Check a carrier’s authority before you dispatch

What this lookup tells you

Every motor carrier in the United States is assigned a USDOT number and must keep its operating authority in good standing to move freight legally. This tool reads that federal record live. An out-of-service flag means the carrier is not authorized to operate today, regardless of what their paperwork says. An active status is necessary but not sufficient — you still want current insurance on file and a signed carrier packet before you hand over a load.

A stale MCS-150 date is the quietest warning sign here. Carriers must update that biennial filing, and a fleet that has let it lapse for years is often one that has stopped running.