US Markets
Home›US Markets›M&A & Deals›Carrier Assure rolls out BAVRA standard to vet freight…
Carrier Assure rolls out BAVRA standard to vet freight brokers
The 34-page Broker Assessment, Verification, Risk and Accountability framework is designed to guide shippers on selecting and monitoring brokers and other intermediaries beyond checking authority, bonds and insurance.
Carrier Assure founder and CEO Cassandra Gaines has released a companion standard for transportation risk management focused on the shipper side of the brokerage chain.
The BAVRA Standard, short for Broker Assessment, Verification, Risk and Accountability, is a 34-page framework aimed at helping shippers build a “reasonable and defensible” process for selecting and overseeing brokers, freight forwarders, managed transportation providers and motor carriers that also hold brokerage authority.
Gaines said the standard is intended to address a “blind spot” in many shippers’ due diligence, arguing that transportation responsibility begins before a truck arrives and that the decision to choose a broker can affect public safety, cargo security, insurance recovery, customer service, and which carrier and driver ultimately go on the highway.
According to the framework, shippers often rely on baseline checks such as verifying operating authority, bond, insurance coverage and contracts, but the more important question is whether a broker has written carrier-vetting standards, operational controls, trained personnel, and risk-management procedures tailored to the freight being moved.
Yahoo Finance reports the BAVRA Standard is intentionally specific, warning shippers not to limit their approach to hiring a reputable broker or relying only on authority confirmation and contracts.