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I almost lost $1,800 trusting a broker with no DOT number, now I do this one check first
Honestly I shipped my Civic from Baltimore to Austin back in March and the broker I found on a random quote site asked for a $200 deposit up front before even naming the carrier. I paid it like an idiot, then the pickup window slid four days, then the driver wanted another $150 cash at delivery for "fuel surcharge" that was never in the quote. I got lucky and the car showed up fine, but a guy in my apartment lot told me he lost $1,800 the same way and never saw his car again. Now before I book anything I go straight to the FMCSA site and punch in the USDOT number myself, and I check that the broker bond is active and not expired. The first site I used had no DOT number listed anywhere, which should have been my red flag right there. I also call the actual carrier now, not just the broker, and ask for their MC number and insurance cert directly. Has anyone here had a broker give you a DOT number that turned out to be someone else's? Trying to figure out if that's common or if I just found a rare scumbag.
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wendyg4311d ago
That DOT number swap thing is real and it happens more than people want to admit. Brokers will grab a legit carrier's MC number off the FMCSA site and slap it on their paperwork, so when you look it up everything checks out but you're actually talking to a completely different company. Best move is to call the number listed on the FMCSA page itself, not the one the broker gave you, and see if the person who picks up even knows about your shipment. If they've never heard of you, you just caught a fake.
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