Procedures for Qualifying a Transportation Carrier

1. Get a copy of the operating authority

A-Check it for accuracy.
B-Check the proper name of the authority against the carrier’s advertised name.

2. Get the name of the registered agent for the company, address and phone number.
3. Get the federal tax i.d. number of the motor carrier.
4. Ask for a prepared financial statement of the company.
5. Ask for a history of the business including the key people and their background.
6. Do a contract that determines the essential terms of your understanding, including an addendum for all rates that are charges and any accessorial charge information. If accessorial charges are not agreed to, list them and put not negotiated! Open endness leads to being stuck! For more information email us. Signed fax contracts have been held to be legal.
7. Pull a copy of the company’s D&B report, or some similar service.
8. Determine the amount of the cargo insurance amount. Be sure that the amount of cargo insurance the carrier is offering matches up to your needs. Ask carrier to call his insurance company and have your company listed specifically named as a “loss payee. This process could take up to a week. Optional is to get a full copy of the carrier’s cargo insurance policy and check carefully for exclusions.