Pick two FMCSA-registered carriers to see a full side-by-side comparison — fleet size, safety rating, BASIC scores, OOS rates, inspection volume, and crash record.
Pick any two FMCSA-registered trucking carriers and TruckCodex pulls a side-by-side snapshot from the official Carrier file: fleet size, FMCSA Safety Rating, the seven SMS BASIC scores, out-of-service rate from de-duplicated roadside inspections, crash history, and current operating-authority status. Use it before brokering a load, before onboarding a partner, or while auditing carriers in your active book.
Suggested Match-ups
8
Data Window
24-month rolling
Cache
1 h hub · 6 h snapshot
Compare by USDOT #
Suggested Match-ups
Paired by adjacent fleet size so the comparison is meaningful.
Frequently asked questions about comparing carriers
How does the carrier comparison tool work?▾
Enter two USDOT numbers and TruckCodex pulls a side-by-side snapshot from the FMCSA Carrier file: fleet size, safety rating, BASIC scores, out-of-service rates, inspection volume, crash record, and authority status. The result is a single page that answers the question shippers and brokers actually ask — 'between these two, which one should I book?'
What data does the comparison use?▾
Every metric on the comparison page comes from FMCSA public-data feeds: the Carrier registration file, the SMS (Safety Measurement System) BASIC scores, the full Inspection and Violation history, and the Crash file. We de-duplicate inspections against the FMCSA SMS redirect map so a canonical + sms-prefixed pair never gets counted twice.
How do I find the right USDOT number for a carrier?▾
Look on the carrier's truck doors (federal regulation requires the USDOT number be displayed there), on a rate confirmation, on a bill of lading, or on the carrier's website. You can also search by name on /carriers/ and copy the USDOT number from the result.
Which metric matters most when picking a carrier?▾
It depends on the load. For high-value or hazmat freight, focus on the Vehicle Maintenance and Unsafe Driving BASIC scores plus crash frequency relative to fleet size. For perishables and time-sensitive lanes, weigh inspection-pass rate (low OOS percentage) and active operating authority. For long-term contracts, give extra weight to the FMCSA Safety Rating and continuous insurance history.
How often is the comparison data refreshed?▾
Carrier-level snapshots refresh every 6 hours. Inspection and crash rollups refresh nightly when FMCSA publishes new files (typically 24-48 hours after the events themselves). Operating authority and insurance status refresh daily from the FMCSA L&I portal.
Can I compare more than two carriers at once?▾
Not in a single view — head-to-head is intentional, because reading three or more columns side-by-side turns into a wall of numbers nobody actually scans. Run multiple two-carrier comparisons or use the broader leaderboards on /insights/ to rank a wider set.
What's the difference between a Safety Rating and a BASIC score?▾
A Safety Rating (Satisfactory, Conditional, Unsatisfactory, or Unrated) comes from a formal FMCSA compliance review of the carrier's records — it's the agency's overall judgment after an audit. BASIC scores are seven category-specific percentile rankings (Unsafe Driving, HOS, Driver Fitness, Substances, Vehicle Maintenance, Hazmat, Crash Indicator) computed monthly from inspection and crash data. Most carriers are 'Unrated' simply because they've never been audited, even when their BASIC scores are clean.
TruckCodex aggregates official public-sector datasets. See the
Source registry
for dataset-level coverage and the
Freshness log
for last-import timestamps.
Cross-border carrier registry and Canadian recall campaigns where applicable.
Refreshed weekly.
TruckCodex is an independent aggregator; it is not affiliated with FMCSA, NHTSA, EIA, or Transport Canada.
Always verify compliance-critical information directly with the originating agency.