What is a good carrier risk score?

On CarrierClear, an A in the No-flags-found band is the strongest read — it means the carrier has active authority, a Satisfactory FMCSA safety rating, and no out-of-service order. A C or D in Review recommended means a real caution signal is present, and an F in Serious flags means a hard-stop problem like an out-of-service order or inactive authority. Always read the listed reasons, since the band is only a summary of them.

Is a carrier risk score the same as the FMCSA safety rating?

No. The FMCSA safety rating is one official input (Satisfactory, Conditional, Unsatisfactory, or Unrated). The CarrierClear risk score combines that rating with authority status, out-of-service data, insurance, and inspection rates into a single at-a-glance band. See our guide on the FMCSA safety rating for how that one field works on its own.

Why is a carrier shown as Unrated or Limited data?

It means there is not enough verified FMCSA data to assign an honest grade, which is common for newer or smaller carriers that have never had a compliance review. Unrated is deliberately not shown as green, because absence of bad signals is not a clean bill of health. It is also not automatically bad — most carriers are Unrated, so read the rest of the record before deciding.

Can I see why a carrier got its score?

Yes — that is the point. Every rating lists the exact factors behind it, worst first, with the real figures from the FMCSA record. The letter grade is derived from those same factors, so the headline never contradicts the detail, and you can audit any rating line by line.

Does a good risk score guarantee a carrier is safe or insured?

No. The risk score is an informational synthesis of public FMCSA records, not a certification of a carrier's fitness, legitimacy, or active insurance, and it is not legal advice or a consumer report. The on-file insurance figure, for example, is a filed amount, not proof the policy is in force today. Use the score to guide your judgment, not replace it.

Carrier risk rating, explained

Carrier risk score: an at-a-glance rating that shows its work

A carrier risk score should save you time, not replace your judgment. CarrierClear distills the public FMCSA safety record into one at-a-glance risk rating — an A-F letter and a 0-100 number on paid plans — then shows you the exact signals behind it. No black box, no mystery number. You see the band, you see every reason for it, and you decide. Here is how the rating is built, what each band means, and why a thin record reads as Unrated instead of a false green light.

Check a carrier now

Run any MC or DOT number now to see the carrier's authority, insurance on file, and safety status free — the full risk rating and reasons unlock on a paid plan.

Just the number works — with or without the MC/DOT prefix, and spaces are fine. Tip: prefix an MC number with “MC” (e.g. MC123456) so it isn't read as a DOT number.

Demo:— click to see a sample result + PDF

What the carrier risk score is

The risk rating is one honest read of a carrier's public FMCSA record. On paid plans it appears on every lookup as a letter grade (A through F) and a 0-100 score, anchored to a plain-English band: No flags found, Review recommended, Serious flags, or Limited FMCSA data. It rolls together the signals a broker already cares about — operating authority, safety rating, out-of-service status, insurance on file versus required, and out-of-service inspection rates against the national average — so you get a fast first impression without reading five separate fields.

It is an informational synthesis of public data, not a certification. The score does not vouch for a carrier's fitness, its legitimacy, or that its insurance is in force today. It points you at what to look at and why, then gets out of the way.

What the bands mean

No flags found (A / green). Earned, not assumed. A carrier only lands here with positive evidence: active authority, a Satisfactory safety rating, and no out-of-service order. Absence of bad news is not enough to reach the top band.
Review recommended (C-D / amber). A real caution signal is present — a Conditional safety rating, out-of-service inspection rates above the national average, or fatal crashes in the reporting window. Not a stop sign, but a reason to dig before you tender.
Serious flags (F / red). A hard-stop signal is on the record: an active out-of-service order, inactive or missing authority, an Unsatisfactory rating, or insurance on file below the federal minimum. Treat any of these as a do-not-load until resolved.
Limited FMCSA data (Unrated / slate). The record is too thin to grade honestly, so it shows as Unrated rather than a misleading green. This is normal — most carriers are not formally rated — and it is neither a clean bill of health nor automatically bad.

Why we always show the reasons

Most carrier scoring tools hand you a number and keep the math to themselves. That is a problem when you need to defend a decision, explain a denial to a sales rep, or override the score because you know the carrier. A grade you cannot question is a grade you cannot stand behind.

CarrierClear lists every factor behind the band, worst first, with the actual figures — "Driver out-of-service rate 9.4% — above the 6.7% national average," "On-file coverage is below the federally required amount," "Operating authority active." The letter grade is derived from those same factors, so the headline can never contradict the detail beneath it. You can audit the rating line by line and decide for yourself.

How the score is built

Hard stops set the floor. An out-of-service order, inactive authority, an Unsatisfactory rating, or insurance below the minimum pushes the carrier to Serious flags and an F, regardless of anything good on the record.
Cautions cap the ceiling. A Conditional rating, above-average out-of-service rates, or fatal crashes hold the carrier in the Review-recommended band — it cannot reach an A or B no matter how clean the rest looks.
Green is earned. Only a carrier with active authority, a Satisfactory rating, and no out-of-service order reaches No flags found and an A-grade 95.
Thin data stays honest. When there is not enough verified FMCSA data to assess, the score returns Unrated instead of inventing confidence the record does not support.

How brokers use it

The risk rating is the top of the funnel, not the whole vetting. Use it to triage: a green No-flags carrier clears fast, a Serious-flags carrier is an instant pass, and Review-recommended or Unrated carriers get the closer look the band is telling you they need. For Unrated carriers especially, read the supporting record — out-of-service rates, crash and inspection history, insurance — before you commit a load. For more, see our carrier vetting checklist.

Paid plans extend the same rating into the full dossier: OFAC sanctions screening, phone and address fraud checks, an identity-reuse flag for chameleon and shared-EIN carriers, and ongoing monitoring with email alerts when a carrier's standing changes after you have already approved it. The score gives you the first read; the dossier and monitoring keep it current. See plans and pricing for what each tier includes.

Common questions

What is a good carrier risk score?: On CarrierClear, an A in the No-flags-found band is the strongest read — it means the carrier has active authority, a Satisfactory FMCSA safety rating, and no out-of-service order. A C or D in Review recommended means a real caution signal is present, and an F in Serious flags means a hard-stop problem like an out-of-service order or inactive authority. Always read the listed reasons, since the band is only a summary of them.
Is a carrier risk score the same as the FMCSA safety rating?: No. The FMCSA safety rating is one official input (Satisfactory, Conditional, Unsatisfactory, or Unrated). The CarrierClear risk score combines that rating with authority status, out-of-service data, insurance, and inspection rates into a single at-a-glance band. See our guide on the FMCSA safety rating for how that one field works on its own.
Why is a carrier shown as Unrated or Limited data?: It means there is not enough verified FMCSA data to assign an honest grade, which is common for newer or smaller carriers that have never had a compliance review. Unrated is deliberately not shown as green, because absence of bad signals is not a clean bill of health. It is also not automatically bad — most carriers are Unrated, so read the rest of the record before deciding.
Can I see why a carrier got its score?: Yes — that is the point. Every rating lists the exact factors behind it, worst first, with the real figures from the FMCSA record. The letter grade is derived from those same factors, so the headline never contradicts the detail, and you can audit any rating line by line.
Does a good risk score guarantee a carrier is safe or insured?: No. The risk score is an informational synthesis of public FMCSA records, not a certification of a carrier's fitness, legitimacy, or active insurance, and it is not legal advice or a consumer report. The on-file insurance figure, for example, is a filed amount, not proof the policy is in force today. Use the score to guide your judgment, not replace it.

Sources

1.Safety Measurement System (SMS) — About / Methodology — FMCSA — Compliance, Safety, Accountability
2.Safety Ratings (Satisfactory, Conditional, Unsatisfactory, Unrated) — 49 CFR Part 385 — Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute
3.49 CFR § 385.3 — Definitions (safety rating) — Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute

FMCSA safety rating, explained →Freight fraud prevention →Carrier vetting checklist →See plans and pricing →

CarrierClear displays public FMCSA records and records your own verification. It is not legal advice and not a certification of any carrier’s fitness, legitimacy, or insurance. Verify independently before relying on any record. Comparisons reflect our understanding of publicly available information as of the date shown and may change; CarrierClear is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any other company named here, and all trademarks belong to their respective owners.