FMCSA vs SAM.gov vs OFAC: What Each Database Actually Covers

Published March 2026 · 5 min read

Most freight brokers check FMCSA before assigning a load. Fewer check SAM.gov. Even fewer check OFAC. The problem is that each database covers a completely different type of risk, and a carrier can be clean on one while appearing on another. Running an FMCSA SAM.gov OFAC carrier check across all three is the only way to get a complete picture of who you are doing business with.

FMCSA: Operating Authority and Safety Data

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration maintains the primary database for commercial motor carriers in the United States. When you look up a carrier on FMCSA's SAFER system, you get their registration information (legal name, DBA, address, USDOT and MC numbers), operating authority status (active, inactive, or revoked), insurance coverage on file, fleet size (power units and drivers), safety rating if one has been assigned, and inspection and crash data.

FMCSA answers the question: is this carrier legally authorized to operate, and what does their safety record look like? It is essential and it should always be your first check. But FMCSA has significant blind spots. It does not track whether a carrier is on any federal sanctions or exclusion lists. It does not surface fraud allegations, complaints, or adverse news. And the insurance data, while useful, can lag behind real-time policy changes. FMCSA tells you about the carrier's regulatory status — it does not tell you about their legal standing with other branches of the federal government.

SAM.gov: Federal Exclusions and Debarment

SAM.gov (the System for Award Management) is maintained by the General Services Administration and contains the federal government's list of excluded and debarred entities. These are companies and individuals who have been barred from receiving federal contracts, subcontracts, or certain types of federal financial assistance. Reasons for exclusion include fraud, criminal convictions, tax delinquency, and violations of federal regulations.

A carrier appearing on SAM.gov's exclusion list is a serious red flag. While SAM.gov exclusions are primarily relevant to federal contracting, a carrier that the federal government has deemed untrustworthy enough to exclude from business is a carrier you should think carefully about using. The exclusion indicates that a federal agency investigated the company and took formal action. That is not a frivolous finding.

Searching SAM.gov manually is free but cumbersome. The interface is designed for government contracting officers, not freight brokers, and name-matching requires careful attention to legal names, DBAs, and variations.

OFAC SDN List: Treasury Department Sanctions

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), part of the U.S. Treasury Department, maintains the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) list. This list identifies individuals and entities that are subject to U.S. economic sanctions. These include individuals and companies associated with terrorism, narcotics trafficking, weapons proliferation, and other threats to national security or foreign policy.

The legal exposure here is different from SAM.gov and more severe. Federal law prohibits U.S. persons from conducting virtually any transaction with anyone on the SDN list. This is a strict liability standard — it does not matter whether you knew the entity was sanctioned. Conducting business with a sanctioned entity can result in civil penalties, criminal penalties, or both. For a freight broker, this means if you assign a load to a carrier or entity on the SDN list, you may face federal enforcement regardless of your intent.

Why You Need All Three

Each database covers a different dimension of risk. FMCSA covers regulatory and safety risk. SAM.gov covers federal contracting integrity risk. OFAC covers sanctions and national security risk. There is no overlap between them — a carrier can have perfect FMCSA records and still appear on SAM.gov or the SDN list.

Consider a real scenario: a carrier has active authority, adequate insurance, and a clean inspection record on FMCSA. They look like a good choice. But a SAM.gov search reveals that the carrier's principal was debarred from federal contracting two years ago for fraud. Or an OFAC search reveals a match on the SDN list. Neither of these would show up on FMCSA. If you only checked one database, you would miss the risk entirely.

The argument for running all three checks is not that matches are common — they are not. The argument is that the consequences of missing one are disproportionately severe compared to the effort of checking.