Process guide · 7 min read
Jakub Wujec
Carrier verification before you assign a load
Carrier verification before assigning a load means checking the company register, transport licence, VAT, insurance, and contact details against official sources on the day you book. One mismatch is a risk signal, not a fraud verdict. Stop, clear it, then share pickup info. Company existence alone is not enough.
Based on Certica checks
Across supported registers, checks that most often need human review before load assignment are email and domain mismatches, domains registered recently compared with company age, management or ownership changes in the company register, and transport licence scope that does not fit the booked lane.
These are risk signals, not proof of fraud. They explain why a clean company register line alone is not carrier verification.
Key checks before you assign the load
- Confirm the company is active in the national business register.
- Read transport licence status in KREPTD, ARR, or the local register.
- Check VAT in VIES and local lists where your lane requires them.
- Confirm insurance is active and tied to the carrier you contract with.
- Compare email, domain, and phone with register data.
- Document what you checked before the truck rolls.
Carrier verification process step by step
Run the same carrier verification process for every new name, even when the rate is sharp and the lane is familiar.
Company existence alone is not carrier verification. A company can exist and still need deeper checks before you assign a load.
- Step 1: Pull a current register extract (KRS or CEIDG in PL, ANAF in RO, ARES in CZ, and so on).
- Step 2: Check transport licence in the national register for the route and vehicle type.
- Step 3: Validate VAT in VIES plus local whitelist where Certica or your process fetches it.
- Step 4: Confirm cargo or vehicle insurance when plates are available (UFG, AIDA, ČKP, etc.).
- Step 5: Review email domain age and whether contact details match the register.
- Step 6: Record who approved the carrier and attach extracts to the load file.
| Check | Why it matters | Possible risk signal |
|---|---|---|
| Company register | Confirms the legal entity exists and can contract for haulage today. | Dissolved, in liquidation, or recent owner or board change without explanation. |
| Transport licence | Proves the operator may haul goods on the lane and vehicle type you booked. | Missing licence, suspended status, or scope that does not cover your route. |
| VAT (VIES and local lists) | Shows the tax ID is active and matches the name on the invoice. | Inactive VIES status, name mismatch, or VAT on a dead company. |
| Cargo or vehicle insurance | Cover must exist when the truck rolls, on the entity you contract with. | Expired policy, wrong policy holder, or no record when plates are checked. |
| Email and domain | Contact details should fit the register address and company age. | Brand-new domain, freemail on a large fleet, or email that does not match KRS or CEIDG. |
What to document before assigning the load
Your carrier verification process is easier to defend when the file matches what you checked on booking day.
- Register extract or screenshot with date stamp.
- Transport licence status from the official register, not only a PDF from email.
- VIES or local VAT printout tied to the invoice name.
- Insurance confirmation with policy holder and expiry date.
- Who approved the carrier, when, and on which lane.
- Any follow-up call notes if a risk signal was cleared manually.
Registers Certica pulls by country
Today we cover Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, and France. Each country has different registers. See Documentation for the current list per country.
| Country | Sources in production |
|---|---|
| Poland | KRS, CEIDG, REGON, RAR, KREPTD, UFG (plate), VIES, VAT whitelist, Domain |
| Romania | ANAF, ANAF financial statements, BPI insolvency bulletin, ARR operator, ARR vehicle (plate), AIDA RCA (plate), VIES, Domain |
| Slovakia | ORSR, ZRSR, JISCD, SKP (plate), VIES, Domain |
| Lithuania | JAR (financial trends, SODRA), LTSA, CAB (plate), VIES, Domain |
| Czechia | ARES, RPSD, RŽP, ČKP (plate), VIES, Domain |
| Estonia | JAR, EMTA, MTR, LKF (plate), VIES, Domain |
| Latvia | UR, VID, ATD, LTAB (plate), VIES, Domain |
| Bulgaria | TheCompanyBook, RTA, Guarantee Fund (plate), VIES, Domain |
| France | SIRENE, Infotrans, BODACC, SIV (plate), VIES, Domain |
Red flags and common mistakes
Skipping the register because VAT looks fine
A live VAT ID on a dissolved company still happens. Match register status and VIES on the same day.
Trusting a licence scan from email
Read KREPTD, ARR, JISCD, or the local portal yourself. Suspended licences still arrive as PDF attachments.
Booking on a personal Gmail
Freemail is not fraud by itself. Worrying when the register shows a different address and the domain is a week old.
No file because it was a rush load
Friday evening urgency is when steps get skipped. Document anyway, even a short note beats nothing after a claim.
How Certica supports carrier verification before pickup
Certica automatically collects and analyses carrier verification data, detects risk signals, and supports your decision before a load is assigned.
Enter VAT ID, country, email, and plates when you have them. Certica fetches the supported registers for that country in parallel and evaluates company, licence, VAT, insurance, and contact data.
You get a structured verification outcome in one report. The PDF is your audit trail when compliance or insurers ask what you verified.
- Supported countries today: PL, RO, SK, LT, LV, BG, CZ, EE, FR.
- Same checks whether you use the web app or API.
- Registry extracts attached when your process needs a paper trail.
Official sources
- EU VIES VAT validation (European Commission)
- Polish National Court Register (KRS)
- Polish CEIDG sole trader register
- Polish KREPTD transport register (GITD)
- Polish court filings register (RAR)
- Romanian ANAF VAT payer register
- Romanian ONRC insolvency bulletin (BPI)
- Romanian road transport licences (ARR)
- Romanian RCA insurance database (AIDA)
- Czech ARES business register
- Bulgarian Road Transport Agency (RTA)
- Latvian open government data portal
FAQ
When should carrier verification happen?
Before you send pickup address, reference numbers, or cargo value. After that, impersonation and double brokering get harder to stop.
Is one warning enough to reject a carrier?
Not always. A recent ownership change can be legit. Read the full picture: register, licence, VAT, insurance, and contact together.
Which countries does Certica cover?
Today we cover Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Latvia, and France. Each country has different registers. See Documentation for the current list per country.
Do I still need carrier documents from email?
Yes for contracts and sometimes insurance PDFs. Registers tell you official status today. Your file should hold both.
Related pages
Knowledge base
Country guides
- Verify carrier by country
- How to verify a Polish carrier
- How to verify a Romanian carrier
- How to verify a Czech carrier
- How to verify a Slovak carrier
- How to verify a Lithuanian carrier
- How to verify a Latvian carrier
- How to verify a Bulgarian carrier
- How to verify an Estonian carrier
- How to verify a French carrier
Freight fraud
Certica
Run the same checks automatically
Certica collects registry, VAT, licence, insurance, and domain data in one run, applies risk rules, and saves a PDF audit trail before you assign the load.
No card required. Results usually return in seconds to a few minutes, depending on registry availability.