Licensed Freight Broker You Don’t Have to Take on Faith
MC# 266554. USDOT# 2216268. Bonded, insured, and CTB-staffed. See exactly what “licensed freight broker” means for your freight program.
DOT# 2216268
MC# 266554
Cage# 6AU55
A licensed freight broker is a company that holds active FMCSA operating authority (an MC number) and a $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond, allowing it to legally arrange freight transportation between shippers and carriers. TLI has held this operating authority since 1994.
Trust Backed by Proof.
“Trust is no longer enough.”1 According to Highway’s Q2 2026 Freight Fraud Index, communication-based attacks now account for half of all classified freight fraud, leading the company to conclude that “trust itself became the attack surface” (Highway, 2026). Freight fraud and double-brokering cost shippers billions every year, often because a broker’s credentials were never verified before freight was tendered. TLI is a federally licensed, bonded property broker, and our credentials are public record. It is critical these days to verify your vendors before you trust them.
| Credential | TLI’s Record |
|---|---|
| FMCSA Operating Authority (MC#) | MC-266554 |
| USDOT Number | 2216268 |
| Authority Type | Property Broker (Active) |
| Surety Bond | BMC-84 Broker Bond on file |
| Incorporated | Pennsylvania, 1994 |
| Headquarters | Exton, PA |
How to Verify a Freight Broker has Active Operating Authority
Verifying a broker’s license takes less than a minute. Go to FMCSA’s SAFER System and search by the MC number, or USDOT number. Once you pull up the record, check that “Operating Authority Status” reads Active under Property, and confirm the company shows a BMC-84 surety bond on file. Please be advised that an active authority with a lapsed bond is a major red flag. If anything shows as revoked, suspended, or pending, treat that as a hard stop before tendering freight.
Verify TLI’s MC#266554 and USDOT#2216268 on FMCSA SAFER →
A Real Team Behind Your Freight.
Translogistics, Inc. (d/b/a TLI) has operated as an FMCSA-licensed, bonded property broker since 1994, over 30 years without a lapse in authority. TLI operates from our corporate headquarters in Exton, Pennsylvania, where our logistics professionals manage transportation solutions for manufacturers, distributors, and organizations across North America. Unlike anonymous online freight marketplaces or brokers operating behind virtual addresses overseas, our dream team works from a dedicated office with real people responsible for every customer relationship, shipment, and transportation decision.
Corporate Headquarters
Translogistics, Inc (TLI)
1 E Uwchlan Ave, Suite 301
Exton, PA 19341
From this location, we coordinate carrier sourcing, freight optimization, managed transportation services, freight audit, claims management, and technology solutions through our proprietary TMS platform. Our customers have a direct connection to the people managing their freight, not a call center, or rotating network of unknown contacts.
- A reputation built on measurable customer satisfaction: TLI has earned recognition as one of the highest-rated 3PL providers on Google, with 430+ verified customer reviews reflecting consistent service, responsiveness, and accountability across thousands of shipment interactions.
- Multiple Certified Transportation Brokers (CTB) on staff, including a company officer, CTB is a credential earned through TIA that requires passing an exam on broker-carrier law, contracts, and compliance. It’s the closest thing our industry has to a professional license layered on top of the legal one.
- Sustainability Program: EPA SmartWay Certified Transport Partner
- Trust earned through transparency and accountability: Many transportation providers operate with limited visibility, TLI’s customer feedback highlights the importance of having a dedicated logistics partner that communicates, solves problems, and takes ownership when supply chain challenges arise.
- TIA Member: Transportation Intermediaries Association, the industry’s self-governing trade body for licensed brokers
For more than three decades, TLI has built its reputation on accountability, transparency, and doing logistics the right way. When you trust someone with your freight, you should know exactly who is handling it, where they operate, and who is standing behind the service.
What shippers say about TLI
“I can’t say enough about the dedication of Lorraine and Ashley. They are both incredibly knowledgeable, responsive, and always go the extra mile to ensure everything runs smoothly. Whether it’s problem-solving, coordinating shipments, or keeping communication clear, they handle it all with efficiency and a great attitude. It’s a pleasure working with such a reliable team!”
-Allison Kline
“I do not use this type of service very often. Translogistics made it very easy accomplish what I needed to get done. Mary Messinger in particular was very understanding and patient and helped me in every way possible to make sure I had all the information. I will without a doubt be using Translogistics again.”
– Andy DeOrzio
“Translogistics stands out as one of the best 3PL providers out there. We’ve partnered with them for our LTL shipping needs over a year ago, and their reliability, responsiveness, and deep industry knowledge have made a significant difference in our operations.
Their ability to secure competitive rates, maintain clear communication and superior customer service has helped us optimize our supply chain and better serve our customers. In a time-sensitive industry like ours, having a logistics partner we can truly count on is invaluable.”
-Robert Riviera
What Does It Mean to Be a Licensed Freight Broker?
A licensed freight broker isn’t a marketing phrase, it’s a legal status granted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). To legally arrange freight transportation between shippers and carriers, a company must:
- Hold active FMCSA operating authority (an MC number) as a property broker
- Carry a $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond, which protects carriers if the broker fails to pay or fulfill contractual obligations
- Stay in continuous compliance with FMCSA reporting requirements or risk having that authority revoked
A freight broker is not simply any company that arranges transportation. Under federal law, a broker is defined as “a person who, for compensation, arranges, or offers to arrange, the transportation of property by an authorized motor carrier”2 (49 C.F.R. § 371.2, 2026). To legally operate as a broker in interstate commerce, a company must obtain broker authority through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and maintain the required financial security. Federal statute requires each registered broker to provide $75,000 in financial security, either through a surety bond (BMC-84) or a trust fund agreement (BMC-85), as a condition of operating authority3 (49 U.S.C. § 13906(b)(3), 2026). This requirement exists to provide a financial safeguard for carriers and shippers, but it does not independently verify a broker’s operational integrity, business practices, or commitment to preventing fraud.
Not every company that calls itself a “freight broker” meets the regulatory standards required to operate, and even companies that once qualified do not always remain compliant. Operating authority can be revoked. Surety bonds can lapse. Fraudulent companies can hide behind legitimate-looking MC numbers, impersonate established brokers, and disappear after accepting a shipment or collecting payment. This is the foundation of many double-brokering schemes: a bad actor misrepresents itself as a trusted logistics provider, takes control of a shipment, and leaves the legitimate carrier unpaid. So for example not many “independent agents” are licensed freight brokers or perform comprehensive carrier vetting. Before trusting them with your freight, verify both their operating authority and their carrier qualification process.
Carrier Vetting:
The risks extend beyond double brokering. Carriers with inadequate vetting procedures can create additional exposure through cargo theft, unauthorized rebrokering, freight hostage situations, and supply chain disruptions. That is why motor carrier verification and ongoing compliance monitoring are not optional; they are a critical part of protecting every shipment.
At TLI, we prioritize carrier sourcing and compliance because the lowest buy rate is not always the lowest cost. Saving $100 on transportation means very little if a shipment worth $100,000 or more is delayed, stolen, or compromised by the wrong carrier. A reliable supply chain requires more than competitive pricing. It requires trust, visibility, and confidence that every carrier handling your freight has been properly vetted.
What an Unlicensed or Non-Compliant Broker Costs You
If you are delegating carrier sourcing, RFP management, contract negotiation, or freight execution to a broker, you are doing more than outsourcing transportation. You are extending that provider access to your carrier relationships, your freight spend, your customer commitments, and potentially your legal exposure. A qualified transportation partner should operate as an extension of your logistics team.
They should have active operating authority, proper bonding, established carrier vetting procedures, documented compliance processes, and the resources to protect your freight when something goes wrong. A broker without proper authority, or operational support can expose your company to:
Double Brokering and Freight Hostage Situations:
When a broker fails to properly verify carriers, your shipment may be unknowingly transferred to another party without your approval. This creates a double-brokering scenario where the original broker collects payment, the unauthorized intermediary takes control of the shipment, and the actual carrier may never receive payment.
When legitimate carriers are left unpaid, some may refuse delivery, hold freight hostage until payment disputes are resolved, or create costly supply chain disruptions. For high-value shipments, the damage can extend far beyond transportation costs. Production schedules, customer commitments, and revenue can all be impacted.
Proper carrier vetting is not simply checking whether a motor carrier has an MC number. It requires validating operating authority, insurance coverage, safety records, ownership information, equipment history, ELD updates, contact information, and ongoing compliance indicators.
Cargo Claims Without Proper Support or Recourse:
Many shippers assume that if freight is damaged or lost, the transportation provider will manage the process from start to finish. Unfortunately, that is not the case. A value-driven transportation partner understands the responsibilities established under the Carmack Amendment, the federal framework governing motor carrier liability for interstate freight transportation. They understand claim timelines, documentation requirements, carrier obligations, and how to properly pursue recovery from responsible parties.
Many brokers simply pass the claim process back to the shipper, leaving your team responsible for gathering documentation, communicating with carriers, disputing denials, and navigating a complex claims process internally. At TLI, we believe a transportation partner should stand beside the shipper throughout the entire lifecycle of the shipment, not disappear when a problem occurs. We file freight claims on behalf of shippers, and 100% of the carrier settlement is remitted back to the shipper.
Increased Vendor Compliance and Audit Exposure:
Large manufacturers, distributors, and publicly traded companies are increasingly strengthening vendor risk management requirements. Transportation providers are often required to demonstrate active licensing, insurance compliance, cybersecurity practices, financial stability, and documented operational controls.
Using a transportation provider without proper compliance documentation can create unnecessary exposure during customer audits, internal reviews, and supply chain assessments. Your logistics providers represent your company in the marketplace. Their compliance practices become part of your risk profile. At TLI we can use these requirements to your advantage, such as our EPA standing as being SmartWay Certified.
Disrupted RFP Cycles and Lost Transportation Leverage:
A transportation partner’s compliance status matters long before a shipment moves. If a broker’s authority is suspended, insurance lapses, or carrier relationships deteriorate during a contract period, your company may suddenly be forced into emergency sourcing.
Instead of strategically managing transportation costs, your team is reacting to operational disruptions, rebuilding carrier networks, and restarting RFP processes under pressure. A true logistics partner helps protect continuity by maintaining qualified carrier capacity before problems occur. Worse yet, many shippers are simply shipping freight with blanket and generic pricing, when TLI can source them much more competitive base rates via our Transportation RFP service. Rather than opting for speed, it is best to get your supply chain program established properly using the right rating engine and contract types.
No Freight Audit or Spend Visibility:
Traditional brokerage often stops once the load is booked and delivered. That leaves significant opportunities for cost recovery and optimization untouched.
Without a freight invoice audit program, shippers pay incorrect accessorials, duplicate charges, incorrect classifications, inaccurate fuel surcharges, or billing discrepancies without ever knowing. TLI provides a more complete transportation solution by combining brokerage execution with freight audit capabilities, historical shipment analysis, carrier performance insights, and technology-driven visibility. Our goal is not simply to move freight. We want a sustainable program that has fair pricing, and carriers being held accountable to the rates they quoted. Our goal is to help shippers understand their transportation network, reduce unnecessary costs, and make better logistics decisions.
Transportation Requires More Than a Truck:
The lowest transportation price does not always represent the lowest transportation cost. A carrier that saves $100 on a shipment can create thousands of dollars in damage when freight is delayed, damaged, held hostage, or handled improperly.
TLI was built to provide more than traditional freight brokerage. We combine carrier sourcing, compliance oversight, transportation technology, managed transportation capabilities, and freight audit services to give shippers confidence that their freight is handled by qualified professionals from pickup through payment. The biggest takeaway for shippers is that authority alone does not equal compliance, when you want a scalable program that is run properly opt for TLI.
What TLI Offers After Onboarding
Being licensed means you can trust us with the freight. What keeps shippers staying with us is what happens after that:
- Free Carrier RFP & Savings Analysis: before you commit to anything, TLI runs your lane data through a no-obligation carrier bid process. Most shippers see 10–20% savings on contracted rates within the first RFP cycle.
- ViewPoint TMS: our proprietary transportation management system, with ERP connectivity to, so your freight data lives next to the rest of your business data instead of in a broker’s black box.
- Freight Audits: line-by-line invoice auditing that has recovered $634,000+ in overcharges for shippers last year.
- Forwarding solutions: structured co-brokerage support for shippers and partners who need transparent, compliant collaboration instead of the kind of undisclosed re-brokering that causes fraud in the first place.
- 30,000+ vetted carrier network: every carrier in our network is screened for their own authority, insurance, and safety record before they touch your freight.
- 4.9★ average across 430+ Google reviews: this kind of value-driven consistency that doesn’t happen by accident over three decades.
Worked with the rest? Try the best!
Whether you need a carrier RFP, a full managed program, or a rate on your next shipment, TLI is built for how enterprise shippers actually operate.
Citations
- Highway, Freight Fraud Index: Q2 2026, available at https://email.highway.com/hubfs/Highway%20Freight%20Fraud%20Index%20-%20Q2%202026.pdf ↩︎
- 49 C.F.R. § 371.2. (2026). Definitions. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49, Part 371. Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/371.2 ↩︎
- 49 U.S.C. § 13906(b)(3). (2026). Security of motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders. United States Code, Title 49. Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49/13906 ↩︎
FAQ:
You can verify any freight broker’s operating authority for free using the FMCSA’s SAFER system. Search the company by name, MC number, or USDOT number, and confirm the “Operating Authority” status shows as active for “Property” (brokers arranging property transportation, as opposed to household goods or passenger authority). You should also confirm the broker carries an active BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust fund, since authority alone can be reinstated or suspended independently of bonding status.
A BMC-84 is a $75,000 surety bond that federal law requires every licensed property broker to carry. It exists to protect carriers financially if a broker fails to pay for services rendered or otherwise breaches its contractual obligations. A broker without a bond on file cannot legally hold active operating authority.
If a shipper knowingly, or in some cases negligently, uses an unlicensed broker that contributes to cargo theft, fraud, or an accident, the lack of due diligence could be used as evidence in litigation. If an unauthorized broker fails to pay the motor carrier, the carrier may pursue the shipper directly under certain circumstances, particularly if the shipper has not clearly discharged its payment obligations through enforceable contracts. Many insurance policies and customer contracts require the use of properly licensed transportation providers. Using an unauthorized broker can create coverage disputes or place the shipper in breach of contractual obligations.
A freight broker arranges transportation between a shipper and a carrier but never takes physical possession of the freight or issues its own bill of lading. A freight forwarder, by contrast, can take possession of goods, consolidate shipments, and issue its own transportation documents, and is regulated differently under federal law.
Yes. FMCSA can revoke or suspend a broker’s operating authority for failing to maintain required financial security, for repeated compliance violations, or for fraudulent conduct. Because authority status can change, a broker being “licensed” at some point in the past doesn’t guarantee it’s licensed today, this is why re-verifying an active broker’s status periodically, particularly before a large contract or RFP cycle, matters.
No. FMCSA licensing confirms the broker itself is legally authorized to arrange freight and has met the required bonding, but it says nothing about how carefully that broker vets the carriers it hires. Carrier vetting, verifying a carrier’s own authority, insurance, safety record, and equipment, is a separate, voluntary practice that varies widely between brokers.
TLI has operated as an FMCSA-licensed, bonded property broker continuously since 1994, without a lapse in operating authority.