How to File an FMCSA Complaint Against a Freight Broker

Not legal advice. This is a document-preparation tool, not a law firm. Results aren't guaranteed. Verify all info with FMCSA and consult an attorney for legal questions.

Filing an FMCSA complaint won't put money in your account. But it creates an official record, helps FMCSA spot patterns, and can support enforcement against bad actors. It's worth doing alongside your demand letter and bond claim.

Check the broker first. It's free.

See authority status, authority age, BMC-84/85 on file, and the surety name from FMCSA records.

Broker owes you? Build a demand letter + bond-claim packet for

9. Where to file

Complaints go through the FMCSA Complaint Center (FMCSA's newer name for what was the National Consumer Complaint Database at FMCSA National Consumer Complaint Database). Owner-operators and carriers file as "Industry Professional," and you can select "Property Broker" as the type of company the complaint is against.

Before you start, gather

The broker's legal name, MC and USDOT numbers (check our free Broker Check).
Load number, dates, origin and destination.
Rate con, BOL/POD, invoice, demand letter, and messages.
A short timeline of what happened.

Step by step

Based on FMCSA's instructions (FMCSA: How to File a Complaint):

Go to the complaint site and choose your filer category.
Select who the complaint is against (Property Broker).
Fill in the incident details. FMCSA asks you to be specific: dates, times, locations, and what happened.
Pick the allegation category and subcategory that best fit.
Enter your contact information. FMCSA says first name, last name, and phone number are the minimum, and that you need to give an email address if you want the actionable/non-actionable notice by email; otherwise it comes by mail. You can choose whether to share only the allegation, or the allegation and your contact information, with the company.
Search for the company by name or DOT number, or enter it manually.
Upload documents. FMCSA accepts common formats including PDF, images, and ZIP, and asks you to describe your documents in the text box.
Review, certify, and submit. Save or print a copy before submitting if you want one.
Save the case number that appears after you submit.

What FMCSA does with it

FMCSA says it will notify you whether the complaint is actionable or non-actionable once reviewed. Its FAQ says complaints are entered into its database, used for analytical and statistical purposes, and "maintained in the company's file as part of its permanent record," and that if FMCSA decides to take enforcement action, you may be contacted for more information (FMCSA: Complaint Database FAQs).

Write a complaint that's useful

Stick to facts: what was agreed, what you did, what didn't happen.
Include amounts and dates.
Mention if the company appeared to broker without authority, used someone else's identity, or refused to pay after delivery.
Attach your key documents.

Do this alongside, not instead of

A complaint doesn't replace a demand or bond claim. The bond exists to pay carriers when a broker fails to carry out its contracts (49 CFR 387.307). Keep that process moving:

Our $19 claim packet creates the demand letter, bond-claim letter, and exhibit checklist you can also attach to your complaint. Related: deadlines and fake FMCSA letter warning.

A sample complaint summary

"On [date], [Broker legal name], MC-[number], tendered Load #[number] from [origin] to [destination] to our company at an agreed rate of $[amount] (rate confirmation attached). We picked up on [date] and delivered on [date] (signed POD attached). We invoiced on [date] (attached). Despite follow-ups on [dates] and a written demand on [date] (attached), the broker has not paid. [Add any facts suggesting unauthorized brokering or identity misuse.]"

Common mistakes

Writing a long, angry story. Short and factual is easier to act on.
Leaving out the MC/DOT number. Make sure the complaint is attached to the right company.
Not saving the case number.
Expecting FMCSA to collect. Keep your demand and bond claim moving.
Filing against the wrong company in a double-brokering case. Describe every company involved and let the facts show who did what.

Watch out for fake "FMCSA" messages

After you file, be careful with unexpected emails or letters claiming to be from FMCSA. FMCSA warns that scammers send fake emails and that FMCSA will never request payment or sensitive information like your PIN, SSN, EIN, or bank details through unsolicited messages. Official FMCSA email almost always ends in .gov. See our deadlines page for the fraud warning and links.

Sources

FAQ

Will FMCSA get my money back?
No. FMCSA does not collect debts. A complaint goes into the company's file and may support enforcement, but payment comes from the broker, its bond/trust, or legal action.

What happens after I file?
FMCSA says it will notify you whether the complaint is actionable once reviewed. Complaints are kept in the company's file as part of its permanent record, and FMCSA may contact you if it takes enforcement action.

Check the broker first. It's free.

See authority status, authority age, BMC-84/85 on file, and the surety name from FMCSA records.

Broker owes you? Build a demand letter + bond-claim packet for $19.

More guides

Not legal advice. This is a document-preparation tool, not a law firm. Results aren't guaranteed. Verify all info with FMCSA and consult an attorney for legal questions.