You hauled the load, you sent the paperwork, and the broker never paid. Or the broker on the rate confirmation turned out to be somebody else. If you're reading this, you're probably trying to figure out how to file a complaint against a freight broker and whether it will do any good.
Here is the short answer, then the details. You have three routes, and most carriers should use more than one:
- File a free complaint at FreightBrokerComplaint.com. We open a case, investigate, and contact the broker on your behalf at no charge.
- File with FMCSA's Complaint Center when the broker broke federal rules: operating without authority, misrepresenting itself, or using your identity.
- Make a claim against the broker's bond or trust fund when the broker can't or won't pay.
Before you file: get your paperwork together
Every route works better with clean paperwork. Pull together:
- The signed rate confirmation and any changes to it in writing
- The bill of lading and proof of delivery
- Your invoice, with the date you sent it and how you sent it
- Every email, text and call log about the load, with names and phone numbers
- The broker's MC and USDOT numbers, and the contact details you were given
- Anything showing the broker's identity didn't match, such as a different phone number or email domain than the one listed with FMCSA
Write a short timeline while you still remember it: when the load was booked, picked up, delivered and invoiced, and every time you asked about payment.
Route 1: File a free complaint at FreightBrokerComplaint.com
FreightBrokerComplaint.com is the free complaint service we built at Logistical Forwarding Solutions for carriers who were not paid, double brokered or scammed. It exists because FMCSA does not collect money for carriers, and most small trucking companies can't afford to chase a bad broker on their own.
When you file:
- You describe what happened and upload your paperwork privately.
- We open a case and give you a private case number and link.
- An investigator reviews the facts and contacts the broker on your behalf to get their side and work toward a resolution.
- If your case also belongs with FMCSA, a bond claim or law enforcement, we tell you which and help you get the paperwork ready.
There is no charge and no membership. A complaint is treated as an allegation until the facts are checked, and nothing is published about the other company. No one can promise you'll be paid, but you won't be doing it alone. Read how freight broker complaints work.
Route 2: File with the FMCSA Complaint Center
FMCSA's complaint system is now called the FMCSA Complaint Center (it used to be the National Consumer Complaint Database). You file it online at complaint.fmcsa.dot.gov. When FMCSA updated the system, it added property brokers, so carriers can now file against brokers directly.
According to FMCSA's list of eligible complaints, complaints against property brokers cover things like:
- A broker that misrepresented its operations to you as a carrier
- A broker operating without the required authority, insurance or registration
- A broker brokering under a name other than the one it's registered under
- Improper rebating or compensation practices, or not keeping required records
- Registration fraud and identity theft, such as someone using your USDOT or MC number without permission
To file, you choose "Industry Professional," pick who the complaint is against, describe what happened with dates and places, search for the company by name or DOT number, upload your documents, and save your case number. FMCSA reviews the complaint and tells you whether it is "actionable or non-actionable." See FMCSA's how to file a complaint page for the current steps.
What FMCSA does not do: it does not collect your money. FMCSA's own guidance says it "does not act as an intermediary in disputes" over broker bonds and trust funds. A complaint builds a federal record and can lead to enforcement against a bad broker, but it won't put a check in your mailbox. That's why the other two routes matter.
Route 3: Claim against the broker's bond or trust fund
Every licensed property broker has to keep $75,000 in financial security, either a BMC-84 surety bond or a BMC-85 trust fund (49 CFR 387.307). You can look up which company holds a broker's bond or trust on FMCSA's licensing and insurance records.
A few things to know, plainly:
- The claim goes to the surety or trust provider, not to FMCSA.
- If the broker fails financially and its bond or trust is cancelled, FMCSA posts a notice in the FMCSA Register, and a 60-day claim period starts from that posting (FMCSA rule FAQs). Miss that window and you may be shut out.
- $75,000 is shared by everyone the broker owes. When a broker goes under owing many carriers, the payout per carrier can be small, and late filers can get nothing. File early.
What about double brokering and identity theft?
Double brokering, fake rate confirmations and impersonation are fraud. Beyond the routes above, FMCSA's broker and carrier fraud page lists where to report them, including the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. If your own MC or USDOT number was used, report it to FMCSA right away and tell the brokers you work with. Our freight fraud guide covers the warning signs.
How to avoid needing a complaint next time
Most of the carriers who call us after a bad load skipped one step. Before you haul for a broker you don't know:
- Check the broker's authority, bond and contact details on FMCSA's records, and call the phone number listed there, not the one in the email.
- Run a credit check. A good factoring company can do this for you before you book.
- Get every change to the rate confirmation in writing.
- Watch for pressure: rushed bookings, rates far above the market, or a "dispatcher" you've never met offering loads off a board.
This is the carrier-first way to run a trucking company: verify before you haul, document while you haul, and get paid after you haul. If you'd like help setting up that kind of process, see our carrier setup and dispatch services.
Common questions
Is it free to file a complaint against a freight broker? Yes. Filing with FMCSA is free, and so is filing at FreightBrokerComplaint.com, including the investigation.
Will FMCSA make the broker pay me? No. FMCSA reviews complaints and can take enforcement action, but it does not collect payments or act as a go-between on bond claims.
How long do I have to file a bond claim? When a broker's bond or trust is cancelled after a financial failure, the claim period is 60 days from FMCSA's notice in the FMCSA Register. Don't wait for that notice if you can file sooner.
Can I file if I used a factoring company? Yes, but talk to your factoring company first. Depending on your agreement, they may already be pursuing the broker, and they'll have the payment records.
This article is general information for carriers, not legal advice. For a large claim, talk with a transportation attorney.
