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The US trucking industry is regulated and trucking companies must follow all local, state, and federal laws. Truck drivers are required to obey the laws of every state they drive through. Failure to follow the laws can lead to penalties and fines against the individual trucker and the trucking company.

The Motor Carrier Safety Rating is given by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). It is an evaluation of each interstate commercial motor carrier company. There are three different safety ratings that a carrier can earn.

Satisfactory: The carrier has in place adequate safety management controls that meet Part
385.5 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

Conditional: The carrier does not have in place adequate safety management controls that
meet Part 385.5 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

Unsatisfactory: The carrier does not have in place adequate safety management controls
which has resulted in occurrences listed in Part 385.5 of the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

Generally a motor carrier who received an unsatisfactory rating is not allowed to operate commercial motor vehicles. If the rating is final, the carrier is put out of business. If a carrier continues to operate they are in violation and subject to penalties.

The FMCSA conducts an onsite compliance review of a carrier and its operations and determines the rating. A safety rating is dependent on several factors. These include financial responsibility, drivers’ hours of service, maintenance and inspection, driver qualification, hazardous materials, and accidents. They may inspect the carrier’s safety and transportation records.

A compliance check can be conducted for several reasons. A carrier may want to improve its current rating. The FMCSA may have received complaints about the carrier’s operations. There may have been some safety issues including accidents. It is possible that the compliance check can lead to enforceable action by the FMCSA.

The general public is allowed to look up a trucking company’s current Motor Carrier Safety Rating. The information is part of the SAFER System, the Safety and Fitness Electronic Records System. There is also other safety information including carriers of hazardous materials. There is a fee required for some information, but a general review of a carrier is free.

This is a database that victims of a truck accident may want to research to check on the trucking company involved in their accident. It may also be a source for some truck accident attorneys as they work to build their case.
It may also be a good resource for a business that needs a safe carrier company to transport their product. They can use this site to see if a company they are considering is rated satisfactory. Other businesses may want to check the rating of their current carrier. They may want to change carriers if their current trucking company has an unsatisfactory rating. This could mean that the carrier is not operating safely and may be going out of business soon. A business that needs reliable transportation may need to switch to a carrier with a higher rating.

This article is on intended as legal advice.

For additional information: Please visit Gordon & Elias, L.L.P - Midland, TX Accident and Injury Attorneys