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Glossary

Plain-language explanations of the FMCSA terms, authority types, and industry concepts that show up on every carrier and broker profile — no jargon left unexplained.

Safety & Compliance

Safety Rating
A Safety Rating is FMCSA's formal assessment of a motor carrier's overall compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR), assigned…
BASICs
BASICs (Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories) are the seven safety-performance categories that make up FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS), the analytics…
Out-of-Service Rate
The Out-of-Service (OOS) Rate is the percentage of roadside inspections that result in a vehicle or driver being placed out of service…
CSA Score
"CSA Score" is the informal, widely-used shorthand for a carrier's BASICs percentiles under FMCSA's CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) program — technically there's…
MCS-150
The MCS-150 (Motor Carrier Identification Report) is the form every carrier, broker, and freight forwarder registered with FMCSA must file to obtain…

Authority & Registration

USDOT Number
The USDOT (US Department of Transportation) number is a unique identifier FMCSA assigns to any commercial motor carrier, freight forwarder, or intrastate…
MC Number
An MC (Motor Carrier) Number is the specific identifier FMCSA assigns when it grants a company for-hire operating authority — it's what…
Operating Authority
Operating Authority is FMCSA's legal permission for a company to transport regulated commodities or passengers for compensation in interstate commerce — distinct…
Common Carrier Authority
Common Carrier Authority permits a company to transport property (or passengers) for the general public — meaning it must be willing to…
Contract Carrier Authority
Contract Carrier Authority permits a company to transport property for specific shippers under continuing contracts, rather than holding itself out to serve…
Broker Authority
Broker Authority is FMCSA's license for a company to arrange for the transportation of property by a motor carrier in exchange for…
Docket Number
A Docket Number is the identifier FMCSA assigns when it grants a company operating authority, distinguished by a prefix — MC for…
For-Hire Carrier
A For-Hire Carrier is a motor carrier whose business is transporting other companies' property or passengers for compensation, as opposed to a…
Freight Forwarder
A Freight Forwarder is an entity that arranges transportation of property, often consolidating shipments from multiple shippers, and — unlike a broker…

Insurance & Bonds

BIPD Insurance
BIPD stands for Bodily Injury and Property Damage — the liability insurance every for-hire motor carrier is federally required to carry, covering…
Cargo Insurance
Cargo Insurance covers loss or damage to the freight a carrier is transporting, as distinct from BIPD, which covers injuries and property…
BMC-84 Bond
A BMC-84 is a surety bond — a three-party financial instrument between the broker, a surety company, and FMCSA — that guarantees…
BMC-85 Trust Fund
A BMC-85 Trust Fund is the alternative way — besides a BMC-84 surety bond — a broker can satisfy FMCSA's $75,000 financial…

Fleet & Operations

Power Units
Power Units refers to the self-propelled vehicles in a carrier's fleet — tractors, straight trucks, and similar equipment capable of moving under…
Interstate vs Intrastate Operation
Interstate operation means a carrier transports property or passengers across state lines, or as part of a shipment's continuous interstate journey even…
Hazmat Carrier
A Hazmat Carrier is a motor carrier registered to transport hazardous materials — substances that pose a risk to health, safety, or…
Fleet Classification
Fleet Classification, also called Fleet Size Code in FMCSA's data, is a letter-coded bucket FMCSA assigns to a carrier based on its…

Financial/Business

Factoring
Factoring is a financing arrangement where a trucking company sells its unpaid invoices — typically owed by brokers or shippers — to…
Deadhead Miles
Deadhead Miles are the miles a truck travels without a paying load — most commonly the distance a driver covers getting from…
RPM (Rate Per Mile)
RPM, or Rate Per Mile, is the most common way trucking rates are expressed and compared — the total amount paid for…