Carrier onboarding checklist for Canadian freight brokers
Updated 2026-10-27
Most freight losses start at onboarding: a carrier packet that was accepted without anyone checking it against the public record. This is the checklist we would use to add a carrier to an approved list in Canada, with what to verify for each item rather than just what to collect.
1. Identity and registration
Collect the legal name, operating name, business address and the carrier's own phone and email. Check each one against the provincial NSC record (and FMCSA for cross-border carriers), not against the packet.
- NSC number and issuing province (CVOR in Ontario, NIR and NEQ in Quebec)
- USDOT and MC numbers for US moves
- Business number or provincial corporate registration
- A phone number you found yourself and called back
2. Safety record
Read the safety rating and the carrier profile from the issuing province. A Conditional or Unsatisfactory rating, a recently issued certificate, or out-of-service results that repeat the same defect are reasons to hold the carrier for review.
3. Insurance
Get the certificate of insurance sent directly from the insurer or the carrier's insurance broker. Confirm the named insured matches the legal name, the auto liability and cargo limits meet your contract, and the policy dates run past the first load. Ask to be added as certificate holder so you hear about cancellations.
4. Payment details
Take banking details on the carrier's letterhead or a void cheque, and confirm them by calling the number you verified in step 1. A payee name that differs from the legal name, or a change of bank account by email, is the most common setup for payment fraud.
5. Agreement and monitoring
Sign a broker-carrier agreement that bans re-brokering without written consent and states the cargo liability. Then keep checking: ratings, authority and insurance change between loads, so re-check before each tender or monitor approved carriers for changes.
General information, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with the province concerned.