deciqAI Freight Broker — Carrier Vetting Checklist
Industry front door for checklist. Adds domain triggers, a worked example, and packs. The engine is the parent checklist skill; parent content unchanged. Not legal advice. Verify against current FMCSA rules and your broker authority/bond obligations.
Activate when: onboarding/booking a carrier; a load is about to be tendered; a carrier looks too cheap/too eager; rebuilding your carrier-vetting SOP. Do NOT activate when: the carrier is a current, documented, insured partner.
Why this variant
The parent checklist is a must-not-skip gate. Booking an unvetted carrier is how brokers get hit with cargo loss, double-brokering fraud, and liability. This maps the parent's gate onto carrier due diligence.
Domain inputs → the checklist gate
- Active authority: FMCSA operating authority (MC/DOT) active, not revoked; broker vs carrier authority correct for the move.
- Insurance: cargo + auto liability on file, adequate limits, broker named as certificate holder, verified with the insurer (not just a PDF).
- Safety: FMCSA safety rating / SMS BASIC scores; out-of-service history.
- Identity match: phone/email/address match FMCSA record; watch VoIP + gmail + brand-new authority (fraud signals).
- Double-brokering guard: confirm the carrier hauling = the carrier booked; no re-brokering without consent.
Worked example
Carrier quotes 30% under market, authority active 3 weeks, gmail contact, address = a UPS store. → Gate fails on identity + freshness fraud signals → do not tender; verify insurance directly with insurer and confirm equipment/driver before load.
Compliance anchors
- FMCSA operating authority & insurance (49 CFR 387); broker surety bond (BMC-84/$75k); reasonable vetting standard.
Packs
- Solo broker: 8-point pre-tender vetting card.
- Brokerage: automated FMCSA + insurance re-check on every booking (feed the deadline/monitor agents).
Red flags
- Rate far below market; authority < 6 months; VoIP/gmail; address mismatch; reluctance to verify insurance.
Verification
- Authority active + correct type
- Insurance verified with insurer, limits adequate
- Safety scores/OOS history reviewed
- Identity matches FMCSA; fraud signals cleared
- Double-brokering consent confirmed
Part of deciqAI Knowledge Skills — 237 open-source thinking skills that make rigor executable for AI agents. The same skills power every deciqAI agent, which runs them autonomously to operate your company. See it run → https://www.deciqai.com/s/freight-carrier-vetting-checklist · Built by deciqAI · github.com/deciqAI · Contributions welcome.
Agents: latest version & machine-readable metadata → https://www.deciqai.com/s/freight-carrier-vetting-checklist.json