Vet a freight carrier in one call

Last updated: May 21, 2026

Before a freight broker books a load, the question is simple: is this carrier safe and legit to broker to? LiveDataLink answers it in one call. carrier_vetting_score takes a USDOT number, MC number, or carrier name and returns a GO, CAUTION, or NO-GO verdict with the reasons, joining FMCSA safety data with a sanctions screen, federal-court litigation, and USAspending awards.

Vet the carrier

Give it a dot number for the most precise match (or mc, or a name). It pulls operating authority, insurance on file, BASIC safety scores, crash and out-of-service history against the national average, and the safety rating, then screens the carrier's legal name against OFAC, UN, EU, and BIS and checks CourtListener and USAspending.

{
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "carrier_vetting_score",
    "arguments": { "dot": 76830 }
  }
}

What drives the verdict

NO-GO. Triggered by a sanctions match or a lack of active operating authority. These are hard stops: a carrier without authority should not be hauling, and a sanctions hit is decisive.
CAUTION. Triggered by BASIC safety alerts, fatal crashes, missing liability insurance, high out-of-service rates, or federal-court litigation. Worth a closer look before you dispatch.
GO. Active authority, insurance on file, no sanctions hit, and no alerting safety signals.

The response also returns all the underlying fields, so the agent can show the crash counts, the out-of-service comparison, and the exact reasons behind the band rather than just a label.

Why one call instead of four checks

Vetting a carrier by hand means hitting FMCSA for safety and authority, screening the legal name against the sanctions lists, checking federal courts for litigation, and looking for federal awards, then reconciling four different response shapes. carrier_vetting_score does all of that in a single request and rolls it into a decision. A source that fails is noted, not fatal, so the verdict is computed from whatever is available and the agent knows what was skipped. It is an analytical aid, not a substitute for your own onboarding checks, so verify insurance and authority directly before dispatching. See the logistics workflow at /for/logistics and the full set of one-call decision tools at /decisions.

FAQ

Can I vet by company name instead of a number?

Yes. Pass a name and the top FMCSA name match is vetted. Prefer a dot number when you have it, so you pin the exact carrier rather than the best name guess.

What automatically fails a carrier?

A sanctions match or the absence of active operating authority triggers NO-GO. Safety alerts, fatal crashes, missing insurance, high out-of-service rates, or litigation trigger CAUTION.

Is the data resale-safe?

Yes. FMCSA safety records, the sanctions lists, federal court dockets, and USAspending are all US public data, which is resale-safe. See /trust for provenance.

Last updated: May 21, 2026 · LiveDataLink home