YBF Transportation Inc Carrier Screening Process: In accordance with The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) The Framework to Combat Fraud.
Following these guidelines limits exposure to fraud and theft, and improves responsiveness when events occur. While each case involves its own criteria for due diligence and risk management, the following are a non-exhaustive list of considerations when working with new motor carriers:
Call the published phone number for the carrier. Is it different than the number contact person has provided? If so, ask the carrier to explain the difference. Be leery of the "we are moving offices; so we are using personal cell phones for the time being" explanation. Check if the number(s) are landlines or cell phones. Prepaid cell phones can easily be obtained with cash and no credit check.
Verify DOT and MC numbers for the United States.
Check the internet, the relevant provincial transportation authority (such as the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario or FMCSA) for a different number / address for carrier. Use that number to contact the carrier.
Call the head office of the carrier to ensure that the person you are speaking with represents the carrier.
Do not solely accept insurance documents from the carrier or limit yourself to contacting insurance individuals whose contact information is provided by the carrier. Follow up with the insurance agent.
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Look for gaps in carrier authority history.
Advise the shipper of who the carrier will be at the point of pick-up and ask the shipper to check the identification of the carrier. If they are not comfortable, then they should not release cargo.
Check company addresses using Google Maps or a similar service. Verify that it exists.
Review the paperwork you receive from a carrier to ensure its validity. Check that the documents are clear and that there are no variations in font types or any other obvious signs of tampering.
If a company claims that they are a secondary office of a US-based company (or other large company), call the primary office to confirm the phone numbers and location of the secondary office. If it is a US-based carrier, ensure you receive their Canadian authorities.
Talk to your shippers. Ensure they write down the license plate of both the tractor and trailer and possibly the driver's license when a carrier arrives to pick up a shipment. Ensure they do not simply write down the name from the door of the truck.
Ask for carrier references and check them. Ensure you know who the references are and that they are legitimate companies. (In other words, the broker might not just rely on the standard "Carrier Information Package" of pre-selected documents).
If you have been a victim of fraud or theft, report it.