Carrier vetting glossary
Plain-English definitions of the FMCSA terms you'll see when vetting carriers.
- FMCSA registration that allows a company to haul regulated freight for hire or arrange transportation (broker). Identified by a docket number.
- BASIC
- One of seven CSA categories (e.g., Unsafe Driving, Vehicle Maintenance) built from inspection and crash data.
- BIPD
- Bodily Injury and Property Damage liability insurance. For-hire carriers must keep a minimum amount on file with FMCSA.
- BMC-34
- Insurer filing certifying cargo insurance.
- BMC-35
- Insurer notice of cancellation of a liability policy filed with FMCSA.
- BMC-84 / BMC-85
- Broker and freight-forwarder financial security: a surety bond (84) or trust fund agreement (85).
- BMC-91 / BMC-91X
- Insurer filings certifying BIPD liability coverage; 91X is used for multiple or excess layers.
- BOC-3
- Designation of process agents who accept legal papers for the company in each state.
- Census (MCS-150 data)
- FMCSA's registry record for a USDOT number: name, address, fleet, drivers, operation type.
- Types of for-hire carrier authority; common carriers serve the general public, contract carriers serve specific shippers.
- CSA
- Compliance, Safety, Accountability — FMCSA's enforcement program that measures carrier safety performance.
- Docket number
- MC, FF or MX number tied to an operating authority.
- Double brokering
- Re-brokering a load without the original broker's authorization, often fraudulently.
- Involuntary suspension
- FMCSA-initiated suspension of authority, commonly after an insurance lapse; notices usually give a future effective date.
- L&I
- FMCSA Licensing & Insurance system — the source of authority and insurance filing records.
- MCS-150
- Registration form carriers must update at least every 24 months.
- Motus
- FMCSA's newer registration system; its datasets carry insurance, authority and suspension records since May 2026.
- New entrant
- A carrier in FMCSA's 18-month New Entrant Safety Assurance Program.
- Out-of-service (OOS)
- An order during inspection that stops a driver or vehicle until violations are fixed.
- Revocation
- Termination of an operating authority, for example after insurance isn't replaced.
- Safety rating
- Satisfactory, Conditional or Unsatisfactory, assigned after a compliance review. Most carriers are unrated.
- SMS
- Safety Measurement System — FMCSA's data system behind CSA, using 24 months of inspections and crashes.
- USDOT number
- Unique FMCSA identifier for a company operating commercial motor vehicles.
- Voluntary suspension
- A suspension requested by the carrier itself, for example when it stops operating.