Operating authority (often called an MC number, after the docket prefix) is FMCSA's permission for a company to operate for hire in interstate commerce. A USDOT number alone identifies a company; authority is what lets it haul other people's freight for pay across state lines.
Types you'll see
- Common carrier: may haul for the general public
- Contract carrier: hauls under contracts with specific shippers
- Broker: arranges transportation but doesn't haul. A carrier that re-brokers loads without broker authority is double brokering
Statuses
Authority can be active, pending (applied for, not granted), inactive or revoked, and a revocation can be pending while insurance or process-agent filings are missing. Only active authority with insurance on file lets a carrier haul your load legally. See also MC number vs USDOT number.
Check a carrier now. Paste any USDOT or MC number into the free CarrierTell lookup, or add the Chrome extension to get a risk badge next to every number on load boards, in email and in carrier packets automatically.
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