Safersys.org is a web site maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Through this site, one may obtain extensive basic information about motor carriers within moments after learning of the potential case.
A “Carrier Snapshot” search includes the company’s legal name, address, phone number, USDOT number, numbers of power units and drivers, inspection and crash data, “Safestat” safety rating, and a link to a report on the first layer of insurance coverage and a blanket agent for service of process.
Linking to “SMS Results,” one may find extensive information about a motor carrier’s safety violations involving unsafe driving, hours of service compliance, vehicle maintenance, controlled substances and alcohol, hazardous materials compliance and driver fitness. Clicking through from the summary information, one may then obtain the “complete SMS profile,” listing specific violations in detail.
In preparing cases involving catastrophic truck crashes, we often send a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for all documentation regarding the trucking company. Responses are often provided to us in electronic format by email, though the time for response varies according to the workload at the FMCSA FOIA unit.