Broker guideHow to document a carrier approval decision
Build a record your colleagues can understand later, even when the public source data has changed.
Updated 2026-09-13 · CarrierTrail product workflow
Write the reason for the decision
Record the identifiers checked, the relevant observations and the reason for approving, rejecting or requesting review. Distinguish facts you saw in a public source from information confirmed elsewhere. Avoid treating a generic “looks good” note as a record of the checks completed.
Save the evidence at decision time
CarrierTrail creates a decision evidence record when you save an explicit decision. It includes the notes, reviewer identifier, census snapshot and latest saved filings available at that time. Later note edits do not rewrite that evidence. Older decisions made before evidence capture was introduced are not reconstructed.
Choose the right export
The watchlist CSV is a current operational snapshot. The decision JSON is the historical evidence record for a particular decision revision. Its checksum helps detect changes to the exported record; it is not a digital signature or independent certification. Keep the export within your team’s normal data-handling process.
A decision-note template
Reviewed by [name] on [date]. Carrier: [legal name, USDOT, MC]. Public sources checked: [source and publication dates]. Observations: [specific facts]. Independently confirmed information: [what, how and when]. Outstanding questions: [items or none]. Decision and reason: [your team’s conclusion]. Next review: [owner and trigger]. Replace the placeholders with actual observations; do not paste an uncompleted checklist as evidence.
Check the export before handing it off
Download the evidence for the intended decision revision and verify that its identifier, note and timestamps match the review you mean to share. A later watchlist export can contain newer information than that decision. Label the files by their purpose so a colleague does not confuse the current operational list with the historical review record.
Worked review example
Illustrative scenario. Two colleagues agree to approve a carrier after a phone call, but the saved note says only checked. A week later another reviewer cannot tell which sources were consulted, what the call resolved or whether the approval applied to a particular shipment. A useful record must make the reasoning recoverable.
A practical review sequence
Evidence
Name the census record and filing observations examined, including their dates. Describe external confirmations separately from information saved automatically.
Reason
State the question under review and the facts that resolved it. Include limitations that affected the decision instead of recording only the favorable result.
Ownership
Identify the reviewer, decision time and any follow-up owner. If the decision has a shipment-specific scope, say so explicitly.
What to put in the review record
Use a note with these fields: question, sources, observations, external confirmation, unresolved items, decision, reviewer and next review. Keep factual observations separate from your team's judgment.
Before closing this review
A new decision should describe what changed since the previous one. Do not silently edit an older note to make it appear that later evidence was available when the original decision was made.
How much detail is enough for a useful decision note?
Include enough detail for a colleague to identify the evidence, understand the unresolved question and follow the reasoning without repeating the whole conversation. Long notes are not automatically better: dates, identifiers and clear attribution matter more than a transcript. Quote only the relevant observation from supporting material and reference where the rest is retained. Distinguish the source's reported value, a person's explanation and the reviewer's conclusion so later readers do not treat all three as the same kind of evidence.
What if later evidence changes the conclusion?
Record a new decision or follow-up that explains the change. Preserve the earlier decision's timing and evidence so the history accurately shows what the team knew at each stage.
Use these steps alongside your organization’s verification process. CarrierTrail presents public records and saves team decisions; it does not certify carriers or insurance coverage.
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