Absolutely! The real question is: how can you tell which email is legit and which one might belong to a scammer?
Figuring this out can be tricky. Carriers might have a couple of email addresses they cycle through. One could be for compliance—such as the one initially used to obtain their MC, or send in FMCSA updates—while another is used for communicating rates or load details with brokers.
While we love our carrier friends and hard working owner ops, it’s no secret that many trucking companies lag behind when it comes to digital practices. Some still rely on outdated personal email addresses for everything from safety to operations.
This often leaves brokers playing a guessing game, trying to figure out if an email is the same as what’s on file with FMCSA. It’s even more challenging when they see an email that doesn’t match what they expect.
And let’s not forget, carriers are often targeted by emails themselves. Scammers have been known to hack into freight brokers’ DAT accounts, post fake loads, and then email from an address that looks similar but isn’t quite right.
For instance, a legitimate email might be john@abctransport.com, while a scammer could use something like johnabctransport@gmail.com.
Even well-known carrier setup platforms, like MyCarrierPortal, have fallen victim to these scams.
Recently, a phishing email went out to multiple carriers, tricking them into “logging in” to complete a carrier packet. The email came from an address with an extra “s” (@assureassists.com) instead of the real one (@assureassist.com). It included a fake MyCarrierPacket website with a bogus login page designed to capture sensitive information from unsuspecting carriers.
We recommend that carriers set up a custom email domain using services like Google Workspace. It’s super easy and allows you to create professional emails like you@yourcompany.com.
Carriers can assign different email addresses for various purposes—like safety@yourcompany.com—which also makes it easy to add team members without having to create new accounts on Yahoo, Outlook, or Gmail every time. Plus, it boosts your company’s professional image.
For brokers looking to clear up any confusion or who may have fallen prey to scammers impersonating their company, we suggest reaching out to FreightWatch360. We can help update your email on file to make sure carriers know what to look for when booking freight.
