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Answers to the common questions. Writing to us below also suggests answers straight away.

What does Carrier Ledger do?

It reads the FMCSA public records for a carrier or broker (census, operating authority, insurance filings, suspension notices), shows them on one page with plain-English warnings, and re-checks the ones you watch every day. When something changes, you get an alert.

Where does the data come from?

Only from FMCSA datasets published on data.transportation.gov. Every fact on a carrier page names the dataset and field it came from. We do not buy data, scrape load boards or invent scores.

A carrier record looks wrong. Can you fix it?

We copy FMCSA's records as published, so a wrong fact is wrong at FMCSA. The carrier can correct it by updating its MCS-150 or contacting FMCSA. Compare with the FMCSA snapshot link on the carrier page; if our copy differs from FMCSA's current page, send a ticket and we re-check it.

How fresh is the data?

FMCSA publishes its datasets once a day. Watched carriers are re-checked every day after FMCSA's update, and a lookup shows data at most 30 minutes old. FMCSA is moving carriers to a new licensing system (Motus); for carriers not moved yet, authority facts come from the old file FMCSA stopped updating on 2026-05-14, and the page says so.

Does a clean page mean the carrier is safe to use?

No. Carrier Ledger shows public records and changes; it does not vet, rate or approve anyone, and it is not legal or insurance advice. Use it alongside your own onboarding checks, and call the carrier on the phone number FMCSA has on file.

How do I cancel or change my card?

Open your account page and press "Billing". Stripe's secure page lets you cancel, change plan or update your card at any time. Cancelling keeps your plan until the end of the paid period, then you move to the free plan; your watchlist is kept.

Can I get a refund?

New subscribers get a 14-day free trial, so a first subscription is not charged until it ends. If you were charged and did not mean to be, send a ticket within 14 days of the charge and it will be refunded.

How do alerts reach me?

By email, Slack, Microsoft Teams, any webhook, or a private RSS feed. Set them on your account page. By default you get urgent and important changes; you can choose urgent-only or everything.

Can I add many carriers at once?

Yes. Paste a list of USDOT or MC numbers (one per line, or straight from a spreadsheet column) into the watchlist box on your account page.

What do you do with my data?

We store your email, your watchlist and your alert settings, only to run the service. We never sell or share them. Card details stay with Stripe; we never see them.

I added a carrier but got no alert. Is it working?

Yes. The first check of a carrier records how its FMCSA record looks today; that is the baseline. Alerts start from the next change after that. The watchlist shows the date each carrier was last checked, and the carrier page shows any red flags straight away.

What do the red flags mean?

Each flag is one plain rule over the FMCSA record, such as "insurance cancellation filed" or "phone number changed in the last 30 days". Urgent flags mean act before the load moves; important flags mean look closer; notes are background. The full list is on this page under "Every red flag explained".

USDOT number or MC number: which do I enter?

Either. The USDOT number identifies the company; the MC (docket) number identifies its operating authority to haul for hire or broker freight. Enter "MC-123456", "MC123456" or a plain USDOT number and we find the rest.

How do I get alerts in Slack or Teams?

In Slack, create an "Incoming Webhook" for the channel you want (Slack app directory, search "Incoming Webhooks") and paste its URL into your account page. In Teams, add a "Workflows" webhook to a channel and paste its URL. Alerts arrive as one message per batch of changes. Needs Pro or Team.

I'm a carrier. Can I check a broker?

Yes. Brokers have FMCSA records too. Look up the broker's MC number to see whether its broker authority is active and whether its $75,000 bond or trust fund is on file with FMCSA.

What is Motus and why do some pages say "older data"?

Motus is FMCSA's new registration system. FMCSA publishes daily files for carriers already moved to it. For carriers not moved yet, the authority and insurance facts come from FMCSA's older file, which stopped updating on 2026-05-14; those facts are labelled with their date. Census facts (name, phone, address, status) are updated daily for everyone.

How do I delete my account?

Cancel any paid plan from the Billing button first, then send a ticket from this page with the email on the account asking for deletion. Your watchlist, settings and change history for your account are erased.

Is there an API?

Yes, on Pro and Team: GET /api/v1/carriers/<USDOT> with your private key as a Bearer token returns the carrier's profile and red flags as JSON. Your account page shows the exact address.

Every red flag explained

urgent	Suspension notice pending FMCSA has served notice that the authority will be suspended or revoked on a set date, usually because insurance was not filed. Until that date the snapshot still says "Active".
urgent	Revocation pending A revocation order has been served and has not taken effect yet.
urgent	Authority not active None of the company's operating authorities is active, so it may not haul (or broker) interstate freight for hire.
urgent	No authority on file The company says it hauls for hire across state lines but has no MC number on file. (If it has an MC number not yet in FMCSA's current licensing data, this is shown as "important" instead.)
urgent	Insurance below minimum The liability insurance on file is less than the amount FMCSA requires for that authority.
urgent	Insurance cancellation filed An insurer has told FMCSA the policy is being cancelled, with a date in the future and no replacement on file.
urgent	Broker bond missing A broker or freight forwarder has no $75,000 surety bond or trust fund on file with FMCSA.
urgent	Contact details changed recently The phone, email or address on the FMCSA record changed in the last 30 days. Identity thieves do this before booking loads as the real company. Call the old number.
urgent	Unsatisfactory safety rating FMCSA rated the company Unsatisfactory after a compliance review.
important	FMCSA's records disagree FMCSA's current licensing record and its authority history say different things (for example "Active" now, but the latest event is a voluntary suspension). Check the FMCSA page before booking.
important	Recent suspension An authority action took effect in the last 12 months. The page says whether it was later lifted.
important	Insurance recently cancelled A policy was cancelled with no replacement starting on or after that date.
important	Suspended for no insurance before The authority was suspended at least once in the last 2 years because insurance was not on file.
important	Cargo insurance not on file FMCSA marks cargo insurance as required for this authority (household goods movers) and none is on file. Most freight carriers do not have to file cargo insurance with FMCSA, so this only appears where it is required.
important	Conditional safety rating FMCSA found problems in a compliance review that fall short of Unsatisfactory.
important	New authority or new USDOT number Granted less than 90 days ago. New companies are normal; brand-new authorities are also a common fraud pattern. Older than 90 days it is shown as a note.
important	Linked to a revoked company FMCSA's own census record links the company to a previously revoked USDOT number.
important	Shares contact details The same phone, email or street address appears on other USDOT numbers. Common for family firms and dispatch services, and also for companies reborn under a new name.
important	No trucks listed The company reports zero power units but holds carrier authority.
note	Older licensing data Authority facts come from FMCSA's file frozen on 2026-05-14, because the company has not appeared in FMCSA's new Motus files yet.
note	Registration update overdue The MCS-150 form was last updated more than two years ago; FMCSA requires an update every two years.
note	Different phone numbers on file The census and the licensing record list different phone numbers. Often harmless, worth knowing before you call.

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Every red flag explained

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