# FMCSA Carrier Vetting - Authority, Insurance & Risk Flags (`kdhan/fmcsa-carrier-vetting`) Actor

Check a US trucking carrier or broker by USDOT number, MC number or name using official FMCSA open data: operating authority status, insurance on file, suspension/revocation history and plain-rule risk flags, each with the field that triggered it. No contact details, no scraping, no API key.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/kdhan/fmcsa-carrier-vetting.md
- **Developed by:** [Doohan Kim](https://apify.com/kdhan) (community)
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $20.00 / 1,000 carrier records

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## FMCSA Carrier Vetting - Authority, Insurance, Revocations and Risk Flags

Check a US trucking carrier or freight broker before you hand it a load. Give a **USDOT number**,
an **MC number** or a **company name** and get one record per carrier built from the official
FMCSA open data on data.transportation.gov. No scraping, no API key.

This is a vetting tool, not a sales-lead list: **phone numbers, emails and contact names are
deliberately not returned.**

### What you get (one row per carrier)

| Section | Fields |
|---|---|
| Identity | `usdotNumber`, `mcNumbers`, `legalName`, `dbaName`, `address` (city, state, ZIP), `operationType`, `powerUnits`, `drivers`, `registeredOn`, `lastUpdatedOn` |
| Authority | `authorities[]`: docket, type (motor carrier / broker / freight forwarder), status (Active, Inactive, Pending, Withdrawn), date and reason of the last status change |
| Insurance | `insurance.requirements[]` (required vs on-file liability, cargo, bond), `activePolicies[]` (insurer, coverage limit, effective date), `recentHistory[]` (cancellations and replacements) |
| Sanctions | `sanctions.records[]`: suspension and revocation orders with dates |
| Risk flags | `riskFlags` (codes) and `riskFlagDetails[]` - every flag lists the dataset and the column/value that triggered it |
| Freshness | `dataAsOf` (last update time of each FMCSA dataset used), `disclaimer` |

#### Risk flags

Simple rules, each with its evidence in `riskFlagDetails[].evidence`:

`AUTHORITY_INACTIVE`, `AUTHORITY_SUSPENDED`, `AUTHORITY_REVOKED`, `AUTHORITY_PENDING`,
`AUTHORITY_WITHDRAWN`, `AUTHORITY_STATUS_CHANGED_RECENTLY` (last 90 days; administrative
corrections are ignored), `SUSPENSION_OR_REVOCATION_ON_RECORD`, `INSURANCE_NOT_ON_FILE`,
`INSURANCE_BELOW_REQUIRED`, `CARGO_INSURANCE_NOT_ON_FILE`, `BOND_NOT_ON_FILE`,
`INSURANCE_CANCELLATION_SCHEDULED`, `INSURANCE_CANCELLED_RECENTLY`, `NEWLY_REGISTERED`
(under 90 days), `USDOT_INACTIVE`, `PRIOR_REVOCATION_FLAG`, `BOC3_NOT_ON_FILE`,
`NO_OPERATING_AUTHORITY_ON_FILE`, `SHARED_ADDRESS`, `SHARED_BUSINESS_NUMBER`, `DATA_MISMATCH`,
`PARTIAL_DATA`.

A flag is a reason to look closer, not a verdict. Many are normal for some carriers (for example a
private fleet has no operating authority, and a large company can share an address with its
subsidiaries).

#### No silent failures

- An input that matches nothing is returned as `found: false` with a `reason`.
- If FMCSA could not be queried at all, the row has `found: null` and an `error` - it does **not**
  claim the carrier does not exist.
- If only some datasets fail, the row is still returned, the failed section carries an `error`,
  `sectionErrors` lists it, and the `PARTIAL_DATA` flag is raised. A missing insurance section is
  never read as "no insurance".
- Related-registration checks that cannot be run say `not checked`.

### Input

```json
{
  "usdotNumbers": ["80806"],
  "mcNumbers": ["MC-135797"],
  "companyNames": ["j b hunt"],
  "state": "AR",
  "maxResults": 10
}
```

All fields are optional. With an empty input the Actor checks an example carrier (USDOT 80806).
`state` only narrows company name searches. `maxResults` caps the carriers returned per name.
Set `checkRelatedRegistrations` to `false` to skip the same-address / same-business-number lookups.

### Pricing

Pay-per-event, event name `carrier-record` (one carrier returned). Inputs that are not found are
not charged. Suggested price: **$0.004 per record**.

### Data sources

Company Census File (`az4n-8mr2`) and the FMCSA "Motus" operating-authority datasets in their
"All With History" form: Carrier (`inys-ebih`), Insur (`c5y8-a4uz`), InsHist (`3uet-3z4i`),
AuthHist (`yu5v-wbh6`), RevokeSuspend (`wb4f-neki`), BOC3 (`6snj-ed7q`). The daily Motus files are
refreshed each morning, so records can be up to a day old - see `dataAsOf`.

Optional environment variable `SOCRATA_APP_TOKEN` raises the rate limit; the Actor works without it
and retries with exponential back-off when throttled.

### Limits

- FMCSA public data only; it does not include safety scores, crash or inspection data.
- Insurance filings show what FMCSA has on file, not whether a policy is truly in force today.
- FMCSA public data, provided for informational purposes only; not legal advice; verify with
  FMCSA before relying on it.

# Actor input Schema

## `usdotNumbers` (type: `array`):

USDOT numbers, for example 80806.

## `mcNumbers` (type: `array`):

Docket numbers, with or without the prefix: MC-135797 or 135797 (FF- and MX- also work).

## `companyNames` (type: `array`):

Partial match on legal name or DBA name (at least 3 characters). Active registrations are listed first.

## `state` (type: `string`):

Two-letter state code of the physical address, for example TX. Only narrows company name searches.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Upper limit of carriers returned for each company name. You are charged per carrier record returned.

## `checkRelatedRegistrations` (type: `boolean`):

Also look for other registrations at the same address or with the same D-U-N-S business number (2 extra lookups per carrier).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "usdotNumbers": [
    "80806"
  ],
  "maxResults": 10,
  "checkRelatedRegistrations": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `carriers` (type: `string`):

Identity, operating authority, insurance, suspension/revocation history, risk flags with evidence, data freshness and disclaimer.

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "usdotNumbers": [
        "80806"
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("kdhan/fmcsa-carrier-vetting").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "usdotNumbers": ["80806"] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("kdhan/fmcsa-carrier-vetting").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "usdotNumbers": [
    "80806"
  ]
}' |
apify call kdhan/fmcsa-carrier-vetting --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,kdhan/fmcsa-carrier-vetting"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/27OT5GwktxdJBhKC0/builds/fXMY2qRa6eCdMII56/openapi.json