A certificate that expired in December is not insurance for a January load.
Every January the same PDF shows up. The dates are last year. The carrier says the renewal is in process. In process is not on file. If the policy lapsed, the truck should not be under your load.
Read the date
Look at the expiration before you dispatch. If it is past, call the insurance company on the certificate, not the address in the email. A certificate can be faked. The company that issued it can tell you if it is real.
Do not tender freight to a carrier whose insurance ended with the old year.