BEST CARTAGE INC
(800) 849-1818
dleonard@shipwithbest.com
829 Graves St, Kernersville NC 27284
64
tractors · all owned
51 drivers
4.7M mi/yr · ~74k per unit
Strong
FRED Score 81.1 / 100
Moderate confidence
42 yrs history · 170 roadside inspections
FMCSA Live Status
Checking FMCSA…
Fleet & equipment
- Power units
- 64
- Drivers · CDL
- 51 · 51
- Annual miles
- 4.7M
| Type | Own | Term | Trip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trucks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tractors | 64 | 0 | 0 | 64 |
| Trailers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Registration
- Organization
- CORPORATION
- FMCSA Rating
- Satisfactory (07-14-2003) · 23 yr old
- Registered
- 03-28-1984 (42 yrs)
- MCS-150 Update
- 03-18-2026 (Address Change)
- FRED Score Date
- Nov 07, 2026
- Officer
- RICHARD HEPLER
- Officer
- DANIELLE LEONARD
Cargo
65.4
medium risk
Metal: Sheets/Coils/Rolls
Machinery/Large Objects
Livestock
General Freight
Logs/Poles/Beams/Lumber
Building Materials
Beverages
Paper Products
Construction
- High-Risk Cargo
- Machinery Large, Livestock, General Freight
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.
Expected crash rate is probably lower than similar fleets (about a 90% chance), but the record is too thin to say by how much.
Similar fleets: for-hire fleets of 50–99 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 0.69×
ExcellentStrongSatisf.SatisfactoryMarginalPoorCritical
▲ Similar fleets 1.0×
Expected crashes, next 12 months
2.0 vs 2.9 for similar fleets
Likely 0–4 crashes
This motor carrier
2.0
Similar fleets
2.9
Chance of a fatal crash, next 12 months
~5%
Below similar fleets.
What's driving the grade
Crash history
betterworse
Lower so far, not yet proven. 2 crashes on the FMCSA record in 24 months (about 1 a year), including 1 with injuries; similar fleets have about 2.9 a year. Too short a record to be sure, so the grade counts its crash record as about 3% below typical. The grade counts 10 crashes in its 36-month scoring window, recent ones weighted most.
Roadside inspections
betterworse
Better than peers. Unsafe-driving and hours-of-service violations 0.16×, violations 0.31× and out-of-service orders 0.63× the rate expected for its inspections. Together they move its crash estimate -29%. 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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Injury crashes1 crash with 1 person hurt in 24 months.Ask: claim status and driver history for these crashes.
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Driver qualification1 out-of-service violation against drivers: 1 no valid CDL (Mar 2025).Ask: driver qualification files and hiring standards.
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Tires and brakesTires are 9 of 28 violations (32%). Tire or brake defects led to 11 out-of-service orders.Ask: the preventive-maintenance schedule and shop records.
Strengths
- Driver out-of-service rate 0.6% vs 6.7% national.
- No FMCSA BASIC alerts.
- 85% of inspections found no violations.
Data flags
-
Dangerous driving: 2
Track record
FMCSA record, Sep 2024 – Sep 2026
· grade scored on Sep 1, 2023 → Sep 30, 2026
Crashes
2
0 fatalities · 1 injury · 0 tow-aways
Inspections
170
85% clean (no violations)
Vehicle out-of-service
17.8%
13 of 73
National avg 22.3%
Driver out-of-service
0.6%
1 of 170
National avg 6.7%
Violations
28
14 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 1 inspection.
vs 4,520 peer fleets
| This motor carrier | Peers | |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes | 0.023 | 0.025 |
| Inspections | 2.84 | 0.91 |
| Violations | 0.22 | 0.53 |
| Critical violations | 0.09 | 0.11 |
Yearly rates from the last 24 months. Peers: 50–99 power units, medium-risk cargo.
What they get cited for
28 violations · 24 months-
Vehicle maintenance No alert22 · 13 OOSTires 9 · Brakes 7 · Lights 2 · Steering & suspension 1 · Other parts 3
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Hours of service No alert3 · 0 OOSLogbook / ELD paperwork 1 · No log 1 · Over hours limit 1
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Unsafe driving No alert2 · 0 OOSReckless / lane 2
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Driver fitness No alert1 · 1 OOSNo valid CDL 1
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Drugs & alcohol No alert0
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-
Jan82025South CarolinaProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Dec32024North CarolinaInjury · 1 person hurtIce road, daylight, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier. FMCSA: not preventable.
1 of the 2 crashes hurt someone but killed no one.
Insurance filed with FMCSA
FMCSA record through Nov 2, 2026Today · live FMCSA check
Checking FMCSA…
- Liability (BIPD)
-
$1,000,000 · National Interstate Insurance Companyon record since Oct 1, 2026 · FMCSA minimum $750,000 · no gap on FMCSA's record since Feb 1991
- 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) · GREAT AMERICAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANY since Jan 18, 2024
36 months to Nov 2, 2026
- 2 liability insurers on FMCSA's record, 1 change: Hartford Fire Insurance Company → National Interstate Insurance Company (Oct 2026)
- No gap in filed liability coverage while liability was required
Authority
- FMCSA notice served Sep 30, 2026 (suspension effective Oct 30, 2026); the authority stayed active. FMCSA's new registration system launched May 14, 2026 and has recorded some insurance suspensions and requirement changes in error; confirm with the insurer or motor carrier before acting.
- FMCSA notices resolved in time: 2
Operating authority active (FMCSA's new registration system, status since May 2, 2018)
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
28 filings and 13 authority events since 1984 · FMCSA record through Nov 2, 2026
Every insurance filing on the FMCSA record
28 filings and 13 authority events since 1984 · 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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Oct 1, 2026National Interstate Insurance CompanyLiability · $1,000,000 · on fileFMCSA's new system
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Sep 30, 2026FMCSA suspension notice for the operating authority, effective Oct 30, 2026the authority stayed activeFMCSA's new system
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Sep 30, 2026FMCSA suspension notice for the broker authority, effective Oct 30, 2026the authority stayed activeFMCSA's new system
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Jan 18, 2024GREAT AMERICAN ALLIANCE INSURANCE COMPANYBroker bond (BMC-84) · on file · on fileFMCSA's new system
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Feb 27, 2021PHILADELPHIA INDEMNITY INSURANCE COMPANYBroker bond (BMC-84) · ended Jan 18, 2024 · replaced by another insurer35 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Feb 1, 2021FMCSA revocation notice for the broker authority, dropped Feb 3, 2021cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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May 2, 2018Broker authority reinstatedL&I to May 14, 2026
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Feb 27, 2018PHILADELPHIA INDEMNITY INSURANCE COMPANYBroker bond (BMC-84) · ended Feb 27, 2021 · cancellation notice took effect36 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Oct 1, 2017Hartford Fire Insurance CompanyLiability · $750,000 · ended Oct 30, 2026 · replaced by another insurer109 months in forceFMCSA's new system
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Dec 4, 2013Broker authority revoked (cause not stated)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Feb 25, 2010Broker authority reinstatedL&I to May 14, 2026
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Mar 1, 2008NATIONAL INTERSTATE INSURANCE COMPANYCargo · ended Feb 15, 2018 · cancellation notice took effect120 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Mar 1, 2008NATIONAL INTERSTATE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Oct 1, 2017 · replaced by another insurer115 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Mar 5, 2007FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Mar 13, 2007cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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Mar 1, 2007NATIONAL INTERSTATE INSURANCE COMPANYCargo · ended Mar 1, 2008 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Feb 4, 2004NATIONAL INTERSTATE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Mar 1, 2008 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)49 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Oct 1, 2002NATIONAL INTERSTATE INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Feb 4, 2004 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)16 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Sep 26, 2002TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICACargo · ended Mar 1, 2007 · replaced by another insurera cancellation notice effective Mar 30, 2007 came after the replacement; 53 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 20, 2002OCCIDENTAL FIRE AND CASUALTY CO. OF N.C.Liability · $750,000 · ended Oct 1, 2002 · replaced by another insurera cancellation notice effective Oct 17, 2002 came after the replacement; 1 month in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 31, 2001OCCIDENTAL FIRE AND CASUALTY CO. OF N.C.Liability · $750,000 · ended Aug 20, 2002 · cancellation notice took effect19 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Dec 31, 2000OCCIDENTAL FIRE AND CASUALTY CO. OF N.C.Liability · $750,000 · ended Jan 31, 2001 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)1 month in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 1, 2000HARLEYSVILLE MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.Liability · $1,000,000 · ended Dec 31, 2000 · cancellation notice took effect5 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Oct 4, 1999FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Nov 9, 1999cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 1, 1999ST. PAUL FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE CO.Cargo · ended Sep 26, 2002 · replaced by another insurer38 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 1, 1998PEERLESS INSURANCE CO.Cargo · ended Sep 8, 1999 · cancellation notice took effect13 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
- North Carolina (HQ) 123
- Maryland 15
- South Carolina 14
- Virginia 7
- Delaware 5
- Tennessee 4
- Federal inspectors 1
- West Virginia 1
72% of inspections were in its home state.
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 (64 power units: 64 filed, 63 seen roadside in 24 months).
Crash Outlook vs Peer Fleet
crashes per year · same scale
Average peer fleet
2.9
Actual, per year in window
3.3
Projected, next 12 mo
2.0
0
2
4
We'd expect a typical fleet of 64 power units this active to have about 2.9 crashes a year. This motor carrier recorded 10 in its scoring window (Sep 1, 2023 → Aug 31, 2026, about 3.3 a year). Factoring in its inspection and violation record inside that window and the credibility of its own experience, the model projects about 2.0 over the next 12 — below a typical fleet. When this motor carrier does crash, those crashes tend to be substantially more severe than average — roughly 3.3× the injury/fatal weight of a typical crash.
Fatal-crash risk: about 5% chance in the next 12 months
Modeled fatal-crash rate is below that of 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:
171 inspections
and 10 crashes.
The FMCSA record tables now hold 169 inspections and 2 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
- 1 inspection with no out-of-service result
Confidence: Moderate · Z = 0.47
Strong — 0.69x its class rate (cuts: Excellent <0.60, Strong <0.76, Satisfactory <1.06, Marginal <1.57, Poor <2.11). Class rate 0.045 crashes per power-unit-year for a 64-unit for-hire fleet (pu50_99). Violations 0.71x (driver behaviour 0.16x, out-of-service 0.63x, all violations 0.31x; 171 inspections). Experience 0.97x: 3.0 decayed crashes against 3.2 expected over 36 months (credibility 0.47, a 3.63). 80% range 0.37–1.06x. Last change: no change since the last run.
No change since the previous weekly run.
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
4.5 crashes per 100 power-unit-years
64 power units · 2.91 expected crashes a year
Violation relativity
0.71×
171 inspections in window
Crash experience
0.97×
3.0 decayed crashes vs 3.2 expected · credibility 0.47
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 0.69× (80% range 0.37–1.06×)
· band Strong
· 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
170
Driver Insp
170
Driver OOS
1
Vehicle Insp
73
Vehicle OOS
13
| BASIC | Insp w/ Viol | Measure | Alert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | 2 | 0.23 | |
| HOS Compliance | 3 | 0.09 | |
| Driver Fitness | 1 | 0.03 | |
| Controlled Substances | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 21 | 2.26 |
SMS record data is sourced from FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (01-AUG-25 – 31-OCT-25) 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.