With fraud on the rise in our industry, shipping vehicles safely has never been more important. While technology and platforms continue to evolve to offer better protection, shippers must also take proactive steps to safeguard their operations and ensure a smooth experience.

Secure Your Account

Sharing your sign-in details with others, even people who work for you, can expose you to fraud and unauthorized access. So, we highly recommend setting up your account to give contractors, employees or people outside your organization their own login credentials. This will minimize the risks of identity theft when sharing account credentials. Also, set guardrails on what business information they can view, helping you avoid potential account security risks.

Use systems that allow for individual user accounts with customizable permissions. Enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA), especially using a mobile phone number, adds an extra layer of protection. It’s also wise to regularly review account activity to detect any unusual behavior early and to thoroughly vet any third-party contractors before granting them access to your systems.

Be cautious about who you add as a user and always vet any third-party companies or contractors before giving them an account. 

Verify Your Carrier Before Dispatching

Many cases of fraud can be avoided with a few important security checks before dispatching. 

Before dispatching a vehicle, take time to verify the legitimacy of the carrier. Check their registration with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to ensure they have a valid USDOT and, if applicable, MC number. Authorized and reputable carriers will have this information up to date.  

Review their insurance documents and consider contacting the provider directly to confirm coverage and request to be added as a certificate of insurance (COI) holder. Reading reviews and ratings from other shippers can also provide valuable insight into a carrier’s behavior and reliability. Be cautious if you see reports of suspicious behavior or poor communication.

Secure Communications During Transit

Maintaining secure communication is another key aspect of fraud prevention. Dispatching and communicating through private phone calls, emails and texts exposes you to fraud. 

So, always dispatch vehicles using a fully electronic dispatch system. Assigning vehicles to carriers greatly reduces the risk of falling victim to fake texts and phone calls. Additionally, you may encourage your carrier partner to assign each load to a specific driver. This lets you verify the driver’s identity at pickup and gives you better visibility into your shipments. 

Get Documentation at Pickup

Before a carrier releases a vehicle to you, it’s important to confirm the delivery truck has an MC number that matches the dispatch sheet and check the driver’s license against the assigned driver on the dispatch sheet (if assigned). 

After the delivery is complete, always rate and review your carrier partner honestly. It’s a great way for the community to help each other avoid bad actors, reward honest carriers who do good work and create a more transparent marketplace for everyone.

In the Event of Fraud

If you do fall victim to fraud, it’s critical to immediately contact the authorities and file a police report in the jurisdiction of the incident. Provide any information you can to local law enforcement, report the incident to the USDOT’s Inspector General, file a complaint with the FMCSA National Consumer Complaint Database or contact the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov.

Steps We’re Taking To Help You Ship Safely

Central Dispatch is making significant strides in addressing this challenge in our industry and meaningfully reducing the level of fraud on our platform.  

We are constantly evolving our vetting process alongside the changing market landscape to ensure only legitimate companies gain access to our marketplace so shippers can more confidently find partners. 

We’ve also formed the Marketplace Integrity Team, which is dedicated to combating fraud and helping you stay secure. This team collaborates directly with Cox Security and other enterprise teams to investigate issues, deactivate fraudulent accounts and proactively protect our customers.

We’re partnering with other industry leaders to lobby Congress, advocating for stronger protections against automotive fraud and encouraging action and accountability from the FMCSA.

We all play a part in building a safer, more secure marketplace for shipping vehicles. Let’s keep working together to protect our industry from fraud and ensure Central Dispatch remains a trusted platform for everyone.