Why Carrier Vetting Matters More Than Ever
Carrier vetting starts where an authority check stops. Active operating authority can confirm that a carrier has been granted authority for the applicable type of operation. It cannot confirm that the company arriving at pickup is actually the carrier that was selected, that its insurance information has been independently verified, or that its safety and operating history raise questions that deserve a closer look.
That distinction has always mattered when freight is assigned. In 2026, it became harder to treat carrier selection as only an operational decision.
On May 14, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the state-law negligent-hiring claim involving a freight broker’s carrier-selection decision could move forward in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, LLC. The Court ruled that the claim falls within the motor-vehicle-safety exception to the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 (FAAAA), meaning federal preemption does not automatically block the claim. The Court did not find the broker in the case, C.H. Robinson, negligent.
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, the Seventh Circuit sent Montgomery’s negligent-hiring claims back to the Southern District of Illinois for further proceedings. The July 8 order did not decide whether C.H. Robinson was negligent.
What makes the case particularly relevant to carrier vetting is the carrier C.H. Robinson selected. According to Montgomery’s allegations, Caribe Transport had a Conditional FMCSA safety rating, and FMCSA had allegedly identified deficiencies involving driver qualification, hours of service, inspection, repair and maintenance, and recordable crash rate. The Supreme Court did not determine whether those allegations were true.
Montgomery did not create a carrier-vetting checklist or define what reasonable care requires in every case. The ruling was narrower: the FAAAA does not automatically prevent this type of negligent-hiring claim from proceeding.
For brokers and 3PLs, the practical implication is that the carrier-selection decision itself may face greater scrutiny. That puts a brighter spotlight on a question they should already be able to answer:
Why was this carrier approved to move the load?
A documented vetting process should be able to explain what was checked, what was found, what warranted additional review, and why the carrier ultimately qualified.
Why Carrier Identity Requires a Closer Look
Legal scrutiny is only one reason carrier vetting deserves more attention. Carrier identity also needs to be independently verified.
In May 2026, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced the broader rollout of Motus, a new registration system designed to replace several of the agency’s legacy registration tools. Motus uses enhanced identity verification and business validation as part of FMCSA’s effort to strengthen fraud prevention in the registration process. The change underscores the point: identity matters, not just paperwork.
Carrier impersonation and identity theft can involve the unauthorized use of another carrier’s registration information, fraudulent insurance documentation, or contact information that does not match official records. FMCSA specifically recommends confirming that the name and identifying numbers on the truck arriving to load match the carrier that was contracted.
An MC lookup is useful. It is not the end of the verification process.
What a Documented Vetting Process Actually Verifies
A documented vetting process works in layers, because no single check catches everything.
Federal and public-source checks can include operating authority status, FMCSA safety-rating status, and available inspection or crash history. FMCSA issues three safety ratings: Satisfactory, Conditional, and Unsatisfactory. If a carrier is listed as Unrated, FMCSA has not assigned it a safety rating. That does not, by itself, tell you whether the carrier is safe or unsafe, which is why other available information matters.
Business-risk checks go further: independently validating insurance rather than relying on documents supplied by the carrier, reviewing operating history, and checking whether identity and contact information hold up under a second look. Factors such as contact information that doesn’t line up across sources, a limited operating history, or identity details that cannot be independently confirmed may warrant additional review.
Approval standards turn those checks into a decision: what disqualifies a carrier, what requires additional review, and what ultimately qualifies a carrier for approval.
What First Call Logistics Verifies Before Assigning Freight
First Call Logistics uses a layered qualification process that extends beyond operating authority and insurance alone.
As an internal approval standard, First Call Logistics does not approve carriers with a Conditional or Unsatisfactory FMCSA safety rating. Carriers with an Unrated FMCSA status may be subject to additional review. An Unrated status means FMCSA has not assigned the carrier a safety rating, so FCL considers other safety, compliance, insurance, and operational information when evaluating eligibility.
Insurance information is verified using documentation from verified insurance producers and independent validation resources rather than relying on carrier-submitted documentation.
Identity verification is also part of the qualification process. FCL reviews business and contact information using multiple sources to help confirm that the carrier being evaluated is legitimately connected to the company and operating authority it represents.
Carrier qualification also continues at the shipment level. Vehicle identification information is verified on every load as part of FCL’s compliance, equipment validation, and fraud-prevention efforts.
Approval is not the end of the process. FCL continues monitoring carrier authority, insurance status, safety and compliance indicators, external reports and data, and operational changes that may affect eligibility after onboarding.
Historically, fewer than half of carrier applicants have met First Call’s approval requirements.
— Shawn Machowiak, Director, Carrier Sales
Technology supports that process rather than replacing it. First Call Logistics combines regulatory information, independent verification resources, internal carrier performance data, compliance reviews, and experienced human oversight when making carrier qualification and monitoring decisions.
What This Means for Carrier Selection Going Forward
Carrier vetting is not a formality that happens once. It is a process that has to hold up every time a carrier is selected, from confirming identity and authority to validating insurance, reviewing safety information, and monitoring changes after onboarding.
The question is not simply whether a carrier was approved. It is whether the process can explain why.
If your current 3PL can’t explain what it checks before a load is tendered, talk to our team.
Could Your 3PL Explain Why This Carrier Was Approved?
Carrier selection should be more than an MC lookup. A documented process should be able to show what was checked, what warranted additional review, and why the carrier was ultimately qualified.