Highway, a Dallas-based technology company, has launched a product designed to equip motor carriers with the information needed to verify brokers and combat fraud.
On Tuesday, March 18, the company unveiled Highway for Carriers, which aims to help motor carriers make informed decisions.
“The launch of Highway for Carriers is about the fight against fraud,” Michael Caney, Highway’s chief commercial officer, said in a news release. “For the first time, carriers will have access to independently verified data to make informed decisions – just as brokers do. Fraud isn’t just a broker problem or a carrier problem; it’s an industry problem. This is our step toward solving it together.”
The company said that Highway for Carriers will give trucking companies the ability to:
- Search and verify any broker by name, MC number or DOT number
- Confirm broker authority, activity and credit standing
- Identify potential fraud risks, including double brokering and stolen assets
- Access key broker contact details, including rate confirmation emails and invoicing details
- Review a broker’s size, affiliations and history
- Streamline onboarding with verified brokers
Highway, which also provides a carrier-vetting service for brokers, said the program eliminates redundancies and provides carriers the same level of insight that brokers have had for years.
Freight fraud
The Senate Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines and Safety subcommittee held a hearing on Feb. 27 to examine the growing problem of cargo theft and freight fraud along the U.S. supply chain.
CargoNet and Overhaul reported large increases in cases of freight fraud in 2024, and the Transportation Intermediaries Association estimated that it costs the U.S. supply chain about $1 billion annually.
Lewie Pugh, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, testified at the hearing.
“Fraud is on the rise in trucking, as criminals have discovered many vulnerabilities within our industry,” Pugh wrote in his submitted testimony. “Stakeholders are doing all they can to protect themselves from criminals, but their capabilities are extremely limited. A small-business trucker lacks the resources to prevent scams originating overseas or the authority to ensure brokers comply with existing transparency regulations. There are systems and regulations in place that can help reverse the growing trend of fraud, but the federal government is struggling to provide the support shippers, motor carriers and brokers need.” LL
Credit: Source link
