Search FMCSA SAFER System
Enter a trucking company name or DOT number to view their publicly available safety data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Results are pulled directly from FMCSA carrier data.
How to Find the Trucking Company Name
- →Look for the company name and DOT number on the truck's door panel or cab door
- →Check the accident or police report — the responding officer records carrier information
- →Review your insurance claim documents and the driver's insurance card
- →The US DOT number (USDOT#) is required on all commercial vehicles over 10,001 lbs — it appears on the cab door
FMCSA Safety Methodology
Understanding FMCSA BASIC Safety Scores
FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS) uses seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) to measure carrier safety performance. Carriers in the top 25–30% of their peer group in any category receive an “Alert” designation — a red flag visible on the FMCSA website.
Unsafe Driving
Tracks violations related to speeding, reckless driving, improper lane changes, and other unsafe driving behaviors observed during roadside inspections.
Hours-of-Service Compliance
Monitors violations of federal driving-time limits: the 11-hour driving limit, 14-hour on-duty window, and mandatory 30-minute rest break after 8 hours of driving.
Driver Fitness
Tracks whether drivers have valid commercial driver's licenses (CDLs), medical certificates, and required endorsements for the type of cargo they carry.
Controlled Substances/Alcohol
Records positive drug and alcohol test results, testing program violations, and instances of drivers operating under the influence of prohibited substances.
Vehicle Maintenance
Captures violations related to brake systems, tires, lighting, steering, and other safety-critical mechanical components found during roadside inspections.
Hazardous Materials Compliance
Applies to carriers transporting hazmat cargo. Tracks violations of placarding requirements, package integrity, emergency response documentation, and handling procedures.
Crash Indicator
Measures a carrier's crash history relative to the number of miles driven. Includes DOT-reportable crashes even when the carrier was not at fault.
How FMCSA Violations Strengthen Your Case
Federal trucking regulations exist specifically to prevent accidents. When a carrier or driver violates those regulations and an accident results, attorneys argue a doctrine called negligence per se — meaning the violation itself constitutes negligence as a matter of law, without requiring expert testimony about whether the conduct was "unreasonable."
Hours-of-Service violations are particularly powerful evidence. If the truck driver's ELD data shows they exceeded the 11-hour driving limit before your accident, that is direct evidence of legally prohibited fatigue. Combined with a carrier that has an HOS BASIC Alert status, you have evidence of both individual negligence and a systemic pattern of regulatory disregard — a fact pattern that frequently produces significantly larger settlements.
Vehicle maintenance violations work similarly. If the truck involved in your accident had a history of brake or tire violations, and the accident was caused by brake failure or a tire blowout, that maintenance history creates an inference that the carrier knew about the defect and ignored it — opening the door to claims of gross negligence or recklessness.
Key insight: A carrier with BASIC scores in the Alert range (top 25–30% of unsafe carriers) faces materially stronger negligence claims in court. These scores are admissible evidence in many jurisdictions and are frequently cited in settlement negotiations to support higher compensation demands.
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