Overview
Pass `dot` (USDOT number), `docket` (MC, MX or FF with digits, in any format such as MC-135797 or mc 0135797) or `mc` (digits of an MC number). A docket is resolved to its USDOT number through FMCSA's licensing file, and every docket the census lists for the carrier is joined in. No record returns 404; an entity can exist in licensing without a census record, in which case the census fields are null.
The record joins six FMCSA datasets published on data.transportation.gov: the Company Census File (identity, operation, fleet, drivers, MCS-150, safety rating, cargo and equipment), the Carrier file (common, contract and broker authority status, pending applications and revocations, BI&PD required and on file, cargo and bond requirements), ActPendInsur (active and pending insurance policies; coverage is published in thousands of dollars and converted), AuthHist (authority actions, which date the first grant behind `authority.firstGrantedDate` and `authorityAgeDays`), Revocation, and Out of Service Orders (only active orders). Authority is reported as active when any of the carrier's dockets has it active; insurance is that of the primary docket. Officer names and cell phone numbers are never collected.
`checks=true` adds `compliance`: usdot_active, operating_authority_active, no_revocation_pending, not_out_of_service, bipd_insurance (BI&PD on file at least `minBipd`, default 750000), cargo_insurance (highest cargo policy at least `minCargo`, skipped at the default 0), no_pending_cancellation, mcs150_current (within `maxMcs150Months`, default 24), authority_age (at least `minAuthorityDays`, default 0) and safety_rating_not_unsatisfactory. `passed` is true only when every check passes and `failed` lists the rest. `fleet.sizeBand` is our band of power units, and `mcs150.ageDays` and `authority.authorityAgeDays` are computed at request time.
Live Test Motor Carrier Lookup Source →
Formula
One function covers the whole catalog: the first argument names the source, the next are its inputs, and the field after them says which single value lands in the cell. Formulas covers the grammar that applies to all of them.
=VERVE("motorcarrierlookup", "dotNumber")=VERVE.CALL("motorcarrierlookup", "dotNumber")Inputs
Required inputs are positional, in the order below, followed by the field. Everything else is passed as a "name", value pair after that — the same shape as SUMIFS. Premium inputs are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them.
| Input | Type | Where it goes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
dotOptional | string | "dot", value | USDOT number, for example 80806. Use dot, docket or mc length 0–12 |
docketOptional | string | "docket", value | Docket number with its prefix: MC, MX or FF, for example MC135797 length 0–12 |
mcOptional | string | "mc", value | MC number without the prefix, for example 135797 length 0–10 |
checksOptionalPremium | boolean | "checks", value | Add pass/fail compliance checks against the thresholds below |
historyOptionalPremium | boolean | "history", value | Add authority history and revocations |
minBipdOptionalPremium | integer | "minBipd", value | Compliance threshold: minimum BI&PD insurance on file in US dollars default 750000 · range 0–∞ |
minCargoOptionalPremium | integer | "minCargo", value | Compliance threshold: minimum cargo insurance in US dollars; 0 skips the check range 0–∞ |
maxMcs150MonthsOptionalPremium | integer | "maxMcs150Months", value | Compliance threshold: the MCS-150 must be updated within this many months default 24 · range 1–∞ |
minAuthorityDaysOptionalPremium | integer | "minAuthorityDays", value | Compliance threshold: minimum days since operating authority was first granted range 0–∞ |
Passing an option
=VERVE("motorcarrierlookup", "dotNumber", "dot", 80806)=VERVE.CALL("motorcarrierlookup", "dotNumber", "dot", 80806)What lands in your sheet
The field — the argument after the inputs — is what makes the formula resolve to one cell. Its value is a dot-path from the table below, so swapping it is how you pull a different value — one formula per column.
Seeing everything at once
Leave the field out and the formula returns the whole response instead: two columns, field name on the left and value on the right, spilling from the cell you typed in.
=VERVE("motorcarrierlookup")=VERVE.CALL("motorcarrierlookup")The second row's table would land on top of the first's, and every cell after the first reads #REF! (#SPILL! in Excel). Keep one per sheet, or name a field, and leave the cells below and to the right empty.
Response fields
Paths are relative to data. Each one is exactly what the field argument accepts, so swapping it is how you pull a different value into a cell. On a plan without a Premium field the cell reads #PREMIUM(field) rather than a value, so a locked field never looks like a real answer.
| Use as the field | Type | Example cell value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
dotNumber | number | 80806 | USDOT number |
legalName | string | J B HUNT TRANSPORT INC | Legal name |
dbaName | string | J B HUNT | Doing-business-as name |
status | string | active | USDOT status: active, inactive or pending |
entityTypes | array | ["freight_forwarder","carrier","shipper"] | carrier, broker, shipper, registrant, freight_forwarder, cargo_tank or intermodal_equipment_provider |
operation | string | interstate | interstate, intrastate_hazmat or intrastate_non_hazmat |
operationClassifications | array | ["AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE"] | FMCSA operation classifications, for example AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE or PRIVATE PROPERTY |
businessType | string | corporation | corporation, individual or partnership |
registrationDate | string | 1974-06-01 | Date the USDOT number was added (YYYY-MM-DD) |
physicalAddress | object | {…} | Physical address |
physicalAddress.street | string | 615 J B HUNT CORPORATE DRIVE | Street |
physicalAddress.city | string | LOWELL | City |
physicalAddress.state | string | AR | State |
physicalAddress.zip | string | 72745 | ZIP code |
physicalAddress.country | string | US | Country code |
mailingAddress | object | {…} | Mailing address, with the same fields |
mailingAddress.street | string | 615 J B HUNT CORPORATE DRIVE | |
mailingAddress.city | string | LOWELL | |
mailingAddress.state | string | AR | |
mailingAddress.zip | string | 72745 | |
mailingAddress.country | string | US | |
phonePremium | string | 4798200000 | Business phone number |
faxPremium | string | 4798204566 | Business fax number |
emailPremium | string | [email protected] | Business email address |
dockets | array[2] | MC, MX and FF dockets | |
dockets.0.docket | string | MC135797 | Docket number with prefix, for example MC135797 |
dockets.0.prefix | string | MC | MC, MX or FF |
dockets.0.status | string | active | Docket status: active or inactive |
fleet | object | {…} | Vehicles and drivers |
fleet.powerUnits | number | 25280 | Power units |
fleet.trucks | number | 25280 | Trucks |
fleet.buses | number | 0 | Buses |
fleet.drivers | number | 24116 | Total drivers |
fleet.cdlDrivers | number | 23669 | Drivers with a CDL |
fleet.interstateDrivers | number | 24116 | Interstate drivers |
fleet.intrastateDrivers | number | 0 | Intrastate drivers |
fleet.sizeBand | string | 1000+ | Fleet size band by power units: 0, 1, 2-5, 6-10, 11-50, 51-100, 101-500, 501-1000 or 1000+ |
hazmat | boolean | true | Whether the carrier hauls hazardous materials |
mcs150 | object | {…} | Latest MCS-150 biennial update |
mcs150.date | string | 2025-07-07 | Date of the latest MCS-150 (YYYY-MM-DD) |
mcs150.ageDays | number | 495 | Days since the latest MCS-150 |
mcs150.mileagePremium | number | 1629835251 | Annual vehicle miles reported on the MCS-150 |
mcs150.mileageYearPremium | number | 2024 | Year the mileage covers |
safety | object | {…} | Safety rating and review |
safety.rating | string | satisfactory | satisfactory, conditional or unsatisfactory; null when unrated |
safety.ratingDate | string | 1992-05-08 | Date of the safety rating |
safety.reviewType | string | compliance_review | Type of the latest review, for example compliance_review |
safety.reviewDate | string | 1992-01-31 | Date of the latest review |
safety.recordableCrashRatePremium | object | null | Recordable crash rate from the latest review |
outOfService | boolean | false | Whether the carrier has an active out-of-service order |
outOfServiceOrders | array | [] | Active out-of-service orders |
cargoClassesPremium | array | ["General Freight","Metal: Sheets, Coils, Rolls","Motor Vehicles"] | Cargo the carrier hauls |
equipmentPremium | object | {…} | Equipment by kind (straightTrucks, tractors, trailers, motorcoaches, schoolBuses, buses, vans, limousines), each with owned, termLeased and tripLeased counts |
equipment.straightTrucksPremium | object | {…} | |
equipment.straightTrucks.ownedPremium | number | 874 | |
equipment.straightTrucks.termLeasedPremium | number | 415 | |
equipment.straightTrucks.tripLeasedPremium | number | 0 | |
equipment.tractorsPremium | object | {…} | |
equipment.tractors.ownedPremium | number | 20871 | |
equipment.tractors.termLeasedPremium | number | 3120 | |
equipment.tractors.tripLeasedPremium | number | 0 | |
equipment.trailersPremium | object | {…} | |
equipment.trailers.ownedPremium | number | 146851 | |
equipment.trailers.termLeasedPremium | number | 5330 | |
equipment.trailers.tripLeasedPremium | number | 0 | |
dunsNumberPremium | string | 6338552 | Dun & Bradstreet number |
priorRevocation | object | null | Set when the carrier had a USDOT number revoked before |
authority | object | {…} | Operating authority across the carrier dockets |
authority.common | string | active | Common carrier authority: active, inactive or none |
authority.contract | string | active | Contract carrier authority: active, inactive or none |
authority.broker | string | active | Broker authority: active, inactive or none |
authority.applicationPending | object | {…} | Pending applications by authority: common, contract and broker booleans |
authority.applicationPending.common | boolean | false | |
authority.applicationPending.contract | boolean | false | |
authority.applicationPending.broker | boolean | false | |
authority.revocationPending | object | {…} | Pending revocations by authority: common, contract and broker booleans |
authority.revocationPending.common | boolean | false | |
authority.revocationPending.contract | boolean | false | |
authority.revocationPending.broker | boolean | false | |
authority.authorizedFor | object | {…} | Authority kinds: property, passengers, householdGoods, private and enterprise booleans |
When a cell doesn't fill
A failed lookup returns readable text starting with #ERR rather than a spreadsheet error, because Excel cannot show a custom message on a real error — you would get a bare #VALUE! with no reason. The trade-off is that IFERROR() will not catch it; test with LEFT(cell, 4) = "#ERR" instead. Error handling covers the rest.
| Cell reads | What happened |
|---|---|
#ERR Not connected | No API key saved. Open the side panel and connect your account. |
#ERR Replace <name> with a cell or value | A preview formula was copied as-is. Swap the placeholder for a cell reference. |
#ERR No "x" in motorcarrierlookup | An option name this source does not take. The message lists the ones it does. |
#ERR No data point "…" | The field path is not in the response. Check it against the table above. |
#PREMIUM(field) | The field exists but your plan does not include it. |
#ERR Out of credits | The cycle's credits are spent. Usage resets on your billing date. |
Before the formula works
The add-in reads the API key you saved once in the side panel — the key never goes in the formula, so a shared sheet does not leak it and a collaborator without access simply sees the last calculated values.
- Install the add-in for Google Sheets or Excel.
- Open the side panel and sign in, or paste a key from your dashboard.
- Type the formula above into any cell.
Use cases
- Freight Brokers
- Vet a carrier before booking a load: active authority, insurance on file, no out-of-service order and a recent MCS-150, in one call.
- Load Boards and TMS
- Verify carriers at signup and re-check them on a schedule, flagging pending insurance cancellations and revocations.
- Factoring and Lending
- Check how long a carrier has held authority, its fleet size and its safety record before funding invoices.
- Insurance Underwriting
- Pull fleet, driver, mileage, cargo and crash-rate data to pre-fill and price commercial auto quotes.
Other ways to use Motor Carrier Lookup
Set up Motor Carrier Lookup on VerveSheets, or reach the same source a different way. Your VerveSheets account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.
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