Knowledge · 8 min read

Jakub Wujec

How to verify a carrier before you book the load

To verify a carrier, pull the business register, transport licence register, VIES, insurance source when you have plates, and compare email to registry data on the booking day. Work in that order: legal entity, right to haul, tax ID, cover, then contact. One odd result means pause and review, not automatic rejection.

Key checks before you assign the load

Start with a fresh company register extract, not last month’s file.
Read licence status in the official transport register for that country.
Match VAT name to the invoice entity in VIES and local lists.
Check insurance on the company you will pay, not a related name.
Compare domain and email with the register address.
Write down who cleared the carrier and what sources you used.

How to verify a freight carrier step by step

Company existence alone is not carrier verification. A company can exist and still need deeper checks before you assign a load.

Polish sp. z o.o.: KRS plus KREPTD plus VIES plus UFG when you have plates. Romanian operators: ANAF plus ARR plus AIDA when you have plates. Czechia: ARES plus RPSD plus ČKP with plates. See Documentation for the full map per country.

1. Register: legal form, status, address, recent ownership or board change.
2. Licence: community or national licence valid for your lane and goods type.
3. VAT: active status and name match on invoice.
4. Insurance: policy holder and expiry when the register or plate check applies.
5. Contact: domain age, website address, phone and email versus register.
6. Decision: approve, ask for more papers, or stop before pickup details go out.

Core checks before you assign a load
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.

Country-specific register entry points

How to verify a carrier changes by country because registers differ. Certica runs VIES and Domain on every supported country; national sources are listed in Documentation.

Poland: KRS or CEIDG, REGON, RAR, KREPTD, UFG with plates, VAT whitelist.
Romania: ANAF, ARR operator and vehicle with plates, AIDA RCA with plates.
Slovakia: ORSR, ZRSR, JISCD, SKP with plates.
Czechia: ARES, RPSD, RŽP, ČKP with plates.
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria: see Documentation for the live source set.

What to document before assigning the load

Carrier due diligence is defensible when the load file shows the same checks you ran 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.

Red flags and common mistakes

Register address does not match invoice or website

May indicate a mailbox company or impersonation. Ask before you release cargo details.

Licence valid for domestic only on an international lane

Scope matters. Read the register line for community licence versus national permit.

Insurance policy on a different legal name

Common after a rebrand. Get an updated policy tied to the carrier you contract with.

Everything checked except email

Fake carrier cases often start with a fresh domain and a plausible rate. Domain checks belong in the same pass.

How Certica supports how you verify a carrier

Certica automatically collects and analyses carrier verification data, detects risk signals, and supports your decision before a load is assigned.

Instead of opening five government portals, send VAT ID, country, email, and plates. Certica returns verification results and registry extracts for the countries we support.

Countries in production: PL, RO, SK, LT, LV, BG, CZ, EE, FR.
Risk signals highlight what needs a human before pickup.
PDF audit trail when your process requires signed-off documentation.

Official sources

FAQ

How long does manual carrier verification take?

Opening each portal yourself is often 20 to 40 minutes per carrier depending on country. Certica: results usually return in seconds to a few minutes, depending on registry availability.

What is the minimum to verify a new carrier?

Register, licence, VAT, and contact on booking day. Add insurance when you have plates or when your policy requires it before the first load.

Can I verify a carrier with only the VAT number?

VAT plus country is enough to start register and VIES checks. Plates unlock insurance sources marked (plate) in Documentation, such as UFG or AIDA.

Which countries does Certica support?

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.

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.

Check 20 carriers for free

No card required. Results usually return in seconds to a few minutes, depending on registry availability.