TRI STAR FREIGHT SYSTEM INC
(713) 631-1095
mariag@tristarfreightsys.com
5407 Mesa Drive, Houston TX 77028
282
power units
140 drivers
7.2M mi/yr · ~25k per unit
Strong
FRED Score 90.0 / 100
High confidence
38 yrs history · 266 roadside inspections
Upside capped
FMCSA Live Status
Checking FMCSA…
Fleet & equipment
- Power units
- 282
- Drivers · CDL
- 140 · 140
- Annual miles
- 7.2M
| Type | Own | Term | Trip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trucks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Tractors | 51 | 88 | 0 | 139 |
| Trailers | 54 | 36 | 0 | 90 |
Registration
- Organization
- CORPORATION
- FMCSA Rating
- Satisfactory (08-02-2012) · 14 yr old
- Registered
- 08-25-1988 (38 yrs)
- MCS-150 Update
- 12-23-2025 (Address Change)
- FRED Score Date
- Nov 07, 2026
- Officer
- KATHLEEN NANCE
- Officer
- COREY NANCE
Cargo
66.8
medium risk
Household Goods
Motor Vehicles
Metal: Sheets/Coils/Rolls
Machinery/Large Objects
Liquids/Gases
Intermodal Containers
Oilfield Equipment
Meat
Refrigerated Food
General Freight
Logs/Poles/Beams/Lumber
Building Materials
Fresh Produce
Beverages
Dry Bulk
Paper Products
Construction
Chemicals
- High-Risk Cargo
- Motor Vehicles, Machinery Large, Oilfield Equipment, 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.
Upside Withheld
Its risk relativity (0.60× similar fleets) would put it in Excellent; these rules hold it at Strong:
- Excellent withheld: the posterior is not confident enough that risk sits below 0.60× class
- Excellent withheld: driver-behaviour relativity above 1.0×
The downside is never capped.
Expected crash rate is about 40% lower than similar fleets.
Similar fleets: interstate 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.
Per truck, fleets like this one are expected to crash about 0.6× as often as the median active fleet of 200–499 trucks.
This motor carrier 0.60×
ExcellentStrongSatisf.SatisfactoryMarginalPoorCritical
▲ Similar fleets 1.0×
Expected crashes, next 12 months
4.2 vs 7.0 for similar fleets
Likely 1–8 crashes
This motor carrier
4.2
Similar fleets
7.0
Chance of a fatal crash, next 12 months
~11%
Below similar fleets.
What's driving the grade
Crash history
betterworse
Better than peers. 3 crashes on the FMCSA record in 24 months (about 1.5 a year), including 2 with injuries; similar fleets have about 7 a year. The grade counts 10 crashes in its 36-month scoring window, recent ones weighted most.
Roadside inspections
betterworse
Worse than peers. Unsafe-driving and hours-of-service violations 1.49× the rate expected for its inspections. Together they move its crash estimate +4%.
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.
-
Injury crashes2 crashes with 3 people hurt in 24 months.Ask: claim status and driver history for these crashes.
-
Lapse in liability filings322 days without a liability filing on FMCSA's record (Sep 13, 2025 – Aug 1, 2026) while the authority required one. A filing received later can be back-dated and close a lapse. Not in the grade.Ask: what covered the fleet during the gap.
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Drivers put out of service3 out-of-service violations against drivers: 2 hours of service, 1 no valid CDL (Nov 2025 – May 2026).Ask: driver supervision and dispatch practices.
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Brakes and lightsBrakes are 89 of 323 violations (28%). Brake or light defects led to 40 out-of-service orders.Ask: the preventive-maintenance schedule and shop records.
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Falsified logs9 false-log violations in 24 months.Ask: how hours are audited against ELD and fuel records.
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Vehicle out-of-service rate33.3% of vehicle inspections end out of service vs 22.3% nationally (61 of 183), but across all its inspections out-of-service orders are 1.12× what's expected for where and how it's inspected, the measure the grade uses.
Strengths
- Driver out-of-service rate 1.1% vs 6.7% national.
- No FMCSA BASIC alerts.
Data flags
-
Dangerous driving: 8
-
Excessive speeding: 12
Track record
FMCSA record, Oct 2024 – Sep 2026
· grade scored on Sep 1, 2023 → Sep 30, 2026
Crashes
3
0 fatalities · 3 injuries · 0 tow-aways
Inspections
266
47% clean (no violations)
Vehicle out-of-service
33.3%
61 of 183
National avg 22.3%
Driver out-of-service
1.1%
3 of 266
National avg 6.7%
Violations
323
81 out-of-service
Inspected about as often as interstate fleets of 200–499 trucks in Texas (about 369 in 24 months would be typical).
Inspections per quarter
With an out-of-service order
vs 948 peer fleets
| This motor carrier | Peers | |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes | 0.012 | 0.023 |
| Inspections | 0.68 | 0.77 |
| Violations | 0.57 | 0.33 |
| Critical violations | 0.09 | 0.07 |
Yearly rates from the last 24 months. Peers: interstate fleets, 200–499 power units, medium-risk cargo.
What they get cited for
323 violations · 24 months-
Vehicle maintenance No alert262 · 78 OOSBrakes 89 · Lights 77 · Tires 24 · Cargo securement 13 · Wheels & hubs 8 · 51 more
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Unsafe driving No alert34 · 0 OOSReckless / lane 13 · Speeding 12 · Seat belt 4 · Phone use 1 · Other 4
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Hours of service No alert26 · 2 OOSLogbook / ELD paperwork 17 · False log 9
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Driver fitness No alert1 · 1 OOSNo valid CDL 1
-
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-
Apr242026GeorgiaProperty damage onlyDaylight. Citation issued.
-
Mar252026South DakotaInjury · 2 people hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. Citation issued.
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Nov192025VirginiaInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
2 of the 3 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 · Ascot Insurance Companyon record since Aug 1, 2026 · FMCSA minimum $750,000
- 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) · American Alternative Insurance Corporation since Oct 1, 2013
36 months to Nov 2, 2026
- 4 liability insurers on FMCSA's record, 3 changes: MS Transverse Insurance Company → Ascot Insurance Company (Aug 2026); FALLS LAKE NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY → MS Transverse Insurance Company (Aug 2025); WESCO INSURANCE COMPANY → FALLS LAKE NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY (Aug 2024)
- 2 cancellation notices filed by insurers; 2 took effect (the last Sep 13, 2025, replaced 322 days later)
- 322 days without a liability filing (Sep 13, 2025 – Aug 1, 2026) while the authority required one; a later back-dated filing can close a lapse
Authority
- FMCSA notice served Aug 2, 2026 (suspension effective Sep 1, 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: 4
Operating authority active (FMCSA's new registration system, status since Dec 14, 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
44 filings and 23 authority events since 1987 · FMCSA record through Nov 2, 2026
Every insurance filing on the FMCSA record
44 filings and 23 authority events since 1987 · 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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Aug 2, 2026FMCSA suspension notice for the operating authority, effective Sep 1, 2026the authority stayed activeMC 203287 · FMCSA's new system
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Aug 1, 2026Ascot Insurance CompanyLiability · $1,000,000 · on fileMC 203287 · FMCSA's new system
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Sep 18, 2025FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Sep 25, 2025opened after MS Transverse Insurance Company filed a cancellation notice (effective Sep 13, 2025)MC 203287 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 18, 2025FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Aug 21, 2025opened after MS Transverse Insurance Company filed a cancellation notice (effective Sep 13, 2025)MC 203287 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 1, 2025MS Transverse Insurance CompanyLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Sep 13, 2025 · cancellation notice took effecta cancellation notice effective Oct 15, 2025 came after the replacement; 1 month in forceMC 203287 · FMCSA's new system
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Jul 7, 2025FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Jul 25, 2025opened after FALLS LAKE NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY filed a cancellation notice (effective Aug 1, 2025)MC 203287 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Jun 25, 2025American Alternative Insurance CorporationBroker bond (BMC-84) · on file · on fileMC 1742035 · FMCSA's new system
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Aug 1, 2024FALLS LAKE NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Aug 1, 2025 · cancellation notice took effect12 months in forceMC 203287 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 1, 2021WESCO INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Aug 1, 2024 · replaced by another insurer36 months in forceMC 203287 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 1, 2020AMTRUST INSURANCE COMPANY OF KANSAS, INCLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Aug 1, 2021 · replaced by another insurer12 months in forceMC 203287 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 1, 2019AMTRUST INSURANCE COMPANY OF KANSAS, INCLiability · $750,000 · ended Aug 1, 2020 · superseded by the same policy12 months in forceMC 203287 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Oct 5, 2017Freight-forwarder authority reinstatedFF 12054 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Sep 25, 2017Travelers Property Casualty Company of AmericaCargo · on file · on fileFF 12054 · FMCSA's new system
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Aug 7, 2017Freight-forwarder authority revoked (cause not stated)FF 12054 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 1, 2017WESCO INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Aug 1, 2019 · replaced by another insurer24 months in forceMC 203287 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Jul 5, 2017FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Aug 1, 2017cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsMC 203287 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Sep 24, 2014Freight-forwarder authority reinstatedFF 12054 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Sep 8, 2014Freight-forwarder authority revoked (cause not stated)FF 12054 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 1, 2014PROTECTIVE INSURANCE CO.Cargo bond (BMC-83) · ended Aug 1, 2017 · cancellation notice took effect36 months in forceMC 203287 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 1, 2014PROTECTIVE INSURANCE CO.Liability bond (BMC-82) · $1,000,000 · ended Apr 8, 2015 · cancellation notice took effecta cancellation notice effective Aug 1, 2017 came after the replacement; 8 months in forceMC 203287 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 1, 2014PROTECTIVE INSURANCE CO.Liability bond (BMC-82) · ended Aug 1, 2017 · cancellation notice took effect36 months in forceFF 12054 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Feb 10, 2014Freight-forwarder authority grantedFF 12054 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 17, 2014American Alternative Insurance CorporationBroker bond (BMC-84) · on file · on fileFF 12054 · FMCSA's new system
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Jan 17, 2014HUDSON INSURANCE COMPANYLiability bond (BMC-82) · ended Aug 29, 2014 · cancellation notice took effect7 months in forceFF 12054 · L&I to May 14, 2026
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Oct 1, 2013American Alternative Insurance CorporationBroker bond (BMC-84) · on file · on fileMC 203287 · FMCSA's new system
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
- Texas (HQ) 101
- Georgia 28
- New Mexico 24
- Colorado 17
- North Carolina 10
- Arizona 9
- South Carolina 9
- Louisiana 7
38% 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 (282 power units: 282 filed, 122 seen roadside in 24 months).
Crash Outlook vs Peer Fleet
crashes per year · same scale
Average peer fleet
7.0
Actual, per year in window
3.3
Projected, next 12 mo
4.2
0
4
8
We'd expect a typical fleet of 282 power units this active to have about 7.0 crashes a year. This motor carrier recorded 10 in its scoring window (Sep 1, 2023 → Aug 31, 2026, about 3.3 a year) — fewer than a typical fleet. Factoring in its inspection and violation record inside that window and the credibility of its own experience, the model projects about 4.2 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 3.2× the injury/fatal weight of a typical crash.
Fatal-crash risk: about 11% 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:
267 inspections
and 10 crashes.
The FMCSA record tables now hold 266 inspections and 3 crashes in that window — the SMS data moved after this grade was computed.
Confidence: High · Z = 0.81 (posterior 0.86 × exposure corroboration)
Strong — 0.60x its class rate (cuts: Excellent <0.60, Strong <0.76, Satisfactory <1.06, Marginal <1.57, Poor <2.11). Class rate 0.025 crashes per power-unit-year for a 282-unit for-hire fleet (pu200_499). Violations 1.04x (driver behaviour 1.49x, out-of-service 1.12x, all violations 0.81x; 267 inspections). Experience 0.58x: 5.7 decayed crashes against 11.3 expected over 36 months (credibility 0.86, a 1.88). 80% range 0.33–0.90x. Excellent withheld: P(R < 0.60) = 0.55, below 0.60. Excellent withheld: driver-behaviour relativity above 1.0. 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
2.5 crashes per 100 power-unit-years
282 power units · 7.04 expected crashes a year
Violation relativity
1.04×
267 inspections in window
Crash experience
0.58×
5.7 decayed crashes vs 11.3 expected · credibility 0.86
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 0.60× (80% range 0.33–0.90×)
· band Excellent → displayed Strong
· cuts: Excellent <0.60, Strong <0.76, Satisfactory <1.06, Marginal <1.57, Poor <2.11, Critical above
- Excellent withheld: the posterior is not confident enough that risk sits below 0.60× class
- Excellent withheld: driver-behaviour relativity above 1.0×
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
266
Driver Insp
266
Driver OOS
3
Vehicle Insp
183
Vehicle OOS
61
| BASIC | Insp w/ Viol | Measure | Alert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | 33 | 2.08 | |
| HOS Compliance | 21 | 0.28 | |
| Driver Fitness | 1 | 0.06 | |
| Controlled Substances | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 102 | 5.78 |
SMS record data is sourced from FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (01-AUG-25 – 31-MAR-26) 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.