Checklist · 8 min read
Jakub Wujec
New carrier verification checklist before you assign a load
This new carrier verification checklist covers five steps before you book: company active in the register, transport licence OK for your lane, VAT that matches, insurance that covers today, and contact details that fit the paperwork. One odd result is not proof of fraud. It is a reason to pause before you send pickup info.
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
- Pull a current extract from the national business register.
- Read transport licence status in the official register, not on a scan from email.
- Check VAT in VIES and local lists where your country has them.
- Get cargo insurance and check dates and policy holder name.
- Compare email, website, and phone with the register address.
- If something important is missing or dates clash, stop until it is cleared.
What to check before the first load
Use this carrier vetting checklist every time, even when the rate is good and the lane is familiar. Friday evening urgency is when people skip a step.
- Legal form, company status, recent changes in the register.
- Transport or community licence for the route and vehicle type.
- VAT active and consistent with the invoice name.
- Insurance policy tied to the entity you will contract with.
- Email and domain that match what KRS or CEIDG says.
Company register checks
Company existence alone is not carrier verification. A company can exist and still need deeper checks before you assign a load.
Start with a fresh extract. Poland: KRS for sp. z o.o., CEIDG for sole traders. Romania: ANAF plus financial statements and BPI insolvency bulletin. Lithuania: JAR with financial and SODRA signals. Czechia: ARES. Full list per country is in Certica Documentation.
| Check | Why it matters | Possible risk signal |
|---|---|---|
| Company status | Only active entities should haul your load | Dissolved or in liquidation: do not proceed |
| Ownership or board | Recent change may explain new contact details | Unexplained change: call before pickup |
| Address | Invoice and contact should match register | Different address without reason: ask why |
| Court or insolvency | Open proceedings affect ability to perform | RAR, BPI, or equivalent filing: escalate internally |
| Financial trends | Thin equity or rising debt affects payment risk | Negative equity or weak 3-year trend: review payment terms |
Licence, VAT, and insurance
Licence and VAT tell you if they can legally haul your load. Insurance tells you if there is cover when something breaks.
| Check | Why it matters | Possible risk signal |
|---|---|---|
| Transport licence | Proves right to haul on your lane | Missing or suspended in KREPTD, ARR, or local register |
| VAT ID | Invoice tax ID must be active today | Inactive VIES or name mismatch with register |
| Cargo insurance | Cover must exist when the truck rolls | Expired policy or policy holder not your carrier |
Email and domain checks
A lot of bad stories start here, not in KRS. Check domain age, WHOIS, and whether the website matches the company name on the register.
- Domain registered last week, company ten years old.
- Website address different from the register.
- Gmail or freemail on someone claiming forty trucks.
- Same phone or email on two unrelated carrier names.
What to document before assigning the load
Save register extracts, licence status, VAT printout, insurance confirmation, and who approved the carrier. New carrier due diligence 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.
Full verification picture
| 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. |
Red flags and common mistakes
Dead company, live VAT
Often an old VAT ID recycled. Match register and VIES before you share load details.
Licence suspended for international
Do not trust a PDF from email. Read ARR, KREPTD, or the local register yourself.
Insurance on another company
Policy holder must be your carrier. Get a current policy if names differ.
Brand-new email domain
Not fraud by itself. Worrying when everything else is off too.
How Certica supports this checklist
Certica automatically collects and analyses carrier verification data, detects risk signals, and supports your decision before a load is assigned.
Certica runs the same register, VAT, licence, insurance, and domain checks in one request. Risk signals show what needs a human before pickup.
You get a structured result and a PDF for the carrier file if your process needs one.
- Supported countries: PL, RO, SK, LT, LV, BG, CZ, EE, FR.
- Clear verification outcome in one report.
- PDF with registry extracts for compliance.
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
How long should this freight carrier checklist take by hand?
Opening each portal yourself is often 20 to 40 minutes per carrier. Certica: results usually return in seconds to a few minutes, depending on registry availability.
One red flag means scam?
No. It means look again. Combine register, licence, VAT, insurance, and contact before you approve or reject.
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 ask the carrier for papers?
Yes. Registers show official status today. Your new carrier due diligence process may still need their insurance PDF and signed terms.
Related pages
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.