Knowledge · 8 min read

Jakub Wujec

Last reviewed: 1 August 2026

How to verify a carrier before you book the load

Verify a carrier in this order on booking day: company register, transport licence, VAT, insurance when you have plates, then email and domain against the register. One odd result means pause and review, not automatic rejection. Use the tutorials linked below for register-level click paths.

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.
Confirm vehicle MTPL for the booked plate on pickup day when plates are known.
Verify cargo or CMR liability from the policy document: policy holder, dates, limits and territorial scope.
Compare domain and email with the register address.
Write down who cleared the carrier and what sources you used.

Order of checks before you book

This page is a verification router: the sequence to follow, plus where the detailed tutorials live. Polish example below; other countries keep the same order with different portals.

Step 1: company register

Pull a fresh extract. Poland: KRS for companies, CEIDG for sole traders. Read status, address, representatives, and recent ownership or board change.

Tutorial: Company register carrier check.

Step 2: transport licence

Open the national road transport register for the carrier country. Confirm community or national licence scope for your lane and vehicle type.

Tutorial: Transport licence verification.

Step 3: VAT

Validate the invoice VAT ID in VIES and any local list. Match the registered name to the invoice and company register.

Tutorial: VAT and VIES carrier check.

Step 4: vehicle MTPL when you have plates

For Polish plates, check UFG on pickup day for OC status. Bureau output may include the insurer, policy number, and vehicle description, depending on the country.

Tutorial: UFG vehicle insurance Poland.

Step 5: cargo or CMR liability from the policy document

Verify policy holder, dates, limits and territorial scope from the cargo or CMR policy document. Do not treat a plate bureau result as proof of cargo cover.

Tutorial: Carrier liability insurance check.

Step 6: email and domain

Compare domain age, website address, phone, and email with the register. Fake carrier cases often start in the inbox.

Patterns: How to detect a fake carrier.

Step 7: decide and file

Approve, ask for more papers, or stop before pickup details go out. Keep dated register proof in the load file.

Carrier from another country

Same order: register, licence, VAT, insurance, contact. Only the portals change. For Romania, follow How to verify a Romanian carrier (ANAF RegistruTVA, ARR, VIES; ONRC BPI is login-walled).

Poland: KRS or CEIDG, KREPTD, VIES, VAT whitelist, UFG with plates.
Romania: ANAF, ARR, AIDA with plates, VIES; BPI via ONRC login when needed.
Czechia, Slovakia, Baltics, Bulgaria: same five buckets, local registers in Documentation.

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. For the full documentation list, see Carrier verification before assigning a load. A TIMOCOM or Trans.eu profile is a first filter, not that file. [Is freight exchange verification enough](/knowledge/is-freight-exchange-verification-enough).

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

Read the register line for community licence versus national permit.

Cargo policy holder on a different legal name

Get an updated cargo or CMR policy tied to the carrier you contract with. Plate bureau MTPL is a separate check.

Everything checked except email

Fake carrier cases often start with a fresh domain and a plausible rate.

Automate the register sequence

Opening five government portals by hand is often 20 to 40 minutes per carrier. Certica collects register, licence, VAT, insurance when plates are provided, and domain data in one request, then flags risk signals before pickup. The PDF is an audit trail, not the main product.

Same verification order across supported countries; country code selects the registers.
Risk signals highlight what needs a human before pickup.
Typical response time: most checks complete in 10-40 seconds, depending on the country and registry availability. Some registries may take longer when official services are slow or unavailable.

Certica

Don't want to do this on every booking?

Certica pulls data from the same registers, checks it, and shows a clear result: what is OK, and what needs clarifying before loading.

Check 20 carriers for free

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.

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 such as UFG or AIDA.

Is a company register extract enough?

No. You still need licence, VAT, insurance where applicable, and contact checks.

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