Protecting Vehicles At The Point Of Release

How release fraud actually works

The pattern is consistent and unglamorous. Someone contacts a lot, a dealership or a storage yard, presents documentation that appears legitimate, and collects a vehicle they have no right to. By the time anyone checks, the unit is gone.

It works because release is usually the least controlled step in the process. Sales, finance and titling all have checks. Handing over keys to a driver is often based on the fact that a truck turned up and the paperwork looked right.

What we do differently

• Carrier verified before dispatch — operating authority, active insurance certificate and FMCSA safety record checked on every single load, not once a year
• You know who is coming — driver name, company and contact sent to you before collection, so an unannounced truck is a red flag rather than a routine event
• Release only to the assigned carrier — if the vehicle at your gate does not match what we sent you, it should not be loaded
• Documented handover — signed Bill of Lading and photographs at collection, establishing exactly what left and with whom
• Reference-based release — collections tied to an order reference rather than a verbal description of the job

Checks your team can make in thirty seconds

1. Does the driver match what you were sent? Name and carrier company should match the assignment notice. If they do not, call us before releasing.
2. Look up the carrier yourself. The USDOT number can be checked on the FMCSA SAFER system from a phone in under a minute.
3. Confirm the reference. The driver should know the order or VIN they are there for, not just the make and colour.
4. Never release under pressure. A legitimate driver will wait five minutes for a phone call. Urgency is the most common tool used against you.

Documentation as protection

Verification prevents the fraud. Documentation is what protects you if something still goes wrong.

A signed Bill of Lading with photographs establishes what condition the vehicle was in, who took it, and when. Without it, a dispute becomes one party's account against another's, weeks after the fact, with no evidence either way.

What we cannot do

We will not claim to eliminate fraud risk, because nobody honestly can. What verification and documentation do is remove the easy routes and make the remaining ones traceable.

The weakest point in any release process is a person under time pressure making a judgement call alone. No system fixes that entirely. Clear rules agreed in advance, so nobody has to make that call in the moment, come closest.

Fraud prevention questions