Double brokers have been been a major problem in recent years in the supply chain industry. They're the root of a lot of headaches, and unnecessary time spent. So we made a list to help you recognize them.
- They have numerous trucks but no inspection
- It’s not very likely to have 18 trucks running for a year and have zero inspections. At worst, that’s impossible. The DOT is everywhere, or that’s what our truck drivers are saying.
- High number of Trucks relative to their age
- Trucks are expensive. Having a fleet of 24 trucks in two years is impressive. It’s possible that millionaires are choosing to get in trucking industry right now, but that many? Very unlikely. More likely a double broker thinks the big numbers make them look good.
- General names, John Brown, Joe Smiths, etc.
- How many John Smiths can you meet before it becomes suspicious? They don’t want to give you their actual name because likely it links back to their fraudulent practices somehow.
- The Dispatcher Refuses to let you talk to the driver ever. They only want you talking to them
- This doesn’t necessarily mean they are a double broker. But most truck drivers want an open line of communication in case something happens along the way. They want to be able to call the broker directly. If the dispatcher is bull-ish about not letting you talk to their driver, it could be a sign.
- The dispatcher doesn’t know where their supposed location is. Ask them where they’re based and compare it to where they put in their emails
- You would be amazed how many times this stumps a double-broker. They will say they’re based in San Diego on their emails, but they have no idea when you ask them on the phone. Barring sudden amnesia, it’s a pretty telltale sign.
- Certain types of fonts and designs in emails. Companies usually have a more professional look
- This is more of a personal decision. As a company, we have more of a belief that (for the most part) the more professional and clean the emails, the more trustworthy. If the font is all over the place, and highlighted, it might not be a legit company. Any decent sized company has someone managing their email signatures to look professional.
- Be cautious of anyone out of CA, CO, or AZ
- Freight comes out of these places, and they have legitimate carriers our in these states. But these states are also a hotbed for double-brokers and scam artists. Anytime you have deal with these areas, use extra caution.
- Driver has a magic Jack or Google Phone Number
- These style numbers can be manipulated. People can make it look like they are somewhere else. This would be an extremely valuable tool for someone trying to lie about having trucks and get your freight.
- Suspicious sounds when you talk to the dispatcher (sounds like a call center, etc)
- Every company is different. However, its unlikely that most trucking companies have so many trucks that they need to have a huge number of dispatchers. If when you call, it sounds like a telemarketing call center, then it’s likely it’s just a scam.
- They aren’t concerned about the details of the load, they just want you to send it over
- Generally, Truck drivers want to know everything about the load: Where is it now, where is it going, how much does it weigh, what is it, is it palletized, etc. They want to know EVERYTHING because they’re risking their career and sometimes life to haul it. If the person you’re on the phone with doesn’t seem to care much about details, and hit you with the patented “just send It over”, it’s probably a bad idea.
- They’ve been freight guarded
- Obvious but true. If they have past-instances for double brokering, chances are they didn’t go straight out after being Freight-Guarded and get a legit job.
- Compare their IP address to where they say they are
- If you have the capabilities and manpower to do this, it’s a great way to verify what someone is telling you is legitimate. Make sure that if they say they are located in Charleston, SC, that they’re IP address traces back to the place they have listed.
- Check the address they have on the application
- We’ve tracked people ALL over the place. It’s crazy the addresses some people will use for their ‘business’, simply hoping you won’t check. We won’t list them all, but they are surprising (looking at you, Miami’s Gentleman’s Clubs)