How shippers stop double brokering and fake pickups

What double brokering and fictitious pickups look like

Double brokering is when the carrier you booked hands your load to another carrier without your knowledge — sometimes a legitimate truck that then goes unpaid, sometimes a thief. A fictitious pickup is when someone impersonates a real carrier, using its authority, insurance certificate and even a lookalike email domain, to collect the load.

Industry theft reports through 2026 show identity-based schemes growing faster than traditional cargo theft, with automotive parts and food and beverage among the most targeted categories.

Warning signs before the truck arrives

Slow down and verify when you see any of these:

• The carrier’s phone or email does not match its FMCSA record
• Authority that is only weeks old, or recently reactivated after years dormant
• A request to change payment or banking details mid-load
• A different company name on the truck, the paperwork or the driver’s answer
• Pressure to release the load early or to a different driver than dispatched
• An insurance certificate you received from the carrier rather than the insurer

What to verify at your dock

Ask your broker for the carrier name, MC number, driver name and truck and trailer numbers before pickup, and check them at the gate. Do not release freight to a different carrier than the one on the confirmation. If anything changes, call the broker on a number you already have, not one the driver gives you.

How Throughline vets every carrier

Before any rate con goes out, we check active FMCSA authority and carrier identity, require at least $100,000 cargo and $750,000 auto liability insurance, match the carrier's phone to its FMCSA record, and screen against a library of known fraud patterns. Anything that can't be confirmed goes to a person — it doesn't go through.

Carriers with an Unsatisfactory FMCSA safety rating or an active out-of-service order are never dispatched, and a Conditional rating needs a manager’s sign-off. A change to a carrier’s bank details waits 48 hours with extra verification. A person approves the carrier before booking, and the driver’s name and mobile reach you at pickup so your dock can confirm who is loading.