In short: When you hand your product to a transporter, you're handing over your inventory and your compliance exposure. Vet them on seven things: licensing, vetted crews sized to the load, locked and monitored cargo, real-time GPS, METRC-aligned custody documentation, insurance, and a written incident-response plan. If a provider can't answer all seven plainly, keep looking.
Choosing a cannabis transport provider is a security decision before it's a logistics decision. The moment your product leaves your dock, someone else controls whether it stays accounted for — and if it doesn't, the discrepancy lands on your license, not just their reputation. The good news: the right questions surface a serious operator quickly. Here's the checklist.
1. Licensing and standing
Confirm the provider holds a Minnesota cannabis transporter license under Minn. Stat. 342.35 and is in good standing with OCM. The vehicles should be registered to the licensed entity, not to individuals. This is the floor — without it, nothing else matters, because the transfer itself isn't authorized.
2. Vetted crews, sized to the load
Every crew member should be a background-checked employee of the transporter, and a second crew member should ride along whenever the load, the route, or the risk profile calls for it. Ask how crews are vetted, whether they're W-2 employees rather than contractors, and how the provider decides when a run warrants two-person staffing. The answer tells you how seriously they treat diversion.
3. Locked, monitored cargo
Product should travel in a locked compartment the driver cannot access while the vehicle is moving, in an unmarked vehicle with no cannabis branding. Ask about cameras, alarms, and how the cargo area is physically separated. A lockbox in a back seat is not a secure cargo system.
4. Real-time GPS and route documentation
The provider should run live GPS on every vehicle and retain route and timing records. This is both a security control and your evidentiary record if a transfer is ever questioned. Ask whether you can get visibility into your own shipments and how long route data is retained.
5. METRC-aligned chain of custody
Every transfer should ride on a METRC manifest, with counts and weights reconciled at pickup and acceptance confirmed at delivery. Ask how discrepancies are handled and documented. A provider that reconciles at the dock — rather than trusting the paperwork — is one that prevents small problems from becoming investigations.
6. Insurance and bonding
Confirm cargo insurance and any applicable bonding, and understand what's covered and what isn't. Ask for proof, not assurances. If a load is lost or compromised, this is the difference between a covered claim and an uncovered loss you absorb.
7. A written incident-response plan
Ask what happens if a load is delayed, a vehicle breaks down, a route is compromised, or a count comes up short. A serious provider has a documented protocol — notification, escalation, incident reporting, METRC reconciliation — not an improvised response. How they answer this question reveals whether they've thought past the easy days.
How to use this checklist
Walk through all seven in a single conversation. A provider built for cannabis will answer each plainly and back it with documentation. Hesitation, vagueness, or "we usually…" on any of the seven is a signal. You're not being difficult — you're protecting your inventory, your license, and your reputation.
The one clear takeaway
The right cannabis transporter passes seven security tests: licensing, vetted crews staffed to the load, locked and monitored cargo, real-time GPS, METRC custody documentation, real insurance, and a written incident plan. Make a provider earn your product by answering all seven — because once it's on the road, their security standards become yours.
FAQ
What's the single most important thing to check in a cannabis transporter?
Licensing and standing come first — confirm a valid Minnesota transporter license and properly registered vehicles. Without authorized transport, every other control is irrelevant because the transfer itself isn't legal.
How can I tell if a provider takes security seriously?
Ask how crews are vetted and how the provider decides when a run warrants a second crew member, how cargo is locked and monitored, and whether they have a written incident-response plan. Specific, documented answers signal a serious operation; vague ones are a warning.
Why does the transporter's chain-of-custody process affect me?
Any discrepancy between the manifest and the product received can trigger an OCM incident report and investigation that touches your license, not just theirs. A provider that reconciles counts at pickup and confirms acceptance in METRC protects you, not only themselves.
Should I ask for proof of insurance?
Yes. Request proof of cargo insurance and any bonding, and understand the coverage limits and exclusions. If a load is lost or compromised, documented coverage is what stands between a claim and an absorbed loss.
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