Double-brokering

Double-brokering is the practice (often fraudulent) of a carrier or broker re-brokering a load they accepted from another broker without authorization, typically to a downstream carrier at a discounted rate while pocketing the spread.

Double-brokering creates layered liability problems: the original broker thinks they booked Carrier A; Carrier A actually hands the load to Carrier B; if the load is lost or causes a crash, the legitimate carrier on the rate confirmation is not the operating party.

Fraud variants include carriers using stolen MC numbers, fake LLCs registered with cloned identities, and unauthorized re-brokering at scale by intermediaries with no actual capacity.

Why this matters for freight brokers

Double-brokering is one of the highest-frequency operational fraud categories. Driver-identity verification at pickup, phone verification against FMCSA-registered numbers, and FreightGuard report checks are the standard defenses.

Related terms

• Identity fraud (in freight brokering) — Identity fraud in freight brokering is the impersonation of a legitimate motor carrier (or broker) using stolen or cloned MC numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, or business identities to fraudulently book loads.
• FreightGuard — FreightGuard is the broker-to-broker complaint database maintained by Carrier411, aggregating broker-submitted reports of carrier issues including double-brokering, identity fraud, and safety concerns.
• MC number (Motor Carrier number) — An MC number is the operating authority registration number FMCSA issues to motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders authorized to operate in interstate commerce.