SAFER Company Snapshot: Check Yours Before a Broker Does

Before a broker gives you a load, they look you up. One of the first places they check is your SAFER Company Snapshot. SAFER is a public FMCSA website that shows basic facts about any carrier with a USDOT number. If something there is wrong or out of date, you could lose loads without knowing why. So check your own snapshot first. Here is how, and what to look for.

What the SAFER company snapshot is

SAFER stands for Safety and Fitness Electronic Records. It is run by FMCSA, the federal agency that oversees trucking safety. The Company Snapshot is a one-page summary of a carrier. Anyone can see it: brokers, shippers, insurers, other carriers and you.

How to look up your SAFER company snapshot

1. Go to safer.fmcsa.dot.gov and open the Company Snapshot search.
2. Search by your USDOT number, your MC number or your company name.
3. Open your record and read every line.

It only takes a few minutes. Do it every few months, and after any big change in your business. Save a copy each time you check. That way you can see what changed and when, and show a broker proof if they have questions.

What brokers see on your snapshot

The snapshot is split into sections. Here are the main fields and why they matter:

USDOT information

• Entity Type, like carrier or broker.
• USDOT Status, for example active or inactive.
• Out of Service Date, if there is one.
• MCS-150 Form Date and MCS-150 Mileage (Year). The MCS-150 is the form that keeps your USDOT record up to date.

Operating authority

• Operating Authority Status. Brokers check that you are authorized for the kind of freight they offer.
• MC/MX/FF Number(s).

Company information

• Legal Name and DBA Name. DBA means "doing business as."
• Physical Address, Phone and Mailing Address.
• Power Units and Drivers. How many trucks and drivers you reported.
• Operation Classification, Carrier Operation and Cargo Carried. For example, authorized for hire, interstate, and the kinds of freight you haul.

Inspections and crashes

• US Inspections for the past 24 months, with the number of out-of-service inspections and your out-of-service percentage next to the national average.
• US Crashes for the past 24 months: fatal, injury, tow and total. The page notes that crashes listed show involvement in reportable crashes "without any determination as to responsibility."

Safety rating

• Carrier Safety Rating, with the rating, its type and dates, if you have been rated.

What to fix if something is wrong

• Old address, phone or email. Update your USDOT record so FMCSA mail reaches you.
• Wrong number of trucks or drivers, or wrong cargo types. Update your registration information.
• Authority not active. Find out why right away. It is often a missing insurance filing or BOC-3.
• An inspection or crash you think is wrong. FMCSA has a process called DataQs to ask for a review of data.

A note on the MCS-150: FMCSA paused the every-two-years biennial update requirement, but the pause does not remove it. Our article on the MCS-150 biennial update pause explains it. You should still update your record when your information changes.

Mistakes to avoid

• Never looking at your own snapshot.
• Letting your truck and driver counts get out of date.
• Ignoring an inactive or not-authorized status.
• Assuming a broker will call you to ask about a problem. Many will just move on.

For more on how brokers and carriers check each other, see our guide on how to check a freight broker.

When to call us

Found something wrong on your SAFER snapshot, or not sure what it means? Call TCZ Permits at 956-526-6727. We review your record with you and help fix your filings.

Common questions

Is the SAFER company snapshot public? Yes. Anyone can search it by USDOT number, MC number or name.

Do crashes on SAFER mean I was at fault? No. SAFER says crashes listed show involvement in reportable crashes without any determination of responsibility.

How often should I check my snapshot? Every few months, and after any change like new trucks, a new address or a new insurance filing.