How do I know a hauler is legitimate?

Start with what the approval on this site is, because the rest only makes sense after it: a person at HaulHand reads every hauler signup and approves it before that account can bid. That is a human filter against the obviously wrong, and it is deliberately slow. It is not a background check. We do not verify identity, we do not collect or read insurance certificates, and we do not confirm anybody's operating authority. Assume no check has happened beyond somebody reading what they typed.

Federal records are useful, but they are not a blanket answer. Use the USDOT or MC number shown on the bid in SAFER to review company identity, USDOT and operating-authority status, a safety rating if any, and inspection and crash summaries. FMCSA says a NOT AUTHORIZED label may not apply to private or intrastate operations. For authority and insurance filing history, use FMCSA's separate Licensing & Insurance system and read its current notices; FMCSA currently warns that newer Motus filings are not reflected there. A self-entered number and either public record are evidence to assess, not HaulHand verification or proof that the exact haul is lawful.

Read the equipment and note on the bid, then use the bid conversation to ask specific questions before deciding. Livestock, vehicles, equipment and household goods each need different equipment and experience, and somebody who hauls cars well may never have loaded cattle.

The bid conversation is plain text. There is no pre-booking phone exchange or certificate upload, and HaulHand does not verify what either party types. If you need to inspect a certificate of insurance before deciding, do not book through HaulHand.

The payment flow provides a separate control, but not a guarantee: A card authorization is temporary and can expire or be released before delivery. It is not a completed charge or a guarantee of payment. If it expires or capture fails, another payment step is required. If the authorization remains valid, Stripe is asked to capture after delivery — when you confirm it or, if you do not respond or open a dispute, after the disclosed response window. Payout begins only after successful capture. A hauler who does not show up, or does not deliver, is not eligible for capture under the published flow; an expired authorization or processor failure still requires another payment step.

We also keep the record: the bid and any note that came with it, the booking and its timestamps, and the amounts. If something goes wrong and you need it, it is yours.

Before booking, use the bid note, bid conversation, business name, self-entered USDOT or MC number, and public records. The bid-message check refuses phone numbers, email addresses and links when it detects them. HaulHand shares the other party's saved phone number only after a booking is confirmed.