Carrier verification: why checking a licence is not enough

Carrier verification should not end with collecting documents and checking whether a company appears in an official register. In road transport, two separate questions need to be answered: is the company authorised to provide transport services, and does the person accepting the transport order actually represent that company?

This distinction matters because fraudsters do not always present entirely fictitious companies. They may use the name, registration details, documents and trading history of a legitimate carrier. From the outside, the cooperation may look like a standard B2B transaction until the assigned shipment fails to reach its destination. These mechanisms are described, among others, by TT Club in its analysis of carrier fraud and by the industry portal Trans.INFO in its article on fraudulent subcontractors.

In practice, a freight forwarder should verify four areas:

• Identity: Does the company exist, and do its details match those of the entity entering into the contract?
• Authorisations: Is the carrier legally permitted to perform the transport in question?
• Reliability: Are the documents and information concerning insurance, contact details and business arrangements consistent?
• Execution: Do the vehicle and driver arriving for loading match the details previously verified?

No single document can answer all these questions. Only cross-checking the available information makes it possible to assess the risk associated with a particular transport order.

1. Check the company in KREPTD, CEIDG or KRS

The first stage of carrier verification should rely on independent sources, rather than exclusively on documents supplied by the potential subcontractor.

KREPTD — transport authorisations

The primary tool for verifying a Polish road transport business is the National Electronic Register of Road Transport Businesses (KREPTD).

Depending on the information available, the register allows you to check the company's name, NIP (Polish Tax Identification Number), the status of its authorisation to pursue the occupation of road transport operator, its Community licence, the licence validity period and the serial numbers of licence copies.

When checking a carrier:

1. Search for the company using its NIP rather than relying solely on its trading name.
2. Compare its registered name and identification details with the documents supplied by the business partner.
3. Verify the status and validity of its authorisations.
4. For international transport, check the relevant Community licence if it is required for the transport in question.
5. Compare document numbers with the information available in the register.

It is worth noting that KREPTD itself acknowledges that discrepancies may occur in published data, partly due to the sources and procedures through which information is provided. An inconsistency should therefore trigger additional checks rather than automatically proving either fraud or the safety of the cooperation. If in doubt, confirm the current status with the relevant authority.

Important: Checking a licence confirms that a company holds certain transport authorisations. It does not, by itself, establish that the person sending an email, negotiating a rate or accepting a transport order is genuinely acting on the company's behalf.

CEIDG and KRS — is the business partner who they claim to be?

The next step is to establish whether the company's details match the entity with which the freight forwarder intends to enter into a contract.

• CEIDG is used to check individuals operating sole proprietorships in Poland.
• KRS allows you to verify information about commercial companies, their rules of representation and details concerning liquidation or insolvency proceedings.

Official search tools and information about business verification are available through CEIDG and the Polish Ministry of Justice — KRS.

At this stage, compare:

• the company's full registered name and legal form;
• its NIP and other available identification numbers;
• its registered office address;
• its business status;
• the company's rules of representation, where applicable.

The last point is particularly important when entering into a contract with a new business partner. You should establish whether the person signing the documents can represent the company independently or whether joint representation is required.

You can also consult the VAT taxpayer register, commonly known as the White List, to check the taxpayer's status and verify its bank account details for payment purposes.

However, the White List is neither a register of transport authorisations nor a tool for confirming the identity of the person contacting the freight forwarder.

Why is matching company information still not enough?

If the company name, NIP, address and licence details match, the business may genuinely exist and operate legally. However, the authenticity of the contact still needs to be established.

A fraudster may impersonate an existing carrier by using copied documents and an email address that closely resembles the company's genuine address. In such a scenario, the register check may produce a positive result even though the transport order is being assigned to the wrong person.

That is why checking registration details must be supplemented by independent confirmation of the identity of the person with whom the business is actually being conducted.

2. Confirm the carrier's identity through an independent channel

This is one of the key stages when checking a new business partner. The objective is not simply to establish whether a supplied telephone number works, but to confirm that it belongs to the correct company and allows you to reach someone authorised to accept transport orders.

How to carry out telephone verification

Do not rely exclusively on contact details received in the same message as the transport offer when confirming someone's identity.

Instead:

1. Find the telephone number on the company's official website or in a previously verified business contact database.
2. Call that number rather than simply returning a call to the number provided in suspicious correspondence.
3. Confirm that the person contacting the freight forwarder works for the carrier and is authorised to accept the transport order in question.
4. Verify the basic details of the agreed transport: the route, date and method of execution.
5. If anything is unclear, request additional confirmation through another official company communication channel.

A telephone conversation alone does not provide a complete guarantee of security. However, it is more valuable when it allows you to confirm information through a different channel from the one used to establish the initial contact.

What should you look for in email correspondence?

An email address may look almost identical to a genuine one while differing by a single letter, an additional element or a domain extension. It is therefore important to check the sender's full email address, rather than just the display name shown in your email client.

Warning signs that require additional checks include:

• a domain that resembles the carrier's official domain but is not identical;
• a sudden change in the email address or telephone number of a known business partner;
• inconsistencies between the company details in the documents and the sender's information;
• communication exclusively through a channel that cannot be independently linked to the business;
• refusal to confirm the transport order through a known official company channel.

Using a personal email account or mobile phone does not prove fraud. Such arrangements are common among smaller transport businesses. What matters is whether the business partner's identity can still be reliably confirmed despite the use of less formal communication channels.

3. How to verify a carrier's insurance policy

Insurance documents require a separate verification process. A policy may have expired, may not match the details of the entity performing the transport, or may fail to cover risks relevant to the specific shipment.

It is also important not to confuse compulsory motor insurance with carrier's liability insurance (OCP). These are two different types of insurance cover.

As a general rule, OCP is voluntary, and the scope of cover depends on the specific insurance contract and its terms and conditions. There is no universal scope of cover that can be inferred from the product name alone.

What should you check in the insurance policy?

Before accepting a document as evidence of insurance cover, verify at least the following:

• the name and identification details of the insured party;
• the policy number and insurer's name;
• the insurance coverage period;
• the territorial scope of cover;
• the sum insured and relevant sub-limits;
• conditions relating to the transported goods and the way the transport is carried out;
• exclusions and limitations of liability relevant to the specific transport order;
• provisions concerning theft, subcontractors or vehicle security, where applicable.

Not all these elements will have the same importance for every transport operation. The risk profile of a standard shipment may be entirely different from that of high-value goods.

The sum insured does not settle everything either. Even a high insurance limit does not mean that every potential loss will be covered.

Why is a scanned policy not enough?

A document sent by email is material to be verified, not independent proof that valid insurance cover is currently in place. Its authenticity, validity and scope should be confirmed to the extent relevant to the transport order.

The safest approach is to use the insurer's contact details obtained from an independent source. Do not blindly rely on the telephone number or email address printed on a document whose authenticity you are still trying to establish.

The procedure may look as follows:

1. Identify the insurance company using an independent source.
2. Contact its official customer service channel and provide the details needed to identify the policy.
3. Request confirmation of the document's authenticity and validity, to the extent that the insurer is permitted to disclose this information.
4. If additional information is required, ask the carrier to obtain the appropriate confirmation or provide the necessary authorisation.
5. Record the verification result, including the date and source of confirmation.

It is important to distinguish between two things: confirming that a policy exists and is valid, and assessing whether its terms cover the specific transport. The latter requires an analysis of the scope of insurance cover.

Note: A positive insurance policy verification does not replace carrier identity checks. The insurance document may belong to a legitimate company, while the transport order is still being handled by someone impersonating that company.

4. Warning signs: how to recognise transport fraud attempts

In practice, the most dangerous situations are those in which several seemingly minor inconsistencies occur at the same time.

The warning signs below do not constitute proof of fraud. They are reasons to suspend the standard procedure and carry out additional checks.

A fraudulent carrier versus a genuine operating business

This distinction deserves particular attention.

If someone impersonates an existing carrier, the information in official registers may be completely correct. Similarly, documents relating to a licence or insurance policy may look credible because they have been copied from the documentation of a legitimate business.

That is why answering the question "Does this company exist?" is not the same as answering "Can I safely hand over my shipment to this person?".

Verification must cover the business itself, the specific business contact and the execution of the transport order.

Does a new carrier always mean a higher risk?

No. A lack of previous cooperation does not prove dishonesty, and a company that has been operating for many years is not automatically safe for every transport order.

However, the first transport with a new business partner means there is no direct experience on which to base an assessment of their reliability. For this reason, it is worth applying more comprehensive verification procedures, particularly when unusual business arrangements, changes in contact details or time pressure are also involved.

Similarly, an attractive transport rate does not automatically indicate fraud. However, if an offer is accompanied by pressure to act immediately and reluctance to confirm basic information, these circumstances should be checked before assigning the transport order.

5. Loading-day checks: the last opportunity before releasing the goods

Even correctly verifying a business partner does not bring the security procedure to an end. Information established when accepting the transport order must be compared with the actual situation at the loading location.

This is particularly important when several days have passed since the transport order was accepted or when arrangements concerning the vehicle and driver have changed in the meantime.

What should be checked before releasing the goods?

Before loading begins, the person responsible should compare the following:

1. Vehicle

Check the registration numbers and other agreed vehicle characteristics. If the vehicle presented differs from the one specified in the transport order, the change should not automatically be accepted simply because the driver provides a plausible explanation.

2. Driver

Verify the driver's identity to the extent necessary to confirm that they are authorised to perform the transport. The scope of personal data collected should be limited to what is justified by the purpose of the check.

3. Documents

Compare the information available on the documents with the transport order and the results of the previous verification. For licensing documents, the requirement to carry a relevant licence copy in the vehicle depends on the applicable regulations governing the specific transport.

4. Consistency of arrangements

Confirm that the transport order, route, loading point and delivery address match the latest agreed arrangements. Any unauthorised change to one of these elements should stop the procedure until the situation has been clarified.

5. Last-minute changes

Any change of vehicle, driver or entity performing the transport should trigger a renewed verification of the relevant part of the transport order. Do not rely solely on a message from someone whose identity has not been confirmed.

What should you do if something does not match?

Do not release the goods until the discrepancy has been resolved.

Contact the carrier through a previously verified channel, establish the reason for the change and confirm that the designated vehicle or driver has genuinely been assigned to the transport order. If compliance cannot be reliably confirmed, the transport should not be allowed to proceed with loading based solely on verbal explanations.

For high-value shipments, additional procedures appropriate to the level of risk may be introduced, such as having a second employee confirm the vehicle's arrival or arranging a direct inspection by the person responsible for the transport order.

The most important rule is simple: every significant change from the previously verified arrangements requires renewed confirmation before the goods are released.

6. Why documenting verification is just as important as carrying out the checks

Business partner verification should not exist solely in the freight forwarder's memory and a handful of emails in their inbox.

Once the process is complete, the company should be able to establish which checks were performed, what information supported the decision to assign the transport and who approved it.

This is operationally important because documentation makes it easier to reconstruct events following a complaint, missing shipment or discovery of irregularities. It may also have legal significance.

Under Article 799 of the Polish Civil Code, a freight forwarder is liable for the carriers and subsequent freight forwarders they engage to perform the transport order, unless they are not at fault in their selection. Liability is assessed based on the circumstances of each individual case, but a documented selection process makes it possible to demonstrate which checks were actually performed.

What should be included in the documentation?

For every new carrier or transport order requiring additional checks, it is worth keeping records of:

• the verification date and the details of the person who performed it;
• the business partner's identification details and the results of checks in the relevant registers;
• information about the authorisations that were checked;
• the identity confirmation result and the source of the contact details used;
• the insurance verification result and the scope of the checks performed;
• the reasoning behind the decision if discrepancies were identified;
• vehicle and driver details confirmed before loading, to the extent necessary for verification;
• any deviations, additional confirmations and the person approving the decision.

The documentation should be complete enough to reconstruct the verification process, but should not involve collecting unnecessary personal data. Access to information and its retention period should be determined in accordance with operational needs, legal obligations and the company's data protection rules.

There is also no need to create an elaborate system for every case. What matters more is that the company consistently records the checks it actually performs.

7. Carrier verification checklist for freight forwarders

The following checklist can serve as the basis for an internal procedure. It should be adapted to the type of transport, the value of the shipment and the nature of the cooperation with the carrier.

A. Company details and authorisations

• I checked the carrier's name and NIP using an independent source.
• I verified the company's details in CEIDG or KRS.
• I checked the relevant authorisations in KREPTD, where applicable to the carrier and type of transport.
• I compared the information and document numbers with the records available in the registers.
• I clarified all significant discrepancies.

B. Business partner identity

• I confirmed the company's identity through an independent communication channel.
• I verified that the person accepting the transport order was acting on behalf of the carrier.
• I checked unusual email addresses and changes to contact details.
• I investigated any additional warning signs that arose.

C. Insurance policy and coverage conditions

• I checked the insured party's details and policy number.
• I confirmed the document's authenticity and validity to the extent possible.
• I checked the scope of cover, insurance limits and relevant exclusions.
• I assessed whether the insurance conditions match the nature and risk of the specific transport.

D. Pre-loading checks

• I confirmed that the vehicle matched the agreed arrangements.
• I verified the driver's identity to the extent necessary.
• I checked that no unauthorised changes had been made to the carrier, vehicle or transport arrangements.
• I resolved any discrepancies before releasing the goods.

E. Documentation

• I recorded the verification results.
• I retained confirmations and sources supporting important findings.
• I documented any deviations and decisions made.
• I identified the person responsible for approving the transport, where required by the procedure.

Important: Completing every item on this checklist does not guarantee that fraud will not occur. Its purpose is to reduce risk, organise the process and lower the likelihood of overlooking an important check.

Conclusion: how to reduce the risk of cargo theft and transport fraud

Effective carrier verification requires checking not only the company's documents but also the authenticity of the business contact, the arrangements for carrying out the specific transport and the consistency of information on the loading day.

Official registers help confirm company details and certain transport authorisations. An insurance policy provides information about the declared scope of cover. Speaking to a representative whose identity has been independently verified helps ensure that the transport order reaches the correct business. Checking the vehicle and driver reduces the risk of an unauthorised vehicle being presented for loading.

None of these elements should replace the others.

For first-time cooperation, unusual transport arrangements and high-value shipments, additional checks are justified. It is equally important to document the steps taken so that the decision-making process can be reconstructed after the transport has been completed.

There is no single procedure in the transport industry that eliminates every type of fraud. However, it is possible to establish a verification process that helps identify inconsistencies earlier, stop suspicious transport orders and make decisions based on verified information.