For years, freight brokers and logistics shippers have debated a key question: should they trust trucking companies that have zero DOT safety inspections on record? Some consider these over the road carriers a red flag, while others in the logistics industry argue the truckers represent untapped capacity.
The concern over trucking companies that don’t have any DOT safety inspections isn’t new. After a wave of stolen copper cargo loads, brokers and shippers widely adopted an informal logistics industry rule: trucking companies with at least one roadside DOT inspection in the past two years were preferred for carrying OTR loads. This wasn’t a formal regulation but rather a standard many freight brokers and logistics shippers followed to mitigate risk and prevent fraud, double brokering and reduce insurance claims on cargo.
At one point, 90% of the logistics industry followed this standard. But like most carrier vetting guidelines, enforcement fluctuates depending on market conditions: when truck capacity is tight, standards loosen.
But is this standard still relevant today? And more importantly, are there valid reasons why some trucking companies don’t have DOT safety inspections? Let’s break it down.
What Are FMCSA Inspections & Why Do They Matter?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) oversees trucking safety inspections to ensure compliance with regulations. These safety inspections assess:
- Vehicle condition: brakes, tires, lights, and other critical components
- Driver compliance: proper licensing, hours-of-service logs, and sobriety checks
- Operational reliability: a history of safety inspections indicates an active, compliant trucking company
A strong safety inspection history reduces liability for freight brokers and logistics shippers and provides assurance that a trucking company is operating within safety standards.
However, not having FMCSA inspections doesn’t automatically mean a trucking company is fraudulent or unsafe. Many trucking companies operate without them due to specific circumstances.
Why Do Some Trucking Companies Have Zero Safety Inspections?
Several legitimate reasons exist for a trucking company to have no safety inspections:
- New Trucking Companies: A recently registered OTR carrier may not have been stopped for an inspection yet.
- Local Operators: Some trucking companies primarily operate short-haul or intrastate routes, where they encounter fewer inspections.
- Sister Companies: Some major trucking companies operate under multiple MC (Motor Carrier) numbers for liability purposes, leading to one entity having inspections while another company does not have any safety reports on file with the FMCSA.
- Well-Maintained Carrier Fleets: Some of the best trucking companies keep their equipment in top condition and therefore may avoid random safety inspections because they don’t raise red flags.
At the same time, zero inspections can also be a warning sign of risky carrier behavior.
The Risks of Hiring Zero Inspection Trucking Companies
While some zero inspection trucking companies are legitimate, others could pose significant risks:
- Fraudulent Carriers & Chameleons: Some trucking companies abandon MC numbers after fraudulent activity and restart under new credentials, avoiding past safety violation reports from the FMCSA.
- Double Brokering Scams: Certain bad actors use multiple MC numbers to appear as separate entities, tricking freight brokers and logistics shippers into working with them.
- Lack of Operational Proof: Without safety inspections from the DOT, it’s difficult to verify if a trucking company is actually running cargo loads or just a front for illicit and fraudulent activity.
Given these concerns, how can freight brokers and logistics shippers differentiate between a legitimate trucking company and a carrier that poses an unnecessary risk?
The Zero-Inspection Dilemma in Trucking
Safety inspections and safer reports are only one data point when evaluating a trucking company. The real question isn’t just “Does this trucking company have inspections on file with the DOT and FMCSA?” but “Is this trucking company actually operating safely as an OTR carrier?”
Carrier Assure & GenLogs have teamed up to fill the visibility gaps in safety inspections by combining GenLog’s AI-powered highway sensors to detect truck movement across the U.S, and using Carrier Assure’s reports with predictive scoring that analyzes safety trends and operational data.
For example: A logistics broker is evaluating a trucking company with zero safety inspections. Traditionally, they might reject the carrier due to a lack of FMCSA data.
However, with GenLogs' highway sensors, they can see that their trucks have been actively transporting cargo across multiple states. Meanwhile, the Carrier Assure vetting software analyzes a wide range of other fraud related data points to help determine the legitimacy of the carrier.
This new partnership allows logistics brokers to stop relying solely on safer inspection reports and instead use real world trucking activity to make informed hiring decisions.
Want to See the GenLogs Data in Action on Carrier Assure Reports?
GenLogs’ real-time trucking activity detection is now available as an upgrade exclusively for Carrier Assure enterprise users. If you’re a freight broker or logistics shipper looking for smarter carrier vetting software, request a demo here.
Zero inspection trucking companies present both risks and opportunities. While some genuine operators are affected by outdated rules, others are red flags for fraud.
The key is data transparency, having the right tools to see beyond safety inspections, which means less risk, more on time deliveries, improved metrics in regards to cargo loss prevention, and increased confidence when selecting trucking partners.
