Rivalane's federal registration numbers are USDOT 4178374 and MC-1608310. To check them, open the FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot, choose the USDOT or MC number search, and enter the number. The snapshot shows the entity type, the operating authority status and the registered business details.
What should the record show for a broker?
A broker's record shows broker authority rather than carrier authority, because a broker arranges transport and does not operate trucks. If a company tells you it is a carrier but its FMCSA record shows only broker authority, or the other way round, ask why before you book.
Check the carrier too
Once a carrier accepts your order, we send you its name. Look the carrier up the same way. Its snapshot should show active motor carrier authority and insurance on file. That is the company responsible for your vehicle while it is on the truck, so it is worth the two minutes.
Our full company details, including the legal entity and address, are on the Rivalane Reviews page alongside reviews copied word for word from Google and Trustpilot.
Step by step on the SAFER system
Go to the FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot. Choose the USDOT number search and enter 4178374, or choose the MC/MX number search and enter 1608310. The snapshot that opens shows the legal name and any trading name, the entity type, the physical address, the operating status and the authority on file.
For a broker, the entity type reads broker and the authority section shows property broker authority. You will not see a fleet size or a driver count, because a broker has neither. If a company you are checking shows carrier authority but describes itself as a nationwide door to door service, read on, because that combination is common and worth understanding.
How to read the carrier's record
The carrier assigned to your order will show the opposite profile: carrier authority, a number of power units and drivers, and an inspection and crash history. Two things matter most. The operating status should read authorized, and the liability insurance should be on file. The filings themselves are in the FMCSA Licensing and Insurance system, where you can see the policy and its effective dates.
Cargo coverage, the policy that pays for damage to your vehicle, is not always filed with the FMCSA. We obtain the carrier's certificate of insurance directly and will share it with you on request. If a carrier's status reads not authorized or its filings show a lapse, tell us before pickup, because that is exactly what the second check is for.
What the Terms say: a Carrier is a motor carrier of property duly licensed by the state or federal Department of Transportation (Section 1); the carrier is the party liable for loss or damage and claims are filed with it (Section 9b); Rivalane's own liability is limited to the fees paid to Rivalane (Section 11a of our Terms and Conditions).
Other places to check a company
The FMCSA also runs the National Consumer Complaint Database, where you can see complaints filed against a broker or carrier. Independent review platforms show the pattern of real customer experience; our reviews are on Trustpilot and Google, and we copy them word for word onto our Reviews page with a link to each source.
A company that only shows reviews on its own site, with no way to check them, is asking you to take its word for it. The same applies to badges: a BBB or Trustpilot logo should click through to a real profile.
Why we publish the numbers everywhere
Our USDOT and MC numbers appear in the footer of every page and on the Reviews page. There is no reason to hide a registration number, and a company that makes you ask for it is making verification harder than it needs to be. The same applies to the carrier: once assigned, you get the name, and the name leads to the record.
What a clean check does not tell you
An active authority and insurance on file mean a company is registered and insured. They do not tell you how it quotes, when it charges, or how it handles a delay. For those, ask the questions directly: when is your fee due, what happens if no carrier accepts at the quoted rate, and who do I call if the truck is late.
Our answers to all three are written into our Terms and Conditions and in the articles linked below. If any company's answers on the phone differ from its written terms, that difference is the warning sign.
Verifying a carrier's safety record
The SAFER snapshot links to the carrier's inspection and crash history, and the FMCSA's Safety Measurement System shows how it compares with similar carriers. You do not need to read every line; look at the operating status, the out-of-service rates against the national average shown on the same page, and whether the insurance is current. Rivalane does that review before every assignment, and you are welcome to repeat it. The open transport and enclosed transport pages explain the equipment a carrier's record describes.
Related questions
Go deeper: 7 Steps to Verify an Auto Transport Company and Avoid Scams.
