Avoiding Fraud: Best Practices for Shippers

At Central Dispatch, our biggest priority is your security. We’re continually working to ensure that our marketplace is the safest place to connect with the right partners to transport vehicles online, and part of that is making sure our shippers know how to identify and avoid any fraudulent accounts.

As we continually work to vet carriers, ensure only shippers can post loads, and suspend users who do not abide by our terms, there are some easy steps you can take to avoid fraud and use our marketplace with complete confidence.

Best practices for shippers:

• Always thoroughly review all documents uploaded by carriers. 
• For a quick view of every carrier’s latest authorization details, check their FMCSA verification details, visible on every company profile.
• Ask the carrier to send you a current copy of their certificate of insurance, and/or request to be added as a certificate holder.
• Verify the carrier’s operating authority via the DOT SAFER system. Note: the DOT authority is applicable for in-state transportation where they are licensed. 
• Never dispatch interstate loads with carriers who don’t have valid MC Authority, as confirmed in the DOT SAFER database.
• Always check the carrier’s Transactional Ratings to gauge how the company has performed on prior jobs and interacted with other shippers.
• Always check the price compare tool to ensure you’re getting a fair market rate.
• Always complete the dispatch process on the Central Dispatch platform. Transactions made over the phone or otherwise outside our platform create more uncertainty, and higher potential for conflicts between the two parties.
• Always be cautious of unsolicited or “look-alike” outreach asking you for account or personal information or requesting that you access unknown links or files. Help keep the marketplace a safe place for all and report suspicious activity by contacting us.
• Use the new User Management system to create individual accounts for your employees or contractors, set guardrails on what business info they can view, and eliminate the risk of sharing login credentials.
• Make sure a current email address and phone number are linked to your account, so you can use and gain an extra layer of security with our 2-step login process. It’s the best way to protect from unverified logins.

We welcome feedback from our users. Please reach out to us with any concerns or suggestions, so we can work to continually roll out new security features and policies that help make the Central Dispatch marketplace a safe place to operate for everyone.

Shippers and carriers are responsible for determining what partners they want to do business with and validating any credentials. Central Dispatch is not a party to any agreements.