Question 1

How is a carrier's safety rating determined?

Accepted Answer

FMCSA assigns safety ratings through Compliance Reviews (CRs). Ratings are Satisfactory, Conditional, or Unsatisfactory based on the carrier's compliance with safety regulations. Many carriers remain "Unrated" as FMCSA hasn't conducted a review.

Question 2

What does "OOS rate" mean?

Accepted Answer

OOS stands for Out-of-Service. The OOS rate represents the percentage of inspections that resulted in a driver or vehicle being placed out of service due to safety violations. A higher OOS rate indicates more frequent critical safety issues.

Question 3

How often is the data updated?

Accepted Answer

We pull fresh data from FMCSA on a monthly basis. The last updated date is displayed on each carrier profile page. For the most current information, we also link directly to the official FMCSA SAFER record.

Question 4

What is an MC number?

Accepted Answer

An MC (Motor Carrier) number is issued by FMCSA to for-hire carriers operating in interstate commerce. It serves as a unique identifier for the carrier's operating authority.

Question 5

What is a DOT number?

Accepted Answer

A DOT (Department of Transportation) number is a unique identifier assigned to every commercial motor vehicle carrier. It's used to track safety information during audits, compliance reviews, crash investigations, and inspections.

Question 6

What are SMS BASIC scores?

Accepted Answer

The Safety Measurement System (SMS) uses seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) to assess carrier safety. Scores are percentile rankings from 0-100, where higher scores indicate worse performance relative to peers.

Question 7

Does crash involvement mean the carrier is at fault?

Accepted Answer

No. FMCSA crash data reflects reportable crashes involving the carrier, regardless of fault. A crash is reportable if it involves a fatality, injury requiring transport, or a towed vehicle.

Question 8

Is CarrierBrief free to use?

Accepted Answer

Yes. CarrierBrief is completely free. No account or login is required to search and view carrier profiles.

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