Who this is for: carrier, owner-operator
How to Check Your SMS Score
FMCSA's SMS website provides carriers with access to their BASIC percentile scores, underlying inspection data, and alert status. This guide walks through how to look up your scores, what each section of SMS shows, and how to interpret the data.
Checklist
Checkboxes reset on page reload. This is a reference tool only — not a saved record.
Where to Access SMS
Go to ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms — FMCSA's Safety Measurement System portal. The site is publicly accessible with no login required to view your carrier's public profile.
Looking Up Your Carrier
Enter your USDOT number in the carrier search field. SMS will display your carrier's profile including: - Safety measurement data for each BASIC - Percentile ranking within your peer group - Alert status flags (if applicable) - Number of inspections and crashes in the data window - Time-weighted violation points by BASIC Note: Some BASIC scores may show as "insufficient data" if your carrier does not have enough inspections to generate a statistically meaningful percentile.
Accessing the Full Inspection Detail
Carriers can register for a PIN on the SMS site to access the full detail of each inspection record — including individual violation codes, inspection dates, and locations. The PIN-protected view shows more detail than the public view, including data that feeds into BASICs not publicly displayed.
Interpreting Your Percentile Scores
Remember that higher percentile = worse performance relative to peers. If your Unsafe Driving BASIC is at the 80th percentile, that means 80% of peer carriers have fewer Unsafe Driving points than you do. Alert thresholds vary by BASIC and carrier type: - Passenger carriers: lower thresholds (stricter) - HM carriers: lower thresholds (stricter) - Property carriers: higher thresholds (more lenient) BASIC alert status does not directly affect your official safety rating but increases the likelihood of FMCSA intervention.
Monitoring Your Score Over Time
SMS updates monthly. Set a calendar reminder to check your scores monthly, especially after a period of increased inspections. Violations drop off as they age (time-weighting reduces their contribution), so score trends can improve without any corrective action if older violations cycle out of the window.
How shippers and brokers use SMS data
Many shippers and freight brokers check the SMS public profile before awarding loads or signing carrier agreements. Some have internal policies that exclude carriers above certain BASIC percentile thresholds. A carrier that is not visible in SMS (due to insufficient inspection data) may be asked by a large shipper to accept additional vetting. Understanding that your SMS scores are commercial as well as regulatory intelligence — visible to prospective customers, not just enforcement — changes how carriers approach score management.
What "insufficient data" means
When SMS shows "insufficient data" for a BASIC, it means the carrier doesn't have enough inspection records in the relevant window to generate a statistically reliable percentile. This is common for new carriers and very small fleets. It is not a violation or a negative status — it simply means no percentile is calculated. FMCSA may still have individual inspection records in the system; they just don't produce a scored percentile.
What to do when you find elevated scores
Reviewing SMS is only useful if you act on what you find. When a BASIC is approaching or past the alert threshold, pull up the underlying inspection detail using your carrier PIN and identify which specific violation types are driving the score. Group them — are they concentrated on one vehicle, one driver, or one time period? A cluster of brake violations on a single unit points to a maintenance problem. Scattered HOS violations across multiple drivers suggest a training or dispatch scheduling issue. Fix the root cause, not just the individual violation. And check whether any of the records have factual errors that could be successfully challenged through DataQs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does SMS show all seven BASICs publicly, or only some?
Not all seven BASICs are visible on the public SMS profile. The Crash Indicator BASIC is not publicly displayed — it is accessible to law enforcement and FMCSA investigators but not to the general public or shippers. BASICs with insufficient data (too few inspections to generate a reliable percentile) also show as unavailable. The remaining displayed BASICs are publicly viewable without a login.
How often does SMS update and how quickly do new inspections appear?
SMS scores update monthly as new inspection and crash data submitted by state agencies is processed into MCMIS. A roadside inspection from last week may not appear in SMS for several weeks depending on when the state submits the data. Scores reflecting that inspection won't change until the next monthly update after the data is submitted.
What is the carrier PIN and how do I get one?
The carrier PIN is a security code that gives registered carriers access to the full inspection detail behind each BASIC score, including individual violation codes and the detailed data that drives their percentile. To register for a PIN, go to ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms and use the PIN registration option. You will need your USDOT number and information to verify the account.
If my SMS scores look fine, does that mean I won't receive an FMCSA compliance review?
Not necessarily. FMCSA can initiate a compliance review for reasons beyond SMS scores — a serious crash, a complaint, or random selection. However, carriers with BASIC percentiles below alert thresholds are significantly less likely to be prioritized for a compliance review than those above the thresholds. Low scores reduce risk; they don't eliminate it.