Use this article every time a carrier fails or is flagged in Highway, MCP, RMIS. It tells you what each outcome means and what action you can take — before you contact compliance.
Carrier classifications
Every carrier in Highway is assessed against one or more classifications. Know which one applies to your load before evaluating a result.
Interstate (Standard) — Core freight rules. Required for all carriers hauling our freight across state lines. This is the baseline — every carrier must pass this.
Hazmat — Additional rules on top of Standard for carriers hauling hazardous materials. A carrier can pass Standard but fail Hazmat.
High Value — Higher cargo limits required. A carrier may pass Standard and Hazmat but fail High Value due to insufficient coverage.
Fraud baseline — always active
Two rules apply to every carrier regardless of classification: the Highway Identity Alerts rule and the Physical/Digital Footprint rule. These are foundational fraud protections. They cannot be tuned away.
⚠️ Never override an identity alert.
What each assessment outcome means
Pass — All clear. Carrier meets requirements for all classifications relevant to your load. Move forward.
Partial Pass — Approved for some, not all. Carrier passes some classifications but not others. Examples: passes Intrastate but fails Reefer; passes Standard but fails Hazmat; passes Standard and Hazmat but fails High Value.
⚠️ The only classification that matters is the one matching your load. Do not assume a Partial Pass covers your load type — confirm that specific classification passes before proceeding.
Incomplete — Insurance data missing. Highway does not yet have a valid COI from a licensed agent. Coverage likely exists — it just hasn't been submitted. Treat as unknown until resolved.
Tell the carrier to have their insurer send the COI directly to Highway. Highway has a template — share it with the carrier.
⚠️ You cannot submit the COI on their behalf. Neither can compliance. Only the insurance company can send it.
Fail — Do not use until resolved. Carrier does not meet one or more mandatory requirements. Treat as do not use until the issue is resolved. Check which rules failed, then determine whether it's a hard stop or an overridable rule using the sections below.
Overridable rules — compliance approval required
The following rules can be overridden with compliance approval. Before submitting an override request, collect all 5 required documents listed below.
Rule | Where to check | Override guidance |
Carrier must have a clear physical and digital footprint or ELD connection with Highway | Connection Status, Assessment | Try self-healing first — have the carrier reconnect their ELD and show valid movement. Request override only if that fails. |
Carrier must not have any published Identity Alerts (identity theft reports excluded) | Assessment, Insights | Only override if the alert is confirmed not a fraud signal. Escalate to your CSM before requesting. |
Carrier must have at least 90 days of continuous authority | Authority | Include the exact grant date and number of days active when submitting to compliance. |
Carrier must not have had an FMCSA phone or email address change in the last 60 days | Activity, Insights | Note the date and type of change when submitting to compliance. |
Required documents for any override request — all 5 must be present
CAB card or registration
Driver's license
Truck title or lease/loan agreement
Truck photos with DOT/MC number clearly visible
Screenshot of carrier's profile in Carrier411
⚠️ All 5 documents are required. Incomplete override requests will not be processed.
Insurance rules — Pass / Incomplete / Fail
Rule | Where to check | If incomplete |
Carrier must have minimum BIPD coverage of $1,000,000 USD or $1,500,000 CAD | Insurance | Carrier contacts their insurer to submit COI to Highway directly |
Carrier must have minimum Cargo coverage of $100,000 USD or $150,000 CAD | Insurance | Carrier contacts their insurer to submit COI to Highway directly |
Carrier must have a schedule of VINs on COI if auto policy is Scheduled Autos, and VIN make must map to a known power unit | Insurance, Equipment | Insurer must resubmit an updated certificate. Carriers can also fix ELD vs. COI discrepancies inside Highway's equipment tools. |
Hard stop rules — do not request overrides
The following rules are Pass or Fail only. There are no overrides available. If a carrier fails any of these, do not use them.
Rule | Where to check |
Carrier must have a DOT number | Authority, Certifications |
Carrier must have an MC number | Authority, Certifications |
Carrier must have an operating status authorized for property | Authority |
Carrier must have active interstate authority for property | Authority |
Carrier must not have any active out of service orders | Safety, Inspections |
If rated, carrier must have a satisfactory safety rating | Safety |
Carrier must have a Safer operating status of active | Authority, Safety |
Carrier must have any manually entered identifier verified by Highway | Assessment, Certifications |
Carrier must have minimum BIPD coverage of $1,500,000 if principal address is in New Jersey (inclusive of umbrella/excess) | Insurance, Operations |
DOT-only and intrastate-US carriers — separate process
If you see "Carrier requires broker approval" under Intrastate-US in the Assessment, this carrier operates on state authority only.
Do not use this guide — each state has its own requirements and lookup tool.
The most common cases are Texas and Florida carriers:
Texas — TX DMV. Look up the carrier at apps.txdmv.gov.
Florida — FL HSMV. Look up the carrier at services.flhsmv.gov.
For any other state, contact compliance to initiate a state-level review.
Download our Carrier Compliance Cheat Sheet
Our team has created a cheat sheet that you can download and save for future reference. [Attachment removed]