AI Broker Vetting and Freight Fraud Screening
Before you commit a truck, Hey Bubba! checks who you’re dealing with. It verifies the broker’s operating authority and MC number before a load is booked, and validates that the rate confirmation comes from the same email domain as the negotiation. That surfaces both brokers without valid authority and the domain mismatches that give away impersonation and double-brokering.
Why this matters more than it used to
Freight fraud has moved from opportunistic to organised. The common pattern is impersonation: someone poses as a known broker, books a load with a real carrier, and disappears with the freight or the payment. The carrier is left holding a claim against a company that never booked the load.
It works because the paperwork looks right. The rate confirmation carries the right logo, the right format and plausible reference numbers. What usually doesn’t hold up is the email domain, and that’s an easy detail to miss at eleven at night when a driver needs a load.
What Hey Bubba! checks
Operating authority and MC number. Before a load is booked, the broker’s operating authority is checked to be active and the MC number on the rate confirmation is matched to the broker you negotiated with. Missing, revoked or inactive authority is flagged.
Email domain continuity. While the rate confirmation is parsed, the sending domain is compared with the domain used during the negotiation. A mismatch is flagged before the load is accepted.
Rate confirmation against agreed terms. Parsed terms are compared with what was actually negotiated. A confirmation whose rate, reference numbers or appointment times don’t match the conversation is flagged rather than signed, which catches altered documents as well as ordinary errors.
Contract terms that don’t look standard. Non-standard claims liability, unusual fine structures and unclear detention terms go to a person before signature.
Two checks, two different frauds
Authority checks and domain checks catch different things, which is why both run.
An authority check catches a broker who never had authority, or lost it. A domain check catches someone impersonating a broker who does have valid authority. That’s the harder case, because the MC number on the paperwork is real: it belongs to a legitimate company that has no idea a load is being booked in its name.
Checking authority alone would pass that load. Checking the domain alone would miss an unauthorised broker operating under their own name.
What it doesn’t check today
Hey Bubba! verifies authority and identity, not payment risk. Broker credit scores and days-to-pay history are not screened today, so keep using your factoring company or credit service for that part.
Where a person decides
Hey Bubba! doesn’t make the fraud call. It surfaces the discrepancy and stops. Anything flagged goes to a person with the specific reason attached (a domain mismatch, a rate that doesn’t match the conversation, a liability clause that isn’t standard), so the decision is made with the detail in front of you rather than after the truck has rolled.
Working with brokers you trust
Hey Bubba! connects directly to broker networks including CH Robinson, JB Hunt, Landstar, Schneider, Transfix, Shipwell and Loadsmart. Freight that arrives through a direct integration doesn’t carry the impersonation risk of a load offered by email. See all connected tools.
At any fleet size
- Owner-operators: one fraudulent load can cost a month’s revenue. The check runs whether or not you had time to make it.
- Small fleets, 2 to 10 trucks: the same screening on every load, including the ones booked at midnight.
- Midsize and enterprise fleets, 11+ trucks: a documented screening step on every booking, with the reason for each flag on the record.
Frequently asked questions
Does Hey Bubba! check broker authority?
Yes. The broker’s operating authority is checked before a load is booked, and the MC number on the rate confirmation is matched to the broker. Missing, revoked or inactive authority is flagged.
How does Hey Bubba! detect broker impersonation?
By checking that the rate confirmation comes from the same email domain as the negotiation. Impersonation usually uses a real broker’s MC number, so authority checks alone won’t catch it; the domain is what doesn’t hold up.
Does Hey Bubba! check broker credit or payment history?
Not today. It verifies authority and identity, not payment risk.
What happens when something is flagged?
It stops and escalates to a person, with the specific discrepancy attached. It surfaces the problem; you make the call.
Does it check the rate confirmation against what was agreed?
Yes. Parsed terms are compared with the negotiated terms, and any discrepancy in rate, reference numbers or appointment times is flagged before signature.
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