Which regulator covers which activity
Interstate trucking and freight brokerage are overseen by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which handles operating authority, safety oversight, and broker financial security. Ocean transportation intermediaries, including non-vessel-operating common carriers and ocean freight forwarders, are licensed or registered with the Federal Maritime Commission. Transacting customs business on behalf of others generally requires a customs broker license issued by CBP. Hazardous materials shipments bring separate requirements, and New York has its own rules for intrastate carriers and commercial vehicles. Holding one license does not cover activities that fall under another agency.
Where problems usually start
Recurring issues include arranging loads as a broker while holding only carrier authority, double brokering, insurance gaps, driver classification, and contracts that shift liability in ways the parties did not intend. Cargo loss and damage claims often turn on the paperwork, and notice and filing deadlines for those claims can be short. Regulatory reviews and shipper claims can expose weak records. A carrier or broker that has grown through acquisitions sometimes discovers that registrations, insurance filings, and contract templates never caught up with the new operations. Keep operating authority documents, insurance certificates, rate confirmations, bills of lading, and carrier-broker agreements in an organized file.
What we review first
We begin by mapping what your business actually does against the authorities and registrations it holds. We review contracts with shippers, carriers, and customers, and look at whether insurance matches the liability those contracts create. If a regulator has opened a review or a claim has been filed, we look at the deadlines and the records needed to respond. We also flag customs and trade issues where cross-border freight is involved, since those connect to the duty and tax side of the business.
