Carrier Safety Score Checker
Combine Census data and real-time roadside inspection records into a single carrier report card. Enter a USDOT number to vet carriers and view safety violations before booking loads.
Comprehensive Safety Reports
- Roadside Inspections
- See a chronological history of the last 50 roadside inspections, including levels and locations.
- OOS (Out of Service) Rates
- Instantly surface critical violations that put vehicles or drivers out of service.
- Broker & Shipper Vetting
- Ensure the carriers you are tendering freight to maintain safe operating histories.
How Carrier Safety Scores Work
The FMCSA evaluates motor carrier safety through the Safety Measurement System (SMS), which analyzes data from roadside inspections, crash reports, and compliance reviews. Violations are organized into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs):
- Unsafe Driving — Speeding, reckless driving, improper lane changes, and texting
- Hours-of-Service Compliance — Exceeding driving limits, falsifying logs, and operating fatigued
- Driver Fitness — Unqualified or unlicensed drivers, invalid medical certificates
- Controlled Substances/Alcohol — Drug and alcohol violations
- Vehicle Maintenance — Brake defects, tire conditions, lighting, and cargo securement
- Hazardous Materials — Improper handling, labeling, or placarding of hazmat loads
- Crash Indicator — Patterns of crash involvement based on state-reported data
Each carrier receives a percentile ranking within their peer group for each BASIC. Carriers above the intervention threshold are prioritized for warning letters, investigations, or compliance reviews. For a complete breakdown of how this scoring works, read our in-depth guide to CSA scores and the 7 BASICs.
What This Tool Shows You
When you search a USDOT number, our Safety Score Checker returns three key data points:
Recordable Crash Rate
The carrier's crash frequency per million miles driven, as reported by state enforcement.
Inspection History
Up to 50 recent roadside inspections with dates, levels, states, and violation counts.
OOS Violation Rate
The percentage of inspections resulting in an out-of-service order for the vehicle or driver.
Who Uses Carrier Safety Data?
- Freight brokers vet carriers before assigning loads. A carrier with a high OOS rate or Conditional rating is a liability risk.
- Shippers verify that their contracted carriers meet minimum safety standards required by their own compliance programs.
- Fleet safety managers monitor their own company's inspection trends and benchmark against industry averages.
- Insurance underwriters review inspection and crash data when pricing commercial auto policies.
- Drivers evaluate prospective employers before signing on — a carrier with frequent OOS violations may indicate poor equipment maintenance.
Related Tools
DOT Number Lookup
Search any USDOT number for registration details, fleet size, and operating status.
Verify Operating Authority
Check whether a carrier is authorized to operate by the FMCSA.
Learn More
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a carrier safety score?
- A carrier safety score reflects the FMCSA's evaluation of a motor carrier based on roadside inspections, crash reports, and compliance reviews. The FMCSA uses the Safety Measurement System (SMS) to organize violations into 7 BASIC categories and assign percentile rankings that determine intervention thresholds.
- What does "Out of Service" (OOS) mean?
- An Out of Service (OOS) order is issued during a roadside inspection when a vehicle or driver has critical safety violations that make it unsafe to continue operating. Common OOS violations include brake defects, hours-of-service violations, and expired medical certificates. An OOS order takes the vehicle or driver off the road immediately until the violation is corrected.
- What are the 6 CVSA inspection levels?
- Level 1 is a full North American Standard Inspection covering both driver and vehicle. Level 2 is a walk-around driver/vehicle inspection. Level 3 is a driver-only inspection (credentials and HOS). Level 4 is a special inspection for one-time events. Level 5 is a vehicle-only inspection without a driver present. Level 6 is an enhanced NAS inspection for radioactive shipments.
- How do safety scores affect a carrier's business?
- Poor safety scores can trigger FMCSA interventions including warning letters, investigation requests, and compliance reviews. Shippers and brokers also use safety data to vet carriers before tendering freight. A high OOS rate or Unsatisfactory rating can lead to lost contracts, higher insurance premiums, and potential operating authority revocation.
- How often is inspection data updated?
- The FMCSA updates its inspection database on a rolling basis as state enforcement agencies submit reports. Most inspections appear in the system within 30-90 days. Violation detail data (BASIC category breakdown) may lag an additional 3-6 months behind the inspection records.
- What is a good OOS rate for a carrier?
- The national average OOS rate for vehicles is approximately 20% and for drivers approximately 5%. Carriers with OOS rates significantly above these averages are more likely to face FMCSA intervention. A 0% OOS rate is ideal and indicates strong pre-trip inspection and compliance practices.