Every number has a source.
Here is ours.
Carrier Overpass is built on public FMCSA data. This page sets out which datasets we use, how fresh they are, what we compute ourselves, and where the record runs out.
The federal record, refreshed every night.
We keep our own copy of FMCSA’s public datasets so a report loads in seconds instead of waiting on federal sites. Each copy is refreshed on the schedule below.
| Dataset | What it gives us | Refresh |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier census | Authority status, operation type, cargo, power units, drivers, addresses, officers and contact details from the MCS-150. | Nightly |
| Insurance filings | Active and pending filings on record with FMCSA, plus filing history: insurer, coverage type, limits, effective and cancellation dates. | Nightly |
| Roadside inspections | Inspection records with the vehicles inspected, violations cited, and out-of-service outcomes. | Nightly |
| Crash records | Reportable crashes with date, location, fatalities, injuries and tow-aways, linked to the vehicle where FMCSA links it. | Nightly |
| SMS / BASIC data | Safety Measurement System measures for the seven BASICs, safety event groups, and FMCSA percentiles where FMCSA publishes them. | Monthly, with each SMS release |
BASIC percentiles
Where FMCSA publishes a carrier’s BASIC percentile, the PASS Report shows that figure. FMCSA has withheld most property-carrier percentiles from public view since the FAST Act of 2015. For those carriers we rank the carrier’s published SMS measure within its safety event group, and the report labels the result Estimated. The Crash BASIC cannot be estimated this way and is shown as unavailable.
A BASIC with too few inspections or violations to measure is shown in gray as data-insufficient. It is never counted as an alert.
ISS score
The Inspection Selection System score summarizes a carrier’s BASIC standing on a 1–100 scale, the way roadside inspectors use it to prioritize. The report shows the score with its risk band and the number of BASICs over their alert threshold.
Chameleon signals
We compare a carrier’s officers, phone numbers, addresses and vehicles against other authorities. A match is a lead to investigate, not a finding. Family businesses and shared offices produce legitimate overlaps.
Insurance and market views
Insurance Match, Insurer Profiles and Market Movement are built from the insurance filings insurers make with FMCSA. They describe where insurers hold business today. They are not quotes, and they do not include policies that are never filed with FMCSA.
What the record can’t tell you
- Crashes are listed regardless of fault. FMCSA’s Crash Preventability Determination Program can remove a not-preventable crash from the Crash BASIC, but the crash stays in the federal file and in our crash list.
- The record is only as current as the last filing. Fleet size, mileage and contact details come from the carrier’s own MCS-150, which may be up to two years old.
- Our copy covers a fixed window. Inspection and crash lists show the date span they cover. Older history may not be in it.
- Errors in the federal record are corrected at the source. Carriers challenge records through FMCSA’s DataQs system; once FMCSA corrects a record, the next refresh picks it up. See For carriers.
FMCSA advises that readers should not draw conclusions about a carrier’s overall safety condition from SMS data alone. Unless a carrier has an Unsatisfactory safety rating or has been ordered to stop operating, it is authorized to operate. Use a PASS Report as one input to your own judgment, alongside your contracts, references and underwriting.
Carrier Overpass is an independent company. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by FMCSA or the U.S. Department of Transportation.
