MC number
An MC number is a docket FMCSA issues for interstate operating authority. Carriers and brokers can both have one. Freight forwarders may have an FF number, and some carriers have MX. The docket alone does not say which hat the company is wearing.
Key facts
The sources are listed on this page.
MC stands for motor carrier, but the docket is the operating authority, not a guarantee that this company will haul your car. FMCSA also issues FF numbers for freight forwarders and MX numbers for certain Mexico-domiciled carriers. A company can hold more than one kind of authority. The number on the website is the start of the lookup, not the end.
What to read next to the number
On the Licensing and Insurance record, see whether the active grant is common or contract carrier authority, property broker authority, or both. Broker authority means the company arranges transportation. Carrier authority means it may transport. A firm can hold both, and the contract for your car has to say which role it is playing this time. FMCSA's 2015 consumer advisory told people to avoid a site that does not show its MC docket. Displaying the number is still not the same as an active grant today.
How it differs from a USDOT number
The USDOT number is the census ID used for safety data. The MC number is the authority docket. Interstate for-hire work needs both. RideShipper does not issue either number. Look them up on the federal site before you pay or hand over keys.