How to Verify Any Shipping Company Before You Pay: 12-Point Checklist
Key Takeaways
- FMCSA SAFER verifies a US carrier's DOT number and authority in about 60 seconds.
- Ocean freight forwarders must hold an FMC NVOCC license, tariff and surety bond.
- Never pay freight by gift card, crypto or personal wire — use disputable methods only.
- The full 12-point check takes about 15 minutes and stops most freight fraud cold.
Search for their DOT number on the FMCSA SAFER database at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. This free government database shows operating authority status, safety rating, insurance on file, and inspection history. If a carrier has no DOT number or revoked authority, do not do business with them.
Why Verification Matters#
Freight fraud is a growing problem. The Federal Trade Commission received over 2.6 million fraud reports in 2023, and shipping-related scams account for a significant portion of business-to-business fraud losses. Fake carriers, phishing bill of lading scams, and advance-fee freight schemes cost businesses thousands of dollars per incident.
The pattern is always the same: a company offers an attractive freight rate, requests payment via an irreversible method, and disappears once the payment is received. No cargo is ever picked up, and the victim has no recourse.
The good news is that legitimate freight carriers leave a paper trail. Every registered carrier must have a DOT number, and every ocean freight forwarder must have an FMC license. These are public records that anyone can verify in under five minutes.
“Scammers cannot fake a government database entry. Every check on this list ends at an official source you control — not at a PDF the carrier sends you.”
The 12-Point Checklist#
Work through the table top to bottom. The first three checks eliminate the vast majority of fake carriers:
| # | Check | How to verify | Colivelo passes with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DOT number | FMCSA SAFER lookup | Active interstate authority, published on site |
| 2 | FMC license | FMC OTI database at fmc.gov | Active NVOCC license + published tariff |
| 3 | Physical address | Google Maps Street View | Real warehouses in Elizabeth, Rotterdam, Hamburg |
| 4 | Phone number | Call during business hours | Live representatives answer |
| 5 | Email domain | Inspect sender domain | Only @coliveloshipping.com addresses |
| 6 | Insurance certificate | Request per-shipment certificate | All-risk cargo insurance on every shipment |
| 7 | Claims process | Look for published SLA | 24h review / 5-day / 14-day resolution |
| 8 | Tracking capability | Ask for a sample timeline | Nine GPS-stamped milestones |
| 9 | Business registration | Secretary of State / KVK lookup | US NJ registration + EU KVK registration |
| 10 | Payment methods | Ask before booking | Cards, ACH, bank transfer — never gift cards or crypto |
| 11 | Online reviews | Google, Trustpilot, BBB | Published customer reviews |
| 12 | Website security | HTTPS + clear contact page | HTTPS with published contact details |
The entire checklist takes about 15 minutes. DOT verification takes 60 seconds, the FMC license lookup two minutes, and a Street View check 30 seconds. The rest is phone calls and document requests.
Scam Red Flags#
Stop and verify before paying if you see any of these: payment by gift card, cryptocurrency, or wire to a personal account; no DOT or FMC number, or numbers that do not match the company name; a residential home, PO box, or coworking space as the address; a price significantly below market rate; no published claims process or insurance certificate; pressure to pay before any contract or BOL is issued; a free email domain; no verifiable reviews; refusal to provide a callback number; or an unsolicited quote that is unusually low.
Any one of these red flags is sufficient reason to pause. Multiple red flags together are a near-certain sign of fraud. Read our fraud awareness page for more guidance, and compare against the proof points in Is Colivelo Shipping Legit?
What to Do If You've Been Scammed#
If you have already paid a fraudulent carrier, act the same day — speed matters for bank disputes and federal reports:
- File an FTC complaint
Report at reportfraud.ftc.gov — this feeds the federal fraud database.
- Report to the FBI IC3
If the fraud crossed state lines, file at ic3.gov.
- Dispute the charge
Contact your bank or credit card company immediately to dispute the payment.
- File a police report
Your local department's report supports the bank dispute and any insurance claim.
- Report to FMCSA
If the scammer claimed a DOT number, report at nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov.
- Document everything
Emails, texts, call logs, payment confirmations and website screenshots — keep them in one folder.
Colivelo's Transparency Commitment#
Colivelo publishes every credential that matters: our DOT number, FMC license, KVK registration, EORI number, physical addresses, phone number, claims process, insurance terms, and Rules Tariff. We do this because we believe that trust should be verifiable, not assumed.
Colivelo Proof Block
Run this exact checklist on us: every credential, address and SLA referenced above is published at /trust-verification.
If you have questions about our credentials, contact us and we will provide documentation within one business day. We welcome verification because it is how trust works in this industry.
Marcus Whitfield
US Operations Director · 15yr · Colivelo Shipping
Marcus runs Colivelo's US operations from Elizabeth. Fifteen years in domestic freight taught him exactly how scammers exploit the gaps legitimate carriers close with published documentation. Reviewed and verified by Daniela Rojas, Managing Director.
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Every Colivelo shipment: 9-scan GPS · All-risk insurance · Signed, photographed POD
Registered & Verifiable
US DOT, FMC License, NL KVK and EU EORI — every credential is public and checkable before you book.
Verify our credentials →Signed, Photographed POD
Every delivery ends with a signature and timestamped photos, backed by the 9-scan GPS timeline you can replay.
See live tracking →Anti-Scam Promise
We share the carrier name and MC number at booking. Verify them before you pay — never wire a “holding fee”.
Read fraud awareness →