UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC
DBA: UNIVERSAL
(310) 901-3450
pcanaday@universallogistics.com
12755 E 9 Mile, Warren MI 48089
124
tractors · all leased
116 drivers
HazMat
Satisfactory
FRED Score 50.0 / 100
High confidence
23 yrs history · 443 roadside inspections
FMCSA Live Status
Checking FMCSA…
Fleet & equipment
- Power units
- 124
- Drivers · CDL
- 116 · 116
- Annual miles
- 1.3M unreliable
| Type | Own | Term | Trip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trucks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tractors | 0 | 124 | 0 | 124 |
| Trailers | 0 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
Registration
- Registered
- 08-26-2003 (23 yrs)
- MCS-150 Update
- 11-13-2025
- FRED Score Date
- Nov 07, 2026
- Officer
- KERI LOWE
- Officer
- PHILLIP CANADAY
Cargo
66.2
medium risk
Household Goods
Motor Vehicles
Metal: Sheets/Coils/Rolls
Machinery/Large Objects
Liquids/Gases
Intermodal Containers
Meat
Refrigerated Food
General Freight
Building Materials
Fresh Produce
Beverages
Other: AUTO PARTS GENERAL COMMODITIES
Grain/Feed/Hay
US Mail
Dry Bulk
Paper Products
Utility
Construction
Chemicals
- High-Risk Cargo
- Motor Vehicles, Machinery Large, General Freight, Household Goods, Refrigerated Food, Meat
Note: "General Freight" is a catch-all; the actual cargo mix and its risk may differ.
Estimated from the commodity types reported to FMCSA, not from loss history or the true cargo mix.
Mileage Unreliable
MCS-150 annual mileage appears too low for fleet size given observed activity. The per-100k-mile rate benchmarks on this page are excluded; the FRED grade does not use mileage (crash exposure is power-unit-years, violation exposure is inspection counts).
Expected crash rate is about the same as similar fleets.
Similar fleets: for-hire fleets of 200–499 trucks with the same kind of operation, years in business and amount of road activity. Compared using its own crash record and roadside inspections.
This motor carrier 1.06×
ExcellentStrongSatisf.SatisfactoryMarginalPoorCritical
▲ Similar fleets 1.0×
Leaning Marginal. Its estimate (1.06× similar fleets) is in the Marginal range, but the record isn't strong enough to be 60% sure it is above the Marginal line (1.06×), so the grade stays Satisfactory.
Expected crashes, next 12 months
15.4 vs 14.5 for similar fleets
Likely 8–23 crashes
This motor carrier
15.4
Similar fleets
14.5
Chance of a fatal crash, next 12 months
~36%
About typical for similar fleets.
What's driving the grade
Crash history
betterworse
About typical. 30 crashes on the FMCSA record in 24 months (about 15 a year), including 1 fatal (1 death) and 10 with injuries; similar fleets have about 14 a year. The grade counts 70 crashes in its 36-month scoring window, recent ones weighted most.
Roadside inspections
betterworse
Better than peers. Violations 0.74× the rate expected for its inspections. Together they move its crash estimate -3%. It's inspected more often than most fleets its size.
Worth a closer look
From the FMCSA record. The grade already counts the safety items; insurance filings and links to other motor carriers are not in it.
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Fatal crash1 crash with 1 fatality in 24 months (most recent Dec 3, 2024).Ask: the accident register and loss runs for these crashes.
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Injury crashes10 crashes with 12 people hurt in 24 months.Ask: claim status and driver history for these crashes.
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Drivers put out of service3 out-of-service violations against drivers: 2 hours of service, 1 no valid CDL (Oct 2024 – Jan 2025).Ask: driver supervision and dispatch practices.
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Lights and brakesLights are 157 of 461 violations (34%). Light or brake defects led to 64 out-of-service orders.Ask: the preventive-maintenance schedule and shop records.
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Hazmat violations1 hazmat violation.
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Vehicle out-of-service rate27.3% of vehicle inspections end out of service vs 22.3% nationally (89 of 326), but across all its inspections out-of-service orders are 0.93× what's expected for where and how it's inspected, the measure the grade uses.
Strengths
- Driver out-of-service rate 0.7% vs 6.7% national.
- No FMCSA BASIC alerts.
Data flags
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Dangerous driving: 10
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Excessive speeding: 13
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Unreliable reported mileageThe motor carrier's self-reported annual mileage (MCS-150) looks implausible, so exposure- and mileage-based figures may be distorted.
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Estimated mileageNo usable mileage was reported, so exposure was estimated from similar motor carriers. Mileage-based metrics here are approximate.
Track record
FMCSA record, Sep 2024 – Sep 2026
· grade scored on Sep 1, 2023 → Sep 30, 2026
Crashes
30
1 fatality · 12 injuries · 0 tow-aways
Inspections
443
49% clean (no violations)
Vehicle out-of-service
27.3%
89 of 326
National avg 22.3%
Driver out-of-service
0.7%
3 of 442
National avg 6.7%
Violations
461
115 out-of-service
Inspections per quarter
With an out-of-service order
Sep 25–30, 2024 isn't charted (too little of that quarter is on file); the 24-month totals include its 9 inspections.
vs 1,871 peer fleets
| This motor carrier | Peers | |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes | 0.101 | 0.024 |
| Inspections | 4.66 | 0.91 |
| Violations | 1.86 | 0.51 |
| Critical violations | 0.28 | 0.10 |
Yearly rates from the last 24 months. Peers: 100–199 power units, medium-risk cargo.
What they get cited for
461 violations · 24 months-
Vehicle maintenance No alert387 · 112 OOSLights 157 · Brakes 108 · Tires 42 · Cargo securement 15 · Steering & suspension 12 · 53 more
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Unsafe driving No alert47 · 0 OOSReckless / lane 20 · Speeding 15 · Seat belt 7 · Phone use 2 · Other 3
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Hours of service No alert25 · 2 OOSLogbook / ELD paperwork 20 · False log 3 · No log 1 · Over hours limit 1
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Driver fitness No alert1 · 1 OOSNo valid CDL 1
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Drugs & alcohol No alert0
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Hazmat1 · 0 OOS
Out-of-service violations
“No alert” = under FMCSA's BASIC intervention threshold
Violations by quarter
Tap a category to show or hide itNo violation trend data
Crashes
24 months-
Apr212026CaliforniaProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Nov122025CaliforniaProperty damage onlyDark - not lighted, one-way trafficway not divided.
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Sep302025CaliforniaProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Jul302025CaliforniaProperty damage onlyDark - lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Jun242025CaliforniaInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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May272025TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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May132025PennsylvaniaProperty damage onlyWet road, daylight, rain.
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Apr152025South DakotaProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway not divided. Citation issued.
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Mar312025OhioInjury · 3 people hurtDaylight. Citation issued.
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Mar272025FloridaInjury · 1 person hurtDark - not lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Feb112025TennesseeInjury · 1 person hurtWet road, daylight, two-way trafficway not divided.
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Jan202025IllinoisInjury · 1 person hurtDark - lighted, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier. Citation issued.
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Dec232024KentuckyInjury · 1 person hurtDusk, two-way trafficway not divided. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Dec32024MichiganFatal · 1 deathDaylight, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Nov192024MichiganInjury · 1 person hurtWet road, dark - not lighted, rain, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier.
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Oct142024North CarolinaInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Oct72024FloridaInjury · 1 person hurtWet road, dark - not lighted, rain, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier. FMCSA: not preventable.
22 more in the FMCSA records below.
1 of the 30 crashes was fatal.
10 of the 30 crashes hurt someone but killed no one.
Insurance filed with FMCSA
FMCSA record through Nov 2, 2026Today · live FMCSA check
Checking FMCSA…
- Liability (BIPD)
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$1,000,000 · Cherokee Insurance Companyon record since Jan 1, 2026 · FMCSA minimum $1,000,000 · no gap on FMCSA's record since Jan 2021
- Cargo filing
- not required by FMCSA (household-goods motor carriers only); the cargo policy is not on FMCSA's record
- Broker or forwarder bond
- $75,000 surety bond (BMC-84) · Cherokee Insurance Company since Oct 4, 2022
36 months to Nov 2, 2026
- One liability insurer throughout
- No gap in filed liability coverage while liability was required
Operating authority active (FMCSA's new registration system, status since Feb 2, 2005)
FMCSA filings only, not a policy audit. Not part of the FRED grade. Wrong or out of date?
Every insurance filing on the FMCSA record
27 filings and 10 authority events since 2003 · FMCSA record through Nov 2, 2026
Every insurance filing on the FMCSA record
27 filings and 10 authority events since 2003 · FMCSA record through Nov 2, 2026
Newest first. Insurer names as filed. FMCSA does not publish why a filing was cancelled.
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Jan 1, 2026Cherokee Insurance CompanyLiability · $1,000,000 · on fileFMCSA's new system
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Jan 1, 2025CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Jan 1, 2026 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2024CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Jan 1, 2025 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2023CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Jan 1, 2024 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Oct 4, 2022Cherokee Insurance CompanyBroker bond (BMC-84) · on file · on fileFMCSA's new system
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Oct 4, 2022CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Jan 1, 2023 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)3 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Oct 4, 2022FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Oct 5, 2022cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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Oct 4, 2022FMCSA revocation notice for the broker authority, dropped Oct 5, 2022cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2022CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Oct 4, 2022 · superseded by the same policy9 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2021CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYBroker bond (BMC-84) · ended Oct 4, 2022 · superseded by the same policy21 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2021CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Jan 1, 2022 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 22, 2020FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Jan 21, 2020cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 22, 2020FMCSA revocation notice for the broker authority, dropped Jan 21, 2020cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2020CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYBroker bond (BMC-84) · ended Jan 1, 2021 · superseded by the same policy12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2020CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Feb 24, 2020 · insurer name change2 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2019CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Jan 1, 2020 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2018CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Jan 1, 2019 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2017CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Jan 1, 2018 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2015CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Jan 1, 2017 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)24 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 11, 2013CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYBroker bond (BMC-84) · ended Jan 1, 2020 · superseded by the same policy74 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 11, 2013CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Jan 1, 2015 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)14 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 8, 2013FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Nov 12, 2013cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 8, 2013FMCSA revocation notice for the broker authority, dropped Nov 12, 2013cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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Oct 1, 2013CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYBroker bond (BMC-84) · ended Nov 11, 2013 · superseded by the same policy1 month in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2013CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Nov 11, 2013 · superseded by the same policy10 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
What the terms mean
- Liability filing (BIPD):
- The insurer's certificate (form BMC-91 or 91X) that the motor carrier carries bodily-injury and property-damage liability at or above FMCSA's minimum. A BMC-82 is the same promise made by a surety bond.
- FMCSA minimum:
- $750,000 for general freight in vehicles of 10,001 lb or more; $300,000 under 10,001 lb; $1,000,000 for oil and some hazardous materials; $5,000,000 for bulk hazardous materials (49 CFR 387.9).
- Primary / excess:
- An excess filing sits on top of a primary one; together they make the total filed limit.
- Replaced:
- A new filing took over from this one. Replaced the same day is an ordinary change of insurer or renewal.
- Cancellation notice:
- Form BMC-35 (insurance) or BMC-36 (bond): the insurer tells FMCSA the filing ends in 30 days. The insurer files it whether the insurer or the motor carrier ended the policy; FMCSA does not publish the reason.
- Cancellation processed by FMCSA:
- FMCSA itself ended the filing, for example when the authority was revoked.
- Lapse:
- Time with no liability filing on FMCSA's record while the authority required one. A filing received later can be back-dated, which closes a lapse after the fact.
- Suspended for insurance:
- FMCSA suspended the operating authority because no filing meeting the minimum was on file. FMCSA's records state this reason only since May 14, 2026; before then they show a revocation notice without a cause.
- FMCSA notice resolved in time:
- Before May 14, 2026, FMCSA served a revocation notice when a required filing lapsed and dropped it when the filing was restored. The notice does not say which filing lapsed.
- Suspension notice:
- Since May 14, 2026, FMCSA serves a notice that the authority will be suspended on a date unless the missing filing is restored. The notice does not say which filing.
- Cargo filing:
- Form BMC-34. FMCSA has required it only of household-goods motor carriers and forwarders since 2011, so most motor carriers' cargo policies are not on FMCSA's record.
- Broker bond / trust fund:
- Form BMC-84 (surety bond) or BMC-85 (trust fund): the $75,000 security a broker or freight forwarder must keep on file.
- Self-insurance authority:
- FMCSA lets a few large motor carriers carry their own liability; it appears as a filing by "Self-Insured".
- Risk retention group:
- An insurer owned by its policyholders (often trucking groups). It is not covered by state insurance guaranty funds.
- FMCSA record through:
- The date of the FMCSA file this section was built from. Dockets FMCSA's new system has not yet published are shown from the legacy record, frozen on May 14, 2026.
FMCSA's record of the insurance filed for this motor carrier's operating authority (forms BMC-91/91X liability, BMC-34 cargo, BMC-84/85 broker bond or trust), not the motor carrier's full insurance program. Only for-hire motor carriers with operating authority file with FMCSA; private and intrastate-only motor carriers keep proof of insurance at their place of business, so no filing does not mean no insurance. A filed limit is the amount the insurer certified to FMCSA, which can be below the policy's full limits; cargo and bond filings are shown as on file or not because FMCSA records the federal minimum rather than the policy amount. FMCSA's new registration system (May 14, 2026) publishes a partial set of dockets; a docket not yet in it is shown from the legacy record, frozen on that date, and the live check above is today's reading. Not part of the FRED grade. Wrong or out of date?
Where it happens
Loading map data…
Inspections by state
- California 137
- Texas 38
- Ohio 28
- South Carolina 23
- Pennsylvania 21
- Indiana 18
- Michigan (HQ) 17
- Utah 14
Runs well beyond its home state: 17 of 443 inspections were in Michigan.
How this grade is calculated
The model, its inputs, the window it scored and its confidence. For actuaries and anyone checking the work.
How this grade is calculated
The model, its inputs, the window it scored and its confidence. For actuaries and anyone checking the work.
Forward 12-Month Risk Outlook
The FRED Score predicts this motor carrier's crash risk over the next 12 months — how often they're likely to crash and how severe those crashes tend to be — versus a typical fleet of its size (369 power units: 124 filed, 369 seen roadside in 24 months).
Crash Outlook vs Peer Fleet
crashes per year · same scale
Average peer fleet
14.5
Actual, per year in window
23.3
Projected, next 12 mo
15.4
0
13
26
We'd expect a typical fleet of 369 power units this active to have about 14.5 crashes a year (sized from the 369 units seen roadside; 124 filed). This motor carrier recorded 70 in its scoring window (Sep 1, 2023 → Aug 31, 2026, about 23.3 a year) — about 1.6× a typical fleet. Factoring in its inspection and violation record inside that window and the credibility of its own experience, the model projects about 15.4 over the next 12. When this motor carrier does crash, those crashes tend to be substantially more severe than average — roughly 3.2× the injury/fatal weight of a typical crash.
Fatal-crash risk: about 36% chance in the next 12 months
Modeled fatal-crash rate is about typical for similar fleets (likelihood of at least one fatal crash, from its exposure and safety profile).
Track Record Used
Crashes Sep 1, 2023 → Aug 31, 2026 · inspections Oct 1, 2024 → Sep 30, 2026 · data as of Oct 29, 2026
Inside that window:
428 inspections
and 70 crashes.
The FMCSA record tables now hold 434 inspections and 30 crashes in that window — the SMS data moved after this grade was computed.
Outside the scoring window
on the FMCSA record · not in this grade
Aged out — crashes before Sep 1, 2023, inspections before Oct 1, 2024
- 9 inspections with no out-of-service result
Confidence: High · Z = 0.92
Satisfactory — 1.06x its class rate (cuts: Excellent <0.60, Strong <0.76, Satisfactory <1.06, Marginal <1.57, Poor <2.11). Class rate 0.039 crashes per power-unit-year for a 369-unit for-hire fleet (pu200_499). Violations 0.97x (driver behaviour 1.00x, out-of-service 0.93x, all violations 0.74x; 428 inspections). Experience 1.09x: 23.9 decayed crashes against 21.7 expected over 36 months (credibility 0.92, a 1.88). 80% range 0.77–1.37x. Fleet sized at 369 units from roadside VINs (124 filed). Last change: no change since the last run.
No change since the previous weekly run.
Scoring flags
MCS-150 mileage unreliable (mileage is not in the grade)
(informational — no grade effect)
What Drives This Score
1.00× = this motor carrier's class rate
FRED multiplies three factors: the class rate a fleet of this size, class and activity is expected to run, a violation relativity from its roadside record, and its own crash experience over 36 months weighted by how much exposure stands behind it. The grade is the band of the resulting relativity to class, then the screens.
Class rate
3.9 crashes per 100 power-unit-years
369 power units (124 filed, 369 seen roadside) · 14.49 expected crashes a year
Violation relativity
0.97×
428 inspections in window
Crash experience
1.09×
23.9 decayed crashes vs 21.7 expected · credibility 0.92
Driver behaviour
Out-of-service rate
All violations
0×1× class2×+
Each sub-relativity is shrunk toward its cohort rate when the record is thin (Bühlmann credibility), so a short record reads close to 1.00×.
Relativity to class 1.06× (80% range 0.77–1.37×)
· band Marginal → displayed Satisfactory
· cuts: Excellent <0.60, Strong <0.76, Satisfactory <1.06, Marginal <1.57, Poor <2.11, Critical above
FMCSA records
BASIC measures and every inspection, violation and crash, sortable and filterable.
FMCSA records
BASIC measures and every inspection, violation and crash, sortable and filterable.
FMCSA BASIC Scores
AB PropertyTotal Inspections
443
Driver Insp
442
Driver OOS
3
Vehicle Insp
326
Vehicle OOS
89
| BASIC | Insp w/ Viol | Measure | Alert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | 43 | 0.25 | |
| HOS Compliance | 22 | 0.12 | |
| Driver Fitness | 1 | 0.01 | |
| Controlled Substances | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 182 | 4.90 |
SMS record data is sourced from FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (01-APR-25 – 31-OCT-24) and may cover a different time window than the scoring window used for the FRED grade (Sep 1, 2023 → Sep 30, 2026). Counts here may differ from the grade's in-window counts.