Tag: fmcsa
5 posts
USDOT vs MC number — what credit underwriters need to know
They're not the same number, they're not issued together, and only one of them tells you the carrier is actually legal to haul freight today.
Carrier Moved States? Matching the USDOT to the Right LLC
A USDOT number follows a carrier across state lines, but the Secretary of State entity doesn't. How to match the carrier to the right registered company.
The MCS-150 stale-date math — how to use it for credit underwriting
Every active USDOT carrier must update the MCS-150 biennially. The update date is one of the most useful single signals for trucking-credit underwriting.
BASIC scores — which of FMCSA's five categories actually predicts loss
FMCSA publishes five Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories. For credit underwriting, two of them carry most of the predictive signal.
Chameleon carriers — how to spot one before the deal funds
A chameleon carrier is a trucking company that closed under one MC and reopened under a new one to escape a bad safety record. The FMCSA data is there if you know where to look.