EXHIBIT A — Carrier Selection Due Diligence Record

FreightProof Vetting Record VET-2225033A

This document constitutes the broker's contemporaneous record of carrier vetting performed at the time of dispatch, generated and cryptographically sealed by the FreightProof system operated by Rootz Corp.


1. SHIPMENT DETAILS

FieldValue
Shipment TypeFull Truckload (FTL)
CommodityNew disposable diapers, consumer packaged goods
Weight20,000 lbs
OriginWarehouse, Dayton, OH
DestinationDistribution center, Ocala, FL
RouteI-75 South (~850 miles, ~13 hours)
Dispatch Date2026-06-18
BrokerDEMO-BROKER


2. CARRIER SELECTED

FieldValue
Carrier Legal NameGREENWOOD MOTOR LINES INC (d/b/a R+L Carriers)
USDOT Number63391
MC NumberOn file
Entity TypeFor-Hire, Interstate
Fleet Size10,296 power units
Operating StatusAuthorized
Safety RatingNONE (94% of carriers have never been examined by FMCSA)


3. RISK ASSESSMENT AT TIME OF DISPATCH

FieldValue
FreightProof Risk Score33 / 100
Risk LevelMEDIUM
RecommendationCAUTION — Document additional due diligence before selection

Factors Identified

  • 116 fatal crashes in FMCSA records (fleet-wide, multi-year)
  • 1,335 injury crashes in FMCSA records
  • 3,907 total crashes in FMCSA records
  • Cumulative violation severity score: 5,914 across BASIC categories
  • Context Note

    R+L Carriers operates 10,296 power units covering billions of miles annually. Absolute crash counts must be evaluated relative to fleet size and exposure. A fleet of this size with zero crashes would be statistically impossible. The per-unit crash rate is within normal range for a carrier of this scale.


    4. SEVEN BASIC SAFETY SCORES (FMCSA SMS)

    The Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) are the seven categories FMCSA uses to evaluate carrier safety performance. Higher percentiles indicate worse performance relative to peers. The FMCSA intervention threshold is 65% (56% for Hazmat).

    BASIC scores were queried live from the FMCSA QCMobile API at time of vetting. If no percentile is shown, FMCSA has not calculated a score for that BASIC (insufficient data or not public).


    5. GOVERNMENT DATA SOURCES CHECKED

    Every data point in this vetting record was drawn from official U.S. government sources. The following datasets were queried:

    SourceDataset IDTypeData as of
    FMCSA QCMobile APILiveReal-time carrier profile, BASIC scores, authority, insurance2026-06-18T16:23:41Z
    FMCSA Census Filesocrata:az4n-8mr24.4M carrier registrationsDaily bulk
    FMCSA Crash Filesocrata:aayw-vxb33.6M crash recordsDaily bulk
    FMCSA Inspection Filesocrata:fx4q-ay7w4.9M inspection recordsDaily bulk
    FMCSA Out-of-Service Orderssocrata:p2mt-9ige441K federal OOS ordersDaily delta
    FMCSA Violations by BASICsocrata:8mt8-2mdr6.7M violation recordsDaily delta (see data_freshness below)
    FMCSA Revocations/Suspensionssocrata:sa6p-acbp1.5M authority actionsDaily delta
    FMCSA Insurance/Suretyfrom carrier recordBIPD and cargo coverageReal-time


    6. DATA PROVENANCE CHAIN

    This section establishes the origin and integrity of every data element in this record. Each step in the chain is independently verifiable.

    Step 1: Government Source → FreightProof Database (with Transport Proof)

    Data was ingested from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) via two channels:

  • Real-time API: The QCMobile API (mobile.fmcsa.dot.gov) was queried at 2026-06-18T16:23:41Z for carrier profile, BASIC scores, and authority status. The API is a free, public U.S. government service.
  • Bulk datasets: Seven datasets on data.transportation.gov (the U.S. DOT's Socrata open data platform) were ingested via authenticated API pulls. Each pull is recorded in the data_pulls provenance table with:
  • - Source dataset ID (Socrata identifier, publicly verifiable) - Pull timestamp (UTC) - Row count (fetched and inserted) - SHA-256 hash of the full raw response content (not just row keys) - Duration

    Transport-Layer Provenance (source_proofs table):

    Every API call is captured with:

    FieldPurpose
    Resolved IPThe IP address that DNS resolved mobile.fmcsa.dot.gov to at query time
    TLS ProtocolTransport encryption (TLS 1.3)
    Content HashSHA-256 of the raw HTTP response body before any parsing
    HTTP StatusThe server's response code (200 = success)
    ETag / Last-ModifiedServer's version indicator for the response
    Server Request IDSocrata or FMCSA's own request tracking identifier

    This proves: (a) we contacted the real government server (DNS + IP), (b) the connection was encrypted (TLS), (c) the exact bytes we received (content hash), and (d) when we received them (timestamp + server headers).

    Verification: Any party can independently query https://data.transportation.gov/resource/{dataset_id}.json with the same parameters and compare results. The source_proofs table provides the original content hash for comparison.

    Step 2: Database → Vetting Snapshot

    At dispatch time, ALL data relevant to DOT# 63391 was extracted from the database and combined with the live API response into a single JSON snapshot. This snapshot contains the complete state of every data source at the moment of checking.

    Step 3: Snapshot → Cryptographic Hash

    The snapshot JSON was hashed using SHA-256, producing:

    `` fed4b90e9400a574b243cdf1cd76cebd2487778f1eef5807c4a0147bf1fb6611 `

    This hash is a mathematical fingerprint. If any byte of the snapshot data is altered — a date changed, a crash removed, a score modified — the hash will not match. SHA-256 is the same algorithm used by the U.S. federal government (FIPS 180-4) and is computationally infeasible to forge.

    Step 4: Hash → Stored Record

    The vetting record (ID: VET-2225033A), snapshot JSON, and SHA-256 hash were stored simultaneously in the FreightProof database with an immutable timestamp. The record cannot be modified after creation without invalidating the hash.

    Step 5: Data Freshness (from data_pulls provenance table)

    Each bulk dataset's last successful pull is recorded in the data_pulls table and included in the snapshot. This proves the maximum staleness of each data source at the time of vetting:

    DatasetLast Successful PullRows in Pull
    p2mt-9ige (OOS Orders)2026-06-18T03:01:14Z391,247
    8mt8-2mdr (Violations)2026-06-18T03:12:48Z6,714,012
    sa6p-acbp (Revocations)2026-06-18T03:03:22Z1,523,891

    These timestamps are included in the data_freshness field of the snapshot JSON and are covered by the SHA-256 hash.

    Independent Verification

    Any party can verify this record:

  • Retrieve the snapshot JSON from FreightProof: GET https://freight.rootz.global/api/verify/VET-2225033A
  • The API returns the complete snapshot JSON and recomputes the SHA-256 hash live
  • Compare the recomputed hash to fed4b90e...6611 in this record
  • If they match, the data has not been tampered with since dispatch
  • Alternatively, verify manually:

  • Request the snapshot JSON via legal discovery or API
  • Run: echo -n '' | sha256sum
  • The result must equal fed4b90e9400a574b243cdf1cd76cebd2487778f1eef5807c4a0147bf1fb6611
  • No trust in FreightProof is required. The verification is mathematical, not testimonial. The government data sources are public. The hash algorithm is a federal standard (FIPS 180-4). The computation is deterministic.

    Blockchain Timestamp (OpenTimestamps → Bitcoin)

    The SHA-256 hash of this vetting record was submitted to OpenTimestamps calendar servers at the time of creation. OpenTimestamps aggregates hashes into a Merkle tree and anchors the root to a Bitcoin transaction, providing an independently verifiable proof that this hash existed at a specific point in time.

  • Hash submitted: fed4b90e9400a574b243cdf1cd76cebd2487778f1eef5807c4a0147bf1fb6611
  • Calendar servers: a.pool.opentimestamps.org, b.pool.opentimestamps.org, a.pool.eternitywall.com
  • Bitcoin confirmation: Pending (~1-2 hours from submission)
  • Upgrade: The initial calendar receipt can be upgraded to a full Bitcoin proof via the OpenTimestamps protocol
  • Why this matters: FreightProof cannot backdate a vetting record. The Bitcoin blockchain is an independent, public, immutable timestamp authority. Even if FreightProof's database were compromised, the Bitcoin timestamp proves the hash existed before the block was mined.

    Exhibit A-1: Snapshot JSON

    The complete snapshot JSON (the raw data object that was hashed) is available:

  • Via API: GET https://freight.rootz.global/api/verify/VET-2225033Asnapshot_json field
  • Via discovery: Stored in FreightProof database, vetting_records table, snapshot_json column
  • Attached: See Exhibit A-1 (snapshot JSON printout) if produced in physical discovery

  • 7. MONTGOMERY COMPLIANCE MAPPING

    Per Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, 608 U.S. ___ (2026), freight brokers owe a duty of ordinary care in carrier selection. Justice Barrett's opinion identified specific categories of publicly available information that establish constructive knowledge. This record maps each category to the data checked:

    Barrett FactorData CheckedResult
    Safety ratingFMCSA carrier profile, safety_rating fieldNONE (unrated, normal for 94% of carriers)
    Operating authorityFMCSA authority status, grant datesAUTHORIZED, Interstate, For-Hire
    Insurance statusBIPD and cargo insurance on fileOn file: BIPD $1,000,000 (1,000K), Cargo $5,000 (5K) — FMCSA reports in thousands
    Crash historyFMCSA Crash File (3.6M records)3,907 crashes (116 fatal, 1,335 injury)
    Inspection resultsFMCSA Inspection File (4.9M records)Queried and included in snapshot
    OOS violationsFMCSA OOS Orders (441K records)0 federal OOS orders for this carrier
    BASIC scoresFMCSA SMS / QCMobile APIAll 7 BASICs queried at time of vetting
    ComplaintsFMCSA carrier profileQueried and included
    Authority ageCalculated from grant dateEstablished carrier (decades of operation)
    Enforcement historyFMCSA Violations (6.7M), Revocations (1.5M)Violation severity 5,914; 0 revocations

    Every factor identified by the Supreme Court was checked. The data was current as of the moment of dispatch. The record is independently verifiable.


    8. BROKER'S DOCUMENTED DECISION

    Despite the MEDIUM risk score (driven by absolute crash counts for a 10,000+ truck fleet), the broker selected this carrier based on the following documented reasoning:

  • R+L Carriers is one of the largest LTL/FTL carriers in the United States
  • No federal Out-of-Service orders
  • No authority revocations or suspensions
  • No BASIC scores above the FMCSA intervention threshold
  • Active insurance on file
  • Operating authority in good standing
  • This is a routine lane (OH → FL via I-75) that R+L services daily
  • Per-unit crash rate is within normal range for a fleet of this scale
  • This decision was made with full knowledge of the risk factors identified above and documented contemporaneously with the dispatch.


    9. ATTESTATION

    FieldValue
    Vetting IDVET-2225033A
    Data Hash (SHA-256)fed4b90e9400a574b243cdf1cd76cebd2487778f1eef5807c4a0147bf1fb6611
    Vetting Timestamp2026-06-18T16:23:41Z
    SystemFreightProof v1.0.0 by Rootz Corp
    Verification URLhttps://freight.rootz.global/api/verify/VET-2225033A`
    Montgomery StandardPer Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II (2026), brokers must exercise ordinary care in carrier selection using publicly available FMCSA data.


    This record was generated automatically by the FreightProof system at the time of carrier selection. It has not been modified after creation. The SHA-256 hash serves as a tamper-evident seal. Any modification to the underlying data will cause hash verification to fail.

    FreightProof by Rootz Corp — freight.rootz.global — Proof of checking starts here.