What Is The Safer Web Company Snapshot?

Safety and Fitness Electronic Records (SAFER) is an integral part of searching for the general safety of a trucking fleet. Also called an FMCSA Snapshot, the information is provided through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

What is SAFER Web?

An FMCSA company snapshot is a small, informative report of a company’s:

• Operations
• Inspections in the US and Canada
• Crashes in the US and Canada
• Safety ratings

Logistic companies and drivers who are interested in working with a fleet can use this information to help them understand the fleet’s operations a little more.

You can request an FMCSA Snapshot for any company that has:

• A USDOT number
• MC/MX PIN

If a company has one of these numbers or a PIN, you can easily request a snapshot and find integral information about the company’s operations.

The official website states that the Company Snapshot is a concise record of a company’s:

• Identification
• Commodity information
• Size
• Safety rating
• Inspections
• Crash information

You can search for a single company at a time for free.

How Can You Search Company Snapshot?

Searching for an FMCSA company snapshot requires you to have one of the following identifiers:

1. USDOT Number
2. MC/MX Number
3. Name

If you don’t have this information, the guide below can help you obtain it to conduct your own search.

USDOT Number

Searching for a USDOT number can be done in multiple ways, including:

• Company website. Go to the company’s website and search the site for their USDOT number. Many carriers will list the number somewhere on their website’s header or footer.
• FMCSA website. You can visit https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/ to try and find a USDOT number.
• Call the FMCSA, You can contact the FMCSA directly at 800-832-5660 and speak to a representative who can help you find the company in question number.

You can also contact the carrier directly and ask if they will provide the number to you.

Name

Using the FMCSA Snapshot portal is easiest if you know the name of the carrier, but many do operate under an alternative name. The nice thing about the official portal is that when you search by name, it will provide a list of keyword matches with:

• Carrier or DBA Name
• Location

You should be able to use this information to narrow down your search and review the report of the accurate company.

What Does FMCSA Snapshot Provide?

Running an FMCSA Snapshot offers you a wealth of unique information about a company, including:

Company Information

An FMCSA Snapshot provides detailed information on the company you’re searching for, including:

• Entity type – carrier, cargo tank, broker, etc.
• Operating status
• Legal name of the company
• DBA name (if applicable)
• Company address
• Phone number
• Mailing address
• Number of drivers
• Number of power units
• USDOT number
• MC/MX/FF number(s)
• DUNS number
• MCS-150 mileage

The Snapshot can give you quite a bit of important information about the entity. For example, you can also check to see if the company has a pending insurance cancellation.

Operation Classification

Beneath the company’s information, you will find information on its operation classification. An “X” will indicate what the entity operates as. There are several options here, including:

• Auth. For Hire
• Private (Property)
• Exempt for Hire
• Priv. Pass (Business)
• Migrant
• Priv Pass. (Non-Business)
• Fed Gov’t
• U.S. Mail
• Indian Nation
• Local Gov’t
• State Gov’t

Carrier Operation

Next, you’ll find information about where the carrier operates. An “X” will indicate where the entity is authorized to operate. There are three options listed:

• Interstate
• Intrastate Only (Non-HM)
• Intrastate Only (HM)

Cargo Carried

FMCSA’s Snapshot also provides information on what type of cargo the carrier hauls. Again, you’ll find an “X” next to each option that applies to the carrier.

There are several types of cargo listed here, including:

Inspections/Crashes In US and Canada

One important area of the Snapshot is the Inspections/Crashes section. Here is where you’ll find information about how many inspections the entity has had and how many crashes have been reported in both the United States and Canada.

There are two tables here: one for inspections and one for crashes.

Under the Inspections table, you can see the number of inspections, the number of vehicles and drivers out of service, and the percentage of out of service.

Under the Crashes table, you can see how many fatal crashes there were, how many accidents caused injuries, and how many crashes needed towing.

Safety Rating

The final section of the Snapshot page is the entity’s Safety Rating. The table provides information on:

• The date of the rating
• The rating itself (satisfactory, etc.)
• Review date
• Type

You can also see the date of when the rating was updated.

FMCSA Company Snapshot vs Paid Snapshots

The free FMCSA Company Snapshot provides quite a bit of information about an entity. However, you can get more information about a carrier by purchasing a Company Safety Profile (CSP).

A Company Safety Profile includes detailed safety-related information for the company’s operation, including:

• Specific items from inspection reports and crash reports
• Results of reviews and enforcement

Gaining access to a Company Safety Profile comes at a price – $20 for each profile. It’s important to make sure that the FMCSA even has a profile on the company before requesting a Company Safety Profile. 

Once you purchase a CSP, it will be delivered to your email within 72 hours.

When ordering a CSP, you can choose whether you want to see driver information. It should go without saying that you will need the company’s USDOT number when purchasing a CSP.

Paid Snapshots have an advantage if you need more detailed information about a company’s accident history and inspection reports. But if you’re only interested in how many crashes have been reported and basic inspection data, the free Snapshot may suffice for you.