Check a carrier by USDOT number
Beta: CarrierVet is in active testing. Verify critical decisions against FMCSA SAFER, and report anything that looks wrong to hello@carriervet.dev.
No key yet? Get a free API key: 50 lookups a month, no card. Without a key, the form builds the curl command for you. USDOT 53467 is a free example.
Every interstate motor carrier has a USDOT number. It is the most reliable identifier to vet a carrier with, because it stays the same when a company adds or changes operating authority dockets. CarrierVet takes a USDOT number and returns a PASS, REVIEW or FAIL verdict with reasons, the checks behind it and a receipt of the lookup. Verified against official FMCSA records.
What you get back
- One verdict: PASS, REVIEW or FAIL with the reasons, so you do not have to read a raw record.
- Risk signals: new authority, recent phone, email or address changes, and contact details shared with other carriers, plus a 0–100 risk score with reason codes.
- Change history: dated authority, insurance and contact changes for the carrier.
- Alerts: put a carrier on a watchlist and get an email or signed webhook when its record changes (paid plans, open after the beta).
- Lookup receipts: every lookup returns a
receipt_id, a dated, saved copy of the response with its SHA-256, so you can show what you checked and when. - Reliability: stored copies keep answering when FMCSA systems are slow, and every response says how fresh and complete its data is.
How the verdict works
| Verdict | When |
|---|---|
| FAIL | Any check fails: carrier authority revoked, inactive or missing; broker-only or intrastate-only entity; insurance missing or lapsed; an out-of-service order; inactive USDOT number; Unsatisfactory safety rating. |
| REVIEW | Any check is flagged: authority pending or under 90 days old, insurance status unknown, Conditional rating, or incomplete data. The risk endpoint also flags recent or shared phone, email or address changes. |
| PASS | Every check passed. A PASS is a reason to proceed with your normal process, not a guarantee. |
From a terminal
curl -s https://carriervet.dev/v1/carriers/53467 -H "authorization: Bearer $KEY" curl -s https://carriervet.dev/v1/carriers/53467/risk -H "authorization: Bearer $KEY" curl -s https://carriervet.dev/v1/carriers/53467/history -H "authorization: Bearer $KEY"
USDOT 53467 is a real carrier used as the example. Looking it up does not use your quota, so you can test your integration for free.
FAQ
Where do I find a carrier's USDOT number?
Carriers must display it on their power units, and it is on their rate confirmation, carrier packet and FMCSA registration. If a carrier gives you only an MC number, use the MC lookup instead; CarrierVet links the two.
What does the history endpoint show?
Two lists, newest first: differences between CarrierVet's stored copies of the carrier, and dated changes from FMCSA's daily authority, insurance and revocation files. Each row has the date FMCSA recorded it and the date CarrierVet saw it. Recording started on 2026-10-27, so older changes are not included.
What is a lookup receipt?
Each charged lookup returns a receipt_id. GET /v1/receipts/{id} returns the saved copy of that response with its time, endpoint and SHA-256. Reading a receipt is free. It records what CarrierVet returned at that time; it is not a new check.
Is the risk score a safety rating?
No. It is a 0–100 signal to help you prioritize manual review, with reason codes. A hard failure keeps the score at 50 or more. It is not an FMCSA safety rating and not a consumer report.
Is it free?
The free plan includes 50 lookups a month with no card. Lookups of USDOT 53467 do not count.
Get a free API key 50 lookups a month, no card. Paid plans open after the beta.
Related
Not a consumer report. Carrier data is derived from records maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). It is provided as-is, may be delayed or incomplete, and is not a consumer report under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Do not use it to evaluate a natural person for credit, insurance, employment, or any other purpose covered by the FCRA. Carriers can request a review of a record or flag. Questions: hello@carriervet.dev.