SAFER Web: Trucking Company Insurance Review Simplified! (2024)

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Liability is a continuously changing part of logistics management. However, understanding who carries the liability burden can be confusing at best, and navigating the trucking data within the SAFER Web Snapshot, operated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), is still tricky. Let’s take a deeper look at why a broker would need this FMCSA data information and how it amounts to both a DOT Authority check and protection against liability.

Why Would a Broker Want to Confirm a Trucking Company Has Proper Interstate Insurance?

Many brokers have asked, “How do I know if a trucking company has insurance,” but it’s not only about verifying the data. It’s about verifying the data is accurate and accessible more regularly than the initial onboarding of a new trucking company.

The answer comes down to liability and protecting their business against potential litigation due to negligent selection.

In 2011, DC Velocity reported how a shipper, broker or other third-party entity may retain liability when hiring truckers and other carriers to transport a load. “The March 30 ruling by a 3rd District Illinois Appellate Court panel is the latest setback in C.H. Robinson’s efforts to avoid culpability for the incident. It also sends a strong and disturbing message to shippers and brokers that they could be held accountable for accidents involving a trucker they hire to move goods, even if they contend the trucker and driver were not employees and were hired to simply transport a shipment.”

Such risk is the exact reason why more companies continue to rely on The Federal Licensing and Insurance Systems (L&I) database, a subset of the SAFER trucking website.

How Does the Licensing and Insurance Public Database Differ From SAFER Snapshot?

The SAFER trucking Snapshot does a world good in providing a first-line view of a trucking company’s safety profile and authorization to operate. It includes the basic contact information, it’s granted classification operating authority, and the type of cargo it carries. The SAFER Snapshot is the US DOT safety and status review, but understanding the granularities of authority, including its insurance history and status, is found within the L&I database.

As shown in this L&I examplebelow, an individual can evaluate the common carrier, contract, and broker authority granted by the DOT.

SAFER Web: Trucking Company Insurance Review Simplified! (1)

The page is accessed in the same way as the SAFER company Snapshot, but it requires a careful eye to review the types of cargo it can transport, broken into five overarching categories, including:

  • Property.
  • Passenger.
  • Household Goods.
  • Private.
  • Enterprise.

Furthermore, the data within the listing shows what insurance is required for the Bodily Injury Property Damage requirement (BIPD), Cargo for Household Goods carriers, or Bond for the respective authorized company. If a user wishes to dig deeper, accessing the specifics of the dataset, reviewing the insurance underwriter and stipulations on this page is possible too.

Download a sample dataset from Carrier Details now

The Benefits of Improved Insurance and Authority Review via Digital Data Sharing

While having the data to understand a company’s insurance and authority is a great start to sourcing transportation, manual review of the data is overwhelming.

Reviewing data and keying it into your systems becomes a balancing act between time and effort versus risk. How much time can you truly devote to reviewing the data regularly? It’s your choice to explore the legal liability that lurks should a freight brokerage or shipper hire negligently, and if you’re on the wrong side of an incident, you will endure a higher operating cost.

Companies that wish to improve the management of third-party companies and service providers can further reduce their liability by automating the process with intuitive data feeds that offer:

  • Streamlined integration to your transportation management system.
  • Accessibility via the interface without the added risk of human error.
  • Creating a searchable record for review upon request.
  • Maintaining integrity and regularity of data updates.

But how do you achieve that goal without building an endless code stream to the FMCSA or L&I site? It’s much easier than many realize.

Boost Trucking Insurance Analysis With Carrier Details

The true reality is that manually reviewing the L&I data is as troublesome as looking up an individual carrier and reviewing its authority within the SAFER Web database. It’s time for a better approach to combing through this treasure trove of information. Grow your business with a faster way to approach FMCSA insurance look-ups, working with Carrier Details. Connect with a Carrier Details team member to get started.

SAFER Web: Trucking Company Insurance Review Simplified! (2)

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Discover how we can help you eliminate all your challenges messing with messy data and provide you with an “easy-to-consume” dataset just the way you want it.

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SAFER Web: Trucking Company Insurance Review Simplified! (2024)

FAQs

How do I check my CSA score for free? ›

You can access your CSA score by registering for a PIN with your USDOT or MC number. It's important to note that your composite CSA report isn't public information. Individual BASIC scores, however, are accessible with a basic DOT number search.

What is a good safety rating for DOT? ›

Satisfactory. Functioning and adequate safety management controls are in place to meet the safety fitness standard.

What is a CSA basic score? ›

A CSA score, or Compliance, Safety, Accountability score, is a safety measurement system used to identify high-risk fleets, carriers, and drivers. The goal of the CSA score is to ensure best safety practices are followed. The CSA program is governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

How to update carrier vmt outdated? ›

Visit https://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/PKG_REGISTRATION.prc_option to update your MCS-150 information. Under the “Existing Registration Updates” section, choose the first option - “I need to update my USDOT number registration information or file my biennial update.”

How do I clean up my CSA score? ›

There are four main ways that you can improve your CSA score, these are:
  1. Challenging citations.
  2. Checking pre-employment reports for drivers.
  3. Regular preventative maintenance inspections.
  4. Properly using ELDs.

What is a bad CSA score? ›

Generally, any score that's 50 or over needs to be taken seriously. If you have a score of 65% or higher in Crash Indicator, HOS Compliance, or Unsafe Driving you'll be subject to an FMCSA investigation (this lowers to 50% if you transport passengers or hazardous materials).

How to calculate your CSA score? ›

CSA scores are determined based on roadside inspection, traffic enforcement, and crash report data from the previous 24 months. These scores reflect multiple factors, including the number of violations and crashes attributed to the fleet, the severity of those violations and crashes, as well as the age of them.

Can CSA points be removed? ›

If a challenge is successful, the violation will be dismissed and removed from the driver's CSA score. Even if the violation is not entirely dismissed, a challenge can still lessen the infraction's severity depending on the circumstances.

Does a warning go against your CSA score? ›

It's important to understand this difference because while a citation can be fought in court, overturned and removed from your record, a warning will stay on your record and so will the associated CSA points. Because of this, some drivers who receive a warning will ask to receive a citation instead.

What happens if I don't update my MCS-150? ›

If you fail to update your MCS-150 in a timely and accurate fashion, you face a fine of up to $1,000 per day. Additionally, your DOT number may be deactivated, which could cause disaster for your company, possibly shutting down operations.

Can you force a carrier update? ›

Carrier settings updates are released periodically to improve your device's connectivity and performance, and provide support for the latest device features. If you have missed the installation notification, you can update the carrier settings manually.

What is a PU number on a truck? ›

Guidance: The power unit number is the identifier the motor carrier uses to identify the power unit. ________________________

How to find a company's CSA score? ›

Answer: To check a company's safety rating, you can visit the FMCSA's Safety and Fitness Electronic Records (SAFER) website. On the SAFER website, you can search for a company by name, USDOT number, or MC/MX number.

How do I see my safer score? ›

Motor carrier safety ratings are available at http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov and motor carrier licensing and insurance status are available at http://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/.

How long do CSA points stay with you? ›

CSA points remain on a drivers' individual record for up to 36 months. While it is unlikely the FMSCA will take action against a driver, a high score could impact your job search.

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