Short answer
A check call is a scheduled status update from the carrier or driver to the broker during a load. Check calls confirm dispatch, arrival and departure at pickup, location and ETA in transit, and arrival and delivery at the receiver. Brokers pass the updates to the shipper and use them to catch late loads before the appointment is missed.
Why check calls matter
A shipper who can’t see a load calls the broker. A broker who can’t see a load calls the carrier. Check calls exist so that call happens on a schedule.
They also build the record. Arrival and departure times from check calls support detention claims. A photo of the signed BOL at departure confirms what loaded. A delivery call with the POD photo lets billing start the same day.
A typical check call schedule
| When | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| After booking | Driver name, cell, truck and trailer numbers, and that the driver has the pickup details |
| Morning of pickup | Truck is empty and on time for the appointment |
| Arrived at pickup | Arrival time and check-in |
| Loaded and departed | Out time, piece count, seal number, BOL photo |
| In transit, at least daily | City and state, ETA, any issues with hours of service or equipment |
| Arrived at delivery | Arrival time against the appointment |
| Delivered | Out time, exceptions, POD photo |
Doing check calls well
Example (illustrative): a 700-mile load picks up Tuesday at 8:00 AM for a Wednesday 1:00 PM delivery. The loaded call comes at 9:50 AM. At 3:00 PM the driver is 250 miles down the road and expects to stop for the night about 150 miles short of the receiver. At 9:00 AM Wednesday the truck is 100 miles out, and the broker tells the shipper the load is on time.
Mind the driver’s rules
An ETA that ignores hours of service is a guess. Under FMCSA’s hours of service rules, a property-carrying driver can drive up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, can’t drive past the 14th hour after coming on duty, and needs a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving.
Don’t push drivers to pick up while they’re moving. FMCSA prohibits CMV drivers from using a hand-held mobile phone while driving, and carriers may not allow or require it, per its mobile phone fact sheet. Call dispatch, text, or wait for the driver’s next stop.
Common mistakes
- Accepting “rolling” as a location. Ask for a city and state or a mile marker.
- Keeping updates in your head. If the call isn’t logged on the load, the next person on shift can’t use it.
- Waiting too long when a truck goes dark. Set a time limit, then escalate to the carrier’s dispatch and owner.
- Updating the shipper after the appointment is missed. Bad news sent early gives them time to move the dock schedule.
Our guide to load tracking and check calls goes deeper on escalation.
How FreightVero handles it
From a load in FreightVero, you send a tracking request through Load Market to the driver’s phone. Once accepted, the load shows position, an ETA from the truck’s last position checked against the carrier’s appointment, and a green, yellow or red risk badge. Tracking that goes quiet for 45 minutes gets flagged, and a driver confirming arrival on site moves the load status. See live tracking. Our tracking agent works the loads tracking flags, and your dispatcher sends what it drafts.
