A unique number recorded on a trailer or container seal to detect tampering or mismatch. In a freight fraud review, use this term as a record label rather than as a conclusion about a company or person.
Records can be outdated, spoofed, or changed after a check. Recheck official FMCSA, insurance, bond, and legal records before booking or tendering freight.
Why it matters
Cargo-theft terms matter because custody, release, seal, route, and reporting details can become time-sensitive evidence.
Common confusion
The common mistake is treating this term as a final answer. In practice, it should point to a record, a date, and a verification step.
Example in a freight transaction
A receiver opens a trailer before recording the seal condition, leaving a gap in the cargo claim file.
What this term does not prove
A matching seal number does not prove every custody issue is resolved.
Desk check
- Record seal at pickup and delivery.
- Photograph exceptions before opening when possible.
- Match seal notes to BOL and POD.
Records to compare
- Pickup authorization, driver identity, truck, trailer, seal, route, and tracking records.
- BOL, delivery confirmation, exception notes, and last-known-location documentation.
- Law-enforcement, insurer, shipper, carrier, or IC3 records when the incident requires escalation.
Official source context
For this term, start with Broker and Carrier Fraud and Identity Theft from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Use it as a source context point, then check the live official page for current wording or status before acting.
Related terms
Source References
- Broker and Carrier Fraud and Identity Theft Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. primary source. Last checked 2026-06-01. FMCSA guidance on broker and carrier fraud, unauthorized USDOT use, suspicious links, SAFER phone comparison, NCCDB, OIG, FTC, and IC3 reporting pointers.
- Cargo Theft Federal Bureau of Investigation. primary source. Last checked 2026-05-15. FBI overview of cargo theft, including strategic theft trends such as identity theft, fictitious pickup, account takeover, double brokering scams, and fraudulent carriers.