Save what supported the decision
When your team saves a carrier decision, CarrierTrail keeps a record of the evidence: the census record as it was that day, the filings saved at the time, the note and who made the decision. This lets a later reviewer understand what was available when that decision was made.
Separate history from the current view
New public records and later note changes can make the current carrier view different from an older decision. Earlier evidence is not rewritten to match the latest page. Decisions made before evidence capture was introduced are not reconstructed after the fact.
Export the right record
Each decision in the history can be exported as a readable PDF review record or as JSON, and both are tied to that historical review. The watchlist CSV is a current operational list and serves a different purpose. Label an evidence export by carrier, decision date and intended use so colleagues do not confuse a present-day list with last month’s review.
Explain what the evidence contains
The export contains the public snapshots available to the app and the saved decision context. Confirmations your team obtained elsewhere, such as a call to an insurance agent, belong in the decision note. The checksum lets you confirm that an exported file still matches the saved record.
Example: a question about a carrier approved in March
Months after a load, a customer asks why your team used a carrier. Open the carrier, choose the March decision in its history and you see:
- the decision, the note written at the time and the reviewer’s account email,
- the census record and its source date as they were that day,
- the latest authority and insurance filing check saved before the decision, and
- the public safety summary available then.
Export that review as a PDF to send, or as JSON to file. Today’s carrier page may look different, and the March record stays as it was saved.
What each decision record holds
- Decision and note: Approved, Needs review or Rejected, with the reviewer’s reasoning.
- Reviewer and time: the account that saved it and when.
- Census snapshot: the carrier’s census record and its publication date.
- Filing check: the authority and insurance filings most recently saved before the decision.
- Safety summary: the public inspection, violation and crash summary and its source.
- Your rules: the workspace qualification rules in force and their result, plus the written reason when a carrier was approved despite them.
- Checksum: a SHA-256 value stored with the record.
Questions brokers ask
Can a saved decision record be changed later?
Each saved decision creates a new record. Earlier records stay as they were saved, including after FMCSA data changes or your rules are edited.
What formats can I export?
A readable PDF review record and a structured JSON copy of the same evidence.
What is the checksum for?
It lets you confirm that an exported file still matches the record saved in CarrierTrail.
Who can see decision records?
Signed-in members of your workspace. Decisions and notes are private to your team.
Which plans include decision evidence?
Both Starter and Team.