How to Look Up a Trucking Company's Safety Record

Sat Oct 2026
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CIVIL PROSECUTORS AND TRIAL ATTORNEYS: WHAT THE PUBLIC RECORD SHOWS, AND WHAT IT LEAVES OUT

After a semi crash, families often ask the same question: was this trucking company already known for breaking the rules? Part of the answer is public. The federal government tracks each registered trucking company's safety data under its USDOT number,[1] and anyone can search much of that data online at no cost.[2] At Sanders.Law, our Civil Prosecutors and trial attorneys check that record early, because no one can hold a company accountable until they know who it is and how it has been running its trucks. This guide shows you how to look it up yourself, what it can tell you, and where it stops.

White semi-truck hauling a refrigerated trailer on a highway beside a lake and mountains

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The short answer

Find the company's USDOT number, then search it in three places run by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The SAFER Company Snapshot shows the company's size, cargo, safety rating if it has one, roadside inspection summary, and crash information.[2] The Safety Measurement System (SMS) sorts two years of inspection and crash data into safety categories.[3] The Licensing and Insurance (L&I) site shows whether the company's operating authority is active and what insurance it has on file.[4] FMCSA itself warns that these numbers have limits, so read them as a starting point, not a final word.[5]

Step 1: Find the company's USDOT number

Companies that run commercial vehicles hauling cargo or passengers across state lines must register with FMCSA and have a USDOT number. FMCSA uses that number to track the company's safety information from audits, compliance reviews, crash investigations, and inspections.[1] Missouri and Kansas also require a USDOT number for some trucks that stay inside the state.[1]

  • The cab door. Federal rules require a commercial truck to show the company's legal name or one trade name and its USDOT number on both sides of the power unit, readable in daylight from 50 feet while the truck is stopped.[6]
  • Look for "operated by." If another company's name also appears on the truck, the name of the company actually running it must come after the words "operated by."[6]
  • Rental trucks. A truck rented for 30 days or less may carry the rental company's name and number instead, under conditions the rule spells out.[6]
  • The police crash report. FMCSA trains officers to record the responsible carrier's USDOT number, its full name or "doing business as" name, and its physical address.[7]
  • Your own photos. Pictures of both sides of the cab and the trailer can settle a name or number that was hard to read at the scene.

Be careful with the name on the door. FMCSA's training for officers who fill out crash reports says the company responsible for the trip "may or may not be the company on the vehicle door or trailer."[8] Leased trucks and companies that haul as agents for other carriers can put more than one name and number on the same rig.[7] Write down every name and number you see, and search each one.

Step 2: Read the SAFER Company Snapshot

Go to safer.fmcsa.dot.gov and choose Company Snapshot. You can search by USDOT number, MC or MX number, or company name, one company at a time, at no charge.[2] Searching by number is more reliable than searching by name, since many companies have the same or similar names.[7] Here is what the main sections tell you:

Snapshot sectionWhat it tells you
USDOT statusWhether the company's registration shows as active, inactive, or out of service[9]
Operating authority statusWhether the company is cleared to haul for hire across state lines (details are on L&I)[9]
MCS-150 date and mileageWhen the company last filed its federal registration form, the MCS-150, which every interstate carrier must file, and the miles it reported[9][10]
Power units and driversHow many trucks and drivers the company reported[9]
Operation and cargoWhether it hauls for hire or its own goods, across state lines or only within one state, and what kinds of cargo[9]
InspectionsRoadside inspections of trucks, drivers, and hazardous loads over the past 24 months, how many ended with an out-of-service order, and the national average for comparison[9]
CrashesCrashes that states reported to FMCSA over the past 24 months, split into fatal, injury, and tow-away[9]
Safety ratingThe current rating, if any, and the dates of the rating and the review behind it[9]

Out-of-service orders

An out-of-service order is serious. When authorized inspectors mark a truck out of service, federal rules bar anyone from driving it until the required repairs are done.[11] The Snapshot shows the company's out-of-service rate next to the national average. As of Sept. 25, 2026, the national averages, based on the most recent 24 months of inspections, were 22.26% for vehicles, 6.67% for drivers, and 4.44% for hazardous materials.[9] A rate well above those numbers is worth asking about. A company with only a handful of inspections can swing far from the average on one bad day, so look at the counts too.

Crashes

The Snapshot is careful here, and you should be too. Its note says: "Crashes listed represent a motor carrier's involvement in reportable crashes, without any determination as to responsibility."[9] Under federal rules, a crash is reportable if it kills someone, injures someone who immediately gets medical treatment away from the scene, or damages a vehicle so badly that it has to be towed away.[12] FMCSA's Crash Preventability Determination Program also reviews 21 listed crash types, such as a truck being hit from behind, when a review is requested. Crashes found not preventable stay listed on the SMS website, but FMCSA leaves them out when it calculates the company's Crash Indicator category.[13]

Safety ratings

FMCSA uses four labels.[14] "Satisfactory" means FMCSA found the company's safety management controls adequate and working. "Conditional" means its controls are not adequate and could lead to the safety failures the rules list. "Unsatisfactory" means its controls are not adequate and have led to those failures. "Unrated" means only that FMCSA has not assigned a rating. It is not a clean bill of health. A company rated unsatisfactory is generally barred from running commercial trucks once a short notice period ends: 45 days after FMCSA's notice of the proposed rating for hazardous-materials and passenger carriers, and 60 days for most others, which FMCSA can extend by up to 60 more days if the company is making a good-faith effort to improve.[15] One more note from the Snapshot itself: "The Federal safety rating does not necessarily reflect the safety of the carrier when operating in intrastate commerce."[9]

Step 3: Look at the SMS safety categories

The SMS, part of FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program, uses roadside inspections and crash reports from the last two years plus investigation findings. FMCSA updates it once a month and sorts the data into seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories, called BASICs.[3] The public SMS site lets you search by company name or USDOT number.[5] In FMCSA's words, the categories cover:[3]

  • Unsafe Driving: repeated unsafe behavior such as texting, speeding, using a hand-held phone, reckless driving, improper lane changes, and inattention.[3]
  • Hours-of-Service Compliance: the rules meant to keep drivers alert, awake, and able to respond quickly.[3]
  • Vehicle Maintenance: inspections before and after trips, defects, and repairs.[3]
  • Controlled Substances/Alcohol: misuse of alcohol, illegal drugs, and medicines that impair driving.[3]
  • Driver Fitness: whether the company keeps complete driver files, including commercial licenses, medical certificates, and driving records.[3]
  • Crash Indicator: patterns of crash involvement from state crash reports. Not public for freight haulers.[3]
  • Hazardous Materials Compliance: packing, marking, loading, and handling hazardous cargo. Not public for freight haulers.[3]

For companies that haul freight, FMCSA shows the public their inspection and crash data, investigation findings, and measures for most categories, "however, the Crash Indicator and Hazardous Materials Compliance BASICs remain hidden from public view." Information on bus and other passenger carriers remains public.[5] A violation written on a roadside inspection report counts in the SMS even if the officer never wrote a ticket.[3]

The system is changing. FMCSA has published approved changes to its method that would rename the BASICs "compliance categories" and regroup some of them.[16] On Oct. 24, 2026, the public SMS site still used the seven BASICs, with data current as of Sept. 25, 2026, and the next update set for the week of Nov. 9, 2026.[5][17] If the screens look different when you search, that is likely why.

FMCSA's own warning about these numbers

FMCSA puts this caution on its SMS pages, and it is worth reading word for word:[5]

"Readers should not draw conclusions about a carrier's overall safety condition simply based on the data displayed in this system. Unless a motor carrier has received an UNSATISFACTORY safety rating under part 385 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, or has otherwise been ordered to discontinue operations by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, it is authorized to operate on the Nation's roadways."[5]

The SMS page adds that the symbol it uses to flag a company for a closer look "is not intended to imply any federal safety rating of the carrier."[5] So the data alone does not prove that a company is unsafe or that it caused your crash, and a quiet record does not prove the company followed the rules that day. What the record can do is suggest questions worth asking: how the company maintained its trucks, how it hired and supervised its drivers, and how it responded to problems that inspectors found.

Step 4: Check operating authority and insurance

The L&I Carrier Search covers interstate for-hire carriers that have been granted authority or have applications pending.[18] The site may ask you to confirm you're not a robot before it shows a record. On L&I, "Active" authority means the company is registered and has met the federal insurance rules. "Inactive" means its authority has been revoked, and for-hire interstate hauling is illegal.[4] The insurance section lists the filing type, the insurance company, the policy number, and the effective and cancellation dates, along with insurance history back to 1995 and any filings rejected in the past 12 months.[4]

Federal rules say a for-hire company hauling freight across state lines, and a company hauling certain hazardous materials, may not operate a truck of 10,001 pounds or more until it has the required minimum insurance or other financial responsibility in effect.[19] A company whose insurance lapsed or whose authority was revoked before your crash may have been running outside the rules that let it on the road. L&I covers for-hire carriers,[18] so a company that hauls only its own goods may have a USDOT number but no L&I authority record. That alone is not a red flag.

Save what you find, with the date

These records change. The Snapshot updates daily, and its inspection and crash counts update weekly.[20] SAFER keeps no history of past safety ratings, only the current one.[20] The SMS refreshes every month and covers a rolling two years.[3] Save a copy or a screenshot of every page you find, and write down the date and time you looked. If something looks wrong in the federal record, FMCSA's DataQs system lets people ask for a review of data they believe is incomplete or incorrect.[21]

What a family can see now, and what only a claim can reach

The public record is a window into how a company runs, but it is a small one. The records that usually show what happened on the day of the crash stay with the company or with safety officials. Federal rules set how long the company must keep many of them, and some of those clocks are short.

RecordWho can see it, or how long it is kept
SAFER Company Snapshot: rating, inspection summary, crash countsAnyone, at no charge[2]
SMS inspection and crash data, and most category measuresAnyone; for freight haulers, the Crash Indicator and Hazardous Materials categories are hidden[5]
L&I authority and insurance filingsAnyone[4]
Company Safety Profile, with more detail from inspection and crash reports and enforcement actionsCompany officials; everyone else must file a federal records (FOIA) request[21]
Full roadside inspection reportsOnly authorized users, and SAFER drops them after 180 days[20]
The driver's hours-of-service logs and supporting documentsKept by the company for at least 6 months[22]
The driver qualification file, including driving-record checks, and the separate file of past-employer safety inquiries the company must makeKept while the driver works there and for 3 years after; some items, such as annual driving-record reviews and medical certificates, may be removed 3 years after they were made[23][24]
Maintenance, inspection, and repair records for each truckKept for 1 year where the truck is housed or maintained, and for 6 months once the company no longer controls the truck[25]
The company's register of reportable crashesKept 3 years after each crash; the company must make crash records available to authorized federal, state, and local safety officials on request[26]
Whether the company checked the federal drug and alcohol Clearinghouse before hiring the driverThe company must run that check, with the driver's consent, before the driver starts driving or other safety-sensitive work[27]

An injured family usually reaches those company records through its own claim. That starts with a preservation letter telling the company to keep them, and it can continue through the evidence-gathering process if the case goes to court. Our guide to truck black box and ELD data explains which records to ask for and why the first weeks matter.

Truck black box, ECM, and ELD data after a crash

How Sanders.Law uses the public record

When a family calls us after a semi crash, the public record is one of the first places we look. We search every company name and USDOT number on the truck, the trailer, and the crash report. We check whether the company had active authority and insurance on file, what its safety rating says, and whether its inspections show the same kind of violation again and again. Then we ask for the records the public can't see. A company that ignores the rules endangers everyone who shares the road with its trucks. Making it answer for that is how we work to keep Kansas City roads safer.

Steps you can take this week

  1. See a doctor before anything else, and make sure each one knows a truck crash caused your visit.
  2. If you can do it safely, take pictures of the left and right sides of the cab and of the trailer, so every name and number is captured.
  3. Ask the police agency for the crash report, then copy down the carrier's name and USDOT number exactly as written.
  4. Run each number through SAFER, SMS, and L&I, and keep a dated printout or screenshot of every page.
  5. You may want to talk with a lawyer before you agree to give a recorded statement to the trucking company's insurance adjuster. You still need to cooperate with the police and follow the terms of your own insurance policy with your own insurer. This is general information, not legal advice about your situation.
  6. Reach Sanders.Law at (816) 457-6006 early. The company's own files have retention clocks, so a preservation letter should go out before they run out.

Semi-truck wrecks · Tractor-trailer and 18-wheeler wrecks · Traumatic brain injury · Mild traumatic brain injury

Video: Suing a trucking company

In this short video, Steve Sanders explains how we hold reckless truck drivers and the trucking companies behind them responsible.

Suing a Trucking Company (0:32). Watch it on its own page.

Transcript: Suing a Trucking Company

[background music plays throughout]

Steve Sanders: In highway tractor trailer crashes, reckless people and dangerous corporations should be held responsible. Whether it's the reckless driver who violated safety rules, or the trucking corporation who put an unqualified, untrained driver behind the wheel of a vehicle carrying 40 tons. At Sanders.Law, we hold these dangerous bullies and their reckless drivers responsible.

[music]

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find a trucking company's USDOT number?

Start with the cab door. Federal rules require the company's name and USDOT number on both sides of the truck, readable from 50 feet.[6] The police crash report should also list the responsible carrier's USDOT number, name, and address.[7] If more than one name appears, write them all down.

Is a trucking company's safety record public?

Much of it is. Anyone can search the SAFER Company Snapshot at no charge by USDOT number, MC number, or name.[2] The SMS shows inspection and crash data, but for freight haulers the Crash Indicator and Hazardous Materials categories are hidden from public view.[5]

What does an unrated trucking company mean?

It means FMCSA has not assigned the company a safety rating.[14] It does not mean the company is safe or unsafe. Look at the inspection and crash data too.

Does a crash on a company's record mean it was at fault?

No. The Snapshot says the crashes it lists are shown "without any determination as to responsibility."[9] Fault for your crash depends on the evidence from your crash.

Can a trucking company with a poor safety record keep operating?

Usually, yes. FMCSA says that unless a company has an unsatisfactory rating or has been ordered to stop operating, it is authorized to operate on the nation's roads.[5] A company rated unsatisfactory is generally barred from running commercial trucks once a short notice period ends.[15]

What trucking records can't I look up myself?

The driver's hours-of-service logs, the driver qualification file, the maintenance records, and the company's own crash register stay with the company or with safety officials.[22][24][25][26] An injured family usually reaches them through a claim, starting with a preservation letter.

Talk with a Kansas City trial attorney

If a truck crash hurt you or took someone from your family, call (816) 457-6006. Let us help you obtain justice, not only for your family, but for the sake of our community. Calls are answered 24/7, and consultations are free and confidential.

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Related

Sources

  1. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), "Do I Need a USDOT Number?" (last updated Sept. 3, 2025). https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/do-i-need-usdot-number (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  2. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), SAFER, "Company Snapshot" search page. https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  3. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), CSA, "How Is Safety Measured?" (SMS and the seven BASICs). https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/About/Measure (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  4. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Licensing and Insurance (L&I) Public, Carrier Search help page. https://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/pkg_li_std_routines.prc_help?pn_pageid=5 (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  5. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Safety Measurement System (SMS) home page, "Use of SMS Data/Information" (FAST Act of 2015) notice and data dates. https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/SMS/ (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  6. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 390.21T(b), (c), and (e) (the version in effect; § 390.21 is suspended indefinitely, per the eCFR effective-date note) (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-390.21T (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  7. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Crash Data Collection Training, Motor Carrier Identification lesson, pages "Carrier Identification Issues" (problems.html) and "Proper Recording - Critical Information" (information.html). https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/dataquality/CrashCollectionTraining/hottopics/carrier/problems.html (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  8. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Crash Data Collection Training, Motor Carrier Identification lesson, page "Identification Process." https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/dataquality/CrashCollectionTraining/hottopics/carrier/identification.html (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  9. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), SAFER Company Snapshot, a carrier record viewed for its section labels, notes, and national out-of-service averages (carrier not named here; data as of Oct. 22, 2026). https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  10. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 390.19T(a)(1) (the version in effect; § 390.19 is suspended indefinitely, per the eCFR effective-date note) (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-390.19T (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  11. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 396.9(c) (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-396.9 (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  12. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 390.5T, definitions (the version in effect; § 390.5 is suspended indefinitely, per the eCFR effective-date note) (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-390.5T (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  13. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), "Crash Preventability Determination Program (CPDP)" (last updated Dec. 10, 2024). https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/crash-preventability-determination-program (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  14. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 385.3, definitions of safety ratings (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-385.3 (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  15. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 385.13(a)(1) and (2) (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-385.13 (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  16. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), "Prioritization: Approved Changes Guide" (Nov. 2024). https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/Documents/FMCSA-SMS-Approved-Updates-Guide.pdf (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  17. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), "SMS Methodology," Version 3.21 (methodology revised May 2026; document revised June 2026). https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/smsmethodology.pdf (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  18. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), L&I Public, main menu, Carrier Search description. https://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/pkg_menu.prc_menu (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  19. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 387.7(a), with § 387.3 (who the rule covers) and § 387.9 (minimum levels) (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-387.7 (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  20. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), SAFER Web, "Frequently Asked Questions." https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/faq.aspx (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  21. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), "Company Safety Records" (last updated June 23, 2023). https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/company-safety-records (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  22. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 395.8(k)(1) (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-395.8 (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  23. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 391.23(a) (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.23 (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  24. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 391.51(c) and (d), and § 391.53(c) (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.53) (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.51 (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  25. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 396.3(c) (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-396.3 (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  26. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 390.15(a) and (b) (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-390.15 (checked Oct 24, 2026)
  27. eCFR, Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, § 382.701(a) (eCFR text current through Oct 22, 2026). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-382.701 (checked Oct 24, 2026)

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