The pre-pickup check reconnects the carrier review to the real shipment. Confirm that the company, dispatch contact, driver, tractor/trailer, facility appointment, and release instructions still match the approved plan. This is a practical control against mix-ups and impersonation, not a guarantee against loss or a substitute for the facility’s own procedures.
Pull the approved entity record from HaulFacts lookup before the appointment so the team is comparing the arrival against a known USDOT and legal/DBA reference.
Practical checklist
Release check at pickup
Confirm the parties again
Use the carrier’s approved legal/DBA name and USDOT record as the reference point. Contact the carrier using a known number or independently confirmed channel if anything has changed since tender. Confirm the dispatch person, driver’s name, tractor/trailer details where applicable, and the pickup reference number.
FMCSA cautions that legitimate carrier identities can be misused. A matching USDOT number on a document or truck is helpful, but it does not authenticate a person. The facility, broker, and carrier should have a clear escalation path for material differences.
Reconcile the load details
Check the rate confirmation, pickup address, appointment time, commodity, temperature or handling instructions, seal/reference requirements, and authorized changes. Verify that the carrier has not been replaced by another entity without the approval required by the agreement. If a truck or driver changes, pause release until a trusted carrier contact confirms it.
For example, a truck arrives with a driver name different from the rate confirmation but gives the correct pickup number. The facility should not decide from the number alone. The broker can call the carrier’s independently confirmed operations contact, document the substitution, and provide an authorized release instruction if the explanation checks out.
Check what is time-sensitive
Current authority and insurance needs should have been handled during setup, but a material change or expired evidence may trigger a recheck. Confirm that any shipment-specific insurance requirement remains satisfied through your documented method. Do not call a public filing proof of cargo coverage; see carrier insurance filings.
Finish with a short release record
Capture the date/time, who confirmed the details, contact channel, driver/equipment identifiers available to you, facility action, and any exception. If a check cannot be completed, state that clearly and route it to the decision owner. The record should say what was observed and confirmed, not “carrier is verified” as a broad claim.
Tell the facility who may authorize an exception and how to reach them through a known channel. This avoids a last-minute release based only on an unfamiliar caller, email, or changed reference number.
Use verify carrier identity when dispatch details change and double brokering warning signs to frame an unexplained substitution as an exception to investigate.