DoT Ratings
USDOT Passenger Carrier Safety Ratings
Find Your Operator’s Safety Rating:
Safety is the most important aspect of the motor transport of passengers, surely America’s most precious cargo. The United Motorcoach Association (UMA) is a strong supporter of stringent safety standards for America’s passenger carriers.
Since the mid-80’s, the U.S. Department of Transportation has attempted to conduct safety inspections of all commercial vehicle companies who are authorized to operate across state lines. Because of the massive number of truck and bus companies in existence (more than half-a-million), only a small percentage of those companies have actually been visited by the federal agency for the conduct of a “compliance review,” which leads to a USDOT “safety rating.” But in recent years, the agency has made available its safety performance information about each registered motor carrier. That data is available to you through the use of the Department’s SAFER (SAfety Fitness Electronic Records System) database. By using the query form at the top of this page, you may enter a carrier’s name, USDOT identification number or its “MC” (Motor Carrier) number to review the Department’s safety, accident and data profiles for that carrier.
Understanding the Ratings:
SAFER records are maintained by the United States Department of Transportation’s Office of Motor Carrier Safety (OMCS), based on the results of onsite and roadside inspections, law enforcement records and official accident reports. Please note that the lack of a safety rating by DOT should notbe interpreted as a either a positive or a negative indicator about that company’s safety; it indicates only that the company has not undergone an onsite compliance review. Using the statistics kept in the SAFER system as indicators of the company’s safety performance, federal motor carrier inspectors may schedule carriers for inspection visits at any time. You may wish to revisit the site frequently to check the performance of the carrier you’re considering for use.