to the row that shows the underlying record. Points reflect filings in the federal record, not conduct: a broker below the top of the scale is not accused of anything, and a broker at the top is not vouched for. The full factor list, ticked earned or not earned, is under “View full breakdown”.

Why does a broker with a high score still show a caution label?

Because the label and the score answer different questions. Some facts in the federal record block the green label even when the score stays high — an operating authority suspension notice served in the last 1 year, no current BMC-84/BMC-85 financial-security filing, or a record we have not been able to refresh recently. The green label is scoped to what the score covers (“No critical filing issues in the scored factors”), and the full list of verdict rules is on the methodology page. A suspension notice may have been resolved since it was served; the broker page shows the date and links to the FMCSA record.

What are “unverified payment reports”?

They are first-hand accounts from carriers about how a broker paid — days to pay, paid, unpaid or disputed. We do not verify each one, so we label them as individual experiences, not established facts. Read them alongside the official record, not instead of it.

I’m a broker and my data is wrong — what do I do?

Use the dispute form on your broker page to flag a specific data point, and the separate “Respond to carrier reports” form to request a public right of reply. Responses require verification and review. Email support@checkmybroker.ai if it is urgent.

Can I use this for consumer-reporting decisions?

No. CheckMyBroker is offered only for business-to-business freight-broker verification and is not intended for any purpose governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Do not use it for personal credit, employment, insurance or tenant decisions.

What is a bond cancellation warning and why does it matter?

A broker’s BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust filing can be cancelled, and the filing generally provides advance notice before the effective date. A current filing is not a payment guarantee or a live balance, and a historical load may require reviewing the filing effective when the transportation arrangement was made. Today’s public filings are on the alerts feed.

How do I report how a broker paid me?

Open the broker’s page or the report form, sign in with a free account, and log whether they paid and how many days it took. Your email, account identifier and private load reference are not published, but transaction details may still make a report recognizable. Reports are reviewed and labeled unverified.

What happens to the rate confirmation I upload?

For JPG/PNG, the full image is sent to the vision provider for transcription; the text is then sent through our gateway to the extraction model. If PDF support is enabled, text is extracted in the application and sent to the extraction model. The uploaded file is not retained in the application; extracted fields and results are saved to your account. AI output may be wrong, so verify it. Don’t upload a document you don’t have the right to share.

Do you sell my data?

No. We do not sell your personal data or your payment reports, and there are no ad networks on the site. See the privacy policy for what we collect and why.

Still stuck? Email support@checkmybroker.ai.