A different driver showed up for the pickup. Now what?

Reviewed September 2026 · the rules quoted below are linked to their source

Why a phone call isn't enough

A swapped driver is usually legitimate: someone ran out of hours, a truck broke down, the load was re-brokered. But it is also exactly what a cargo theft looks like. CBP's CTPAT criteria for highway carriers describe fictitious pickups as “criminal schemes that result in the theft of cargo by deception that includes truck drivers using fake IDs and/or fictitious businesses set up for the purpose of cargo theft” (CTPAT Minimum Security Criteria, Highway Carriers, March 2020, p. 42, criterion 10.7).

So the question isn't whether this driver is probably fine. It's who has the authority to change the booking, and whether that change is written down before the trailer leaves.

Who gives the final go-ahead

The shipping office, not the gate and not the driver. The gate's job is to match the person and the equipment to the paper. The office's job is to decide whether the paper changes. Keeping those two roles apart is what stops a confident driver with a plausible story from talking a load out of the yard.

The four steps at the gate

The pickup number and trailer number matter more than the name. A real swap usually has both right; a bad pickup often gets one of them wrong. That is our field experience, not a measured rate.

What CBP's CTPAT criteria say

If your facility or your carriers are CTPAT members, two criteria in the highway carrier document apply directly. Even if you aren't, they are a sensible baseline.

Driver ID is a “must”. Criterion 10.3: “Drivers delivering or receiving cargo must be positively identified before cargo is received or released. Drivers must present government-issued photo identification to the facility employee granting access to verify their identity.” If government ID isn't feasible, the employee “may accept a recognizable form of photo identification issued by the highway carrier company that employs the driver picking up the load” (p. 41).

Advance notice is a “should”. Criterion 10.7: before arrival, the carrier should notify the facility of the ETA for the scheduled pickup, the name of the driver and the truck number, and: “Where operationally feasible, CTPAT Members should allow deliveries and pickups by appointment only.” For carriers with regular drivers, CBP calls it a good practice for the facility to keep a list of approved drivers with their pictures (p. 42).

A last-minute swap breaks the advance notice in 10.7, which is why step 2 above asks for the same three things (driver name, truck number, pickup) in writing before release.

What to write in the gate log

One line per swap is enough: pickup or load number, trailer number, original driver name, new driver name, ID type checked, who in the office approved it, and the time. If a load ever goes missing, that line is the first thing anyone asks for. Our trailer check-in log guide covers the rest of the fields a gate log should have.

In Vantage, every gate record gets a timestamp, and a photo whenever the camera is used. Gate settings have an optional driver's-license scan that fills the driver name on the record. The Free plan ($0, no card, 3 users, 1 yard, 100 gate events a month) includes the live yard map and door board.

Frequently asked questions

Can a warehouse release a load to a different driver than the one on the booking?

Yes, if the change is confirmed before the load is released. The carrier sends the new driver name, truck number and trailer number in writing, the shipping office checks the pickup number and trailer number against the booking, and the gate checks the driver's photo ID against the updated name.

What ID should the gate ask a driver for at pickup?

CBP's CTPAT criteria for highway carriers (March 2020, criterion 10.3) say drivers delivering or receiving cargo must be positively identified before cargo is received or released, using government-issued photo ID; if that is not feasible, a recognizable photo ID issued by the driver's carrier.

What is a fictitious pickup?

CBP describes fictitious pickups as criminal schemes that steal cargo by deception, including drivers using fake IDs and fake businesses set up for cargo theft. Its CTPAT guidance recommends that carriers send the driver name, truck number and ETA before arrival, and appointment-only pickups where feasible.

Related: how to log trailer check-in at the gate · C-TPAT 7-point inspection checklist · records you need to win a detention claim