What triggers a carrier alert
CarrierTrail compares each new public record for a saved carrier with the last one. A difference in authority filings, insurance filings, safety rating, contact details or registration fields becomes a change on that carrier. The first record seen for a carrier is the starting point, and differences in spacing or capital letters are ignored.
- Insurance filings changedExample Freight Co. · Published filings: 2 → 3
- Census details changedSample Hauling Inc. · Phone:
(214) 555‑0199→ (214) 555‑0100 - Authority records changedDemo Logistics LLC · Published authority records: 1 → 2
- Team decision updatedExample Freight Co. · Review → Approved
Where alerts appear
Every change is listed in the Changes view of your workspace with the carrier, the field and its value before and after. The carrier joins your review queue and stays there until someone on your team saves a decision. A count beside Changes shows what is new since you last opened it.
A daily summary for each member
Each member can choose to be notified. One summary a day lists the carriers that changed, grouped by category, with up to five examples in each and a link to the workspace. It goes to the member’s own verified address around 18:00 UTC (2 pm Eastern in summer, 1 pm in winter), on days when something changed. Private notes and decisions are never included.
Choose the categories you follow
Five categories can each be switched on or off: authority filings, insurance filings, safety rating, contact details, and registration and source presence (census status, fleet size and whether the carrier is still in the census). Changes count from the day you turn notifications on and from the day a carrier was added. Paused carriers are left out.
Example: a carrier’s phone number changes
- Daily import: the new census record shows a different phone number from the one saved the day before.
- Change listed: “Census details changed” appears in Changes with the old and the new number, and the carrier shows “Unreviewed source change”.
- Summary: members who follow contact details are notified in that day’s summary.
- Review: a reviewer calls the number already on file, confirms who answers, writes it in the notes and saves a decision. The carrier leaves the review queue.
What each category covers
- Authority filings: how many authority records are published for the carrier, with their docket, type and status.
- Insurance filings: how many insurance filings are published for the carrier.
- Safety rating: the census safety rating and its date.
- Contact details: legal name, DBA name, phone, physical address and mailing address.
- Registration and source presence: census status, power units, drivers, MCS-150 date, and whether the carrier is still in the latest census.
Questions brokers ask
How soon after a change will I be notified?
Carriers are checked once a day. Census records are imported daily, filings for watched carriers are checked in a daily batch that starts at 15:00 UTC, and the summary goes out around 18:00 UTC. In Eastern time that is 11 am and 2 pm in summer, 10 am and 1 pm in winter.
Who receives carrier alerts?
Each member of the workspace decides for themselves. Notifications go to the member’s own account address once it has been verified.
Can I choose which changes I hear about?
Yes. Five categories can be switched on or off: authority filings, insurance filings, safety rating, contact details, and registration and source presence.
Does an alert mean something is wrong with the carrier?
An alert reports that a public record changed. A filing that is no longer published, for example, is a reason to check with the carrier or its agent before the next load.
Which plans include carrier alerts?
Starter and Team. Starter covers 500 active carriers and Team covers 5,000.