Country guide · 9 min read

Jakub Wujec

How to verify a French carrier before assigning a load

To verify a French carrier, check SIRENE for company status and address, Infotrans for the road transport licence and transport manager, BODACC for collective insolvency procedures, and VIES for VAT. Add plates for SIV vehicle data (technical register only, not MTPL). Match email and domain with SIRENE on booking day. An active SIREN in SIRENE is not the same as a valid haulage licence. Pause on any mismatch before pickup details.

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

SIRENE: legal name, headquarters address, NAF activity code, administrative status.
Infotrans: road transport register entry, licence validity and scope, transport manager on record.
BODACC: collective procedures such as sauvegarde, redressement, or liquidation judiciaire.
VIES cross-check on the invoice FR VAT number.
SIV with plates: vehicle found and body type (commercial vs passenger).
Email and domain compared with SIRENE registry data.

What to check on a French transport company

French carriers are identified by SIREN in SIRENE. Infotrans holds road transport licence status and the transport manager. Western ops often stop after SIRENE because the SIREN resolves cleanly. That misses Infotrans and BODACC insolvency signals entirely.

Company register checks

SIRENE by SIREN or SIRET: legal name, address, company active or ceased.
Registration timeline and NAF code versus stated road haulage activity.
BODACC announcements for collective insolvency or court restructuring on the same SIREN.

Transport licence checks

Infotrans: valid road transport licence for the operator you contract with.
Licence scope fits domestic and international freight on your lane.
Transport manager name on the Infotrans record where shown.

VAT checks

VIES active status and name match to SIRENE and invoice.

Insurance and plate checks

SIV (plate): vehicle resolved on the French vehicle register (technical data, not MTPL).
SIV body type: vehicle classified as commercial, not a passenger car.
Without plates Certica cannot run SIV; request insurance documents separately for MTPL proof.

French SIREN, SIRET and VAT formats

SIREN: 9 digits; primary key in SIRENE and Infotrans.
SIRET: 14 digits (SIREN plus 5-digit NIC); used on branch paperwork.
VAT ID: FR prefix plus 11 digits; VIES name must match SIRENE legal name.
Plates: new format AA123AA or legacy FNI; SIV lookup needs exact plate string.

What SIRENE alone does not prove

That Infotrans lists a road transport licence for the operator you contract with.
That BODACC shows no collective insolvency procedure on the SIREN.
That SIV will confirm a commercial truck without plate numbers.
That the booking email belongs to the transport manager on Infotrans.

Example mismatch on French lanes

SIRENE shows SAS Transport Dupont active since 2015 with matching VIES. Infotrans returns no register entry for that SIREN. The carrier sends a licence PDF from email dated last year. The risk is not "fake company", it is "company without haulage rights". Ops should pause before warehouse address and cargo value.

Official sources Certica uses for France

Certica resolves SIREN from VAT or SIRET, reads SIRENE, Infotrans licence lines, BODACC collective procedures, and SIV with plates. VIES and Domain always run.

SIRENE
Infotrans
BODACC
SIV (plate)
VIES
Domain

Documents to request from the carrier

French carriers often send Annuaire des Entreprises PDFs without date stamp and Infotrans screenshots without SIREN header. Ask for live register prints dated to booking day.

SIRENE or Annuaire des Entreprises printout with SIREN and status dated to booking.
Infotrans licence confirmation for the contracting SIREN dated to booking.
Insurance policy details when plates are not yet available.
Invoice and contract on the same legal name as SIRENE.

Email and domain checks

French impersonation cases often reuse a real SIRENE entity but switch to a .fr domain registered after a management change. Compare domain WHOIS with SIRENE headquarters city, not only the rate thread.

Domain age versus SIRENE registration date.
Booking email domain aligns with company website and SIRENE address.
Avoid trusting only a mobile number not tied to registry data.
Compare contact name with Infotrans transport manager where shown.

Limits of a French carrier check

SIRENE, Infotrans, BODACC, and SIV are separate sources. SIV confirms vehicle type only, not French MTPL. A manual Friday pass across four sites is where teams skip email checks under load-board pressure.

SIRENE confirms company identity, not fleet quality or payment behaviour.
SIV returns vehicle technical data only; it does not replace French MTPL proof.
Infotrans publishes on official update cycles; read the register line on booking day.
Manual checks across SIRENE, Infotrans, BODACC, and SIV take time under load-board pressure.

Red flags and common mistakes

SIRENE active but no Infotrans transport register entry

May indicate a forwarder without own licence or impersonation. Requires review before you release cargo details.

BODACC collective procedure on the booked SIREN

Sauvegarde, redressement, or liquidation may affect capacity to haul. Clarify before loading.

SIV shows a passenger car on booked plates

Could be wrong truck assigned or subcontracting without disclosure. Confirm vehicle type before pickup.

New .fr domain on a long-established SIREN

Worth a call to a number from SIRENE, not only the email rate offer.

How Certica supports French carrier verification

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

Send French SIREN, SIRET, or FR VAT, country FR, booking email, and tractor plates when you have them. Certica fetches SIRENE, Infotrans, BODACC, and SIV in one submission when plates unlock vehicle sources.

Infotrans licence gap surfaces even when SIRENE shows an active company.
BODACC collective procedure signals alongside register status in one run.
Plate-triggered SIV vehicle and body type check in the same job as register and licence data.

Official sources

FAQ

How do I check a French transport company?

Start with SIRENE by SIREN for company status, then Infotrans for the road transport licence. Add BODACC for insolvency signals and plates for SIV vehicle data. Compare contact details with SIRENE on booking day.

Where is the French carrier licence register?

Road transport operators are listed in Infotrans (infotrans.fr), the national register of road transport companies. Certica fetches Infotrans by SIREN.

What belongs on a French carrier verification checklist?

SIRENE register check, Infotrans licence, BODACC procedure scan, VIES, SIV with plates for vehicle type, plus email and domain against SIRENE data.

How do I verify a French carrier before assigning the load?

Run register, licence, VAT, BODACC, and contact checks on booking day. Treat one odd result as a risk signal: clear it before pickup info leaves your desk.

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.