MC number (operating authority)

Three numbers appear on a carrier’s paperwork. The USDOT number is the identity for safety compliance. The MC number is the operating authority docket: MC-followed by digits for a carrier, broker or forwarder. The SCAC is a four-letter code used on bills of lading and by shippers’ systems.

A broker checks authority because the broker’s promise to the shipper depends on it. The FMCSA record shows whether the authority is active, how long it has been active, the insurance on file and the carrier’s safety rating and inspection history. Brokers pay attention to:

• Authority age. A carrier with authority granted last month is not necessarily a problem, but it is the profile fraudsters use, and many brokers require ninety days or more before the first load.
• Insurance on file matching the certificate the carrier sent: cargo, auto liability, and the broker named as certificate holder.
• Safety data: out-of-service rates and crash history, from FMCSA’s safety measurement system.
• Contact details on the record matching the person who called. A phone number that differs from FMCSA’s is a common tell for identity theft of a legitimate carrier.

Brokers themselves hold broker authority and a $75,000 surety bond or trust (the BMC-84 or BMC-85), which is what a carrier files against when a broker fails to pay. A shipper checking a broker looks for exactly that.