Understanding The FMCSA Safety Rating System

Before you book that rental bus, there are things you need to consider, including the reliability and reputation of local operators. Understanding the FMCSA ratings is more important than many travelers realize. In this blog, it’s our goal to connect you with the right company and ensure that you feel comfortable with your chosen operator. 

Why Do FMCSA Ratings Matter for Travelers?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the governing body that regulates charter bus and motorcoach rentals, making sure they adhere to regulations and keep passengers safe on the road. The FMCSA rating lets you know that your local operators are in good standing and approved for interstate passenger transportation.

At BusRates.com, we provide all the necessary information for you to verify pertinent details related to operator safety, authority and status.

Your Reliable Directory for Trusted Local Operators

BusRates.com is a platform designed to connect group travelers directly to local operators. Getting quotes straight from the companies means you skip the middleman and price markup that comes with it. More than saving money, guests can discuss their trip details directly with the service provider, minimizing errors on itineraries. 

To help you choose, we created a comprehensive “how-to” guide for obtaining and understanding the available data on file for all motor coach carriers. Here’s everything you need to know about the FMCSA safety rating system.

Where Do I View Bus Company Safety Records, Status and Authority?

If you’re looking for the details on an operator, here are the simple steps to follow:

1. Perform a search for charter bus operators: After exploring our selection, scroll through the results of charter bus operators near your desired departure area on our site. 
2. Check the USDOT number on each company: You will notice that we list the USDOT number for each company immediately below their name and address. Underneath their USDOT number is a link to their Licensing & Insurance (L&I) information. 
3. Click the USDOT number: When you click the USDOT number, it links directly to the posted company’s Company Snapshot on the FMCSA’s SAFER website. 

Does the USDOT FMCSA SAFER System Catalog Operator Safety, Status and Authority?

Yes, it does. However, you need to keep in mind that the SAFER website was not designed for the public, so navigating and interpreting its information can be daunting at first. That said, if you stay with us, we’ll walk you through the most crucial details to simplify the verification process.

BusRates.com’s Guide to the Company Snapshot

The Company Snapshot on the FMCSA’s SAFER website is divided into five key areas that we’ll be examining. Each area has information that will help you decide if the company meets your requirements. The five main areas we’ll be looking at will be:

1. ID/Operations
2. Inspections/Crashes
3. Safety Rating
4. Licensing & Insurance
5. Safety Measurement System

We elaborate on each item for easy examination. If you require further details, the FMCSA provides a glossary of all terms.

ID/Operations

The ID/Operations area is the first large box-out you will see when viewing the Company Snapshot. It lists identifying information about the operator, including the legal name, address and phone number.

• Operating status: This should say either “Registered” (for interstate travel) or “Active” (for intrastate travel only). BusRates.com only lists Registered/Active companies. If you encounter a company that has lost its operating status, please alert us immediately at  info@busrates.com.
• Power units: This is the number of vehicles the operator owns as of the MCS-150 form date. The number only includes vehicles that seat at least nine passengers. This information helps you determine whether you’re dealing with a large or small company.
• Drivers: This is the number of registered drivers the company has as of the MCS-150 form date. This information also helps in knowing if your preferred company is a large or a small operator. 
• MCS-150 form date: Operators are required to update their MCS-150 form once every two years. If the form has not been updated within two years, this may indicate that the company’s records are no longer accurate. For this reason, caution is advised.

Inspections/Crashes

Underneath the ID/Operations box-out, you will find the Inspections/Crashes reports. The data in this section tracks inspections over the previous two years. This section has the potential to alarm charter-seeking customers, so you need to understand each area of the charter bus operator’s safety history. 

Inspections

Inspections can happen at any time, so operators must always keep their fleet and drivers in passing condition to avoid failure. Small operators who rarely venture across state lines experience far fewer inspections than larger companies that frequently charter cross-country trips.

Out of Service

An “Out of Service” is the result of the inspector finding conditions that pose an imminent hazard to safety. 

Examples could include a faulty windshield wiper to something more dangerous, like bald tires. A reason for a failure in the Driver Vehicle Inspections Report could be something like a driver forgetting to record mileage in a logbook or something more dangerous, such as driver exhaustion.

Special Note: It is now possible to view detailed information for failed inspections. Please refer to the Safety Measurement System section of this guide for details. When an “Out of Service” order is issued, the vehicle or driver may not continue until the hazard is corrected. This may involve waiting for repairs or a replacement vehicle or driver. “Out of Service” can result in delays or termination of your trip.

Out of Service Percentage

Since every company receives inspections at different times and at different intervals, a direct “pass/failure” comparison isn’t suitable for gauging the safety of operators. For example, a company that has 100 inspections and fails 10 is statistically a safer company than one that has 10 inspections and fails 2. The FMCSA, therefore, ranks companies by an Out of Service percentage.

National Average Percentage

This number represents the average Out of Service percentage of all companies. Knowing this number can help you see how your selected carrier compares to the rest.

Hazmat

The Hazmat field on the far right indicates if the carrier was ever inspected while transporting hazardous materials in cargo. Most bus operators rarely handle hazardous materials. 

Crashes

Crashes are recorded only once by the highest severity. For example, if a crash involved one fatality and three injuries, only one fatality would be recorded.

Safety Rating

The operator’s safety rating, identified underneath their Inspection/Crash record, is determined by one of three options that are based on their most recent compliance review.

• Satisfactory: Records do not indicate evidence of substantial noncompliance with safety requirements. This is the best rating and indicates that the operator followed all safety requirements as of the compliance review date.
• Conditional: Records indicate that the carrier did not comply with one or more safety requirements. This rating indicates that the operator did not meet all requirements as of the compliance review date. 
• Unsatisfactory: Records indicate that the carrier showed substantial noncompliance with safety requirements.

Steps to Take for a Company With a Conditional or Unsatisfactory Rating

At BusRates, we prioritize your safety and comfort above all else. That’s why we only list Satisfactory and Conditional companies for your selection. If you encounter a company with these ratings, here is what you need to do:

• Conditional: You can generally consider the company, but exercise caution. It’s always a good idea to ask the operator how they’ve made improvements since their last compliance review for your peace of mind. 
• Unsatisfactory: We try our best not to list operators with unsatisfactory ratings. So if you come across these companies on our site, please alert us immediately at info@busrates.com. This will help us keep our listings updated and ensure you choose a trustworthy company. 

Licensing & Insurance

The Licensing & Insurance area can be viewed by clicking the L&I link in the blue box-out located in the upper right of the FMCSA’s “Company Snapshot” for your selected charter operator. Alternatively, the operator’s L&I can be accessed from BusRates.com by clicking on the insurance link below their USDOT number on the company’s listing on our site.

In addition to identifying information about the operator, including the legal name, address and phone number, this area identifies which type of authority the operator filed for. It also covers details of the insurance on file ($5 million minimum is required for interstate passenger transit).

Particular fields to pay attention to include:

Authority Status

This should say “Active” for either Common or Contract authority. The company is not legally able to operate without “Active” authority. BusRates.com only lists Active Common and Contract companies. If you encounter a company that has lost its authority, please alert us immediately at info@busrates.com.

Insurance on File

The amount listed for Insurance on File should always match or exceed the amount listed in the adjacent field labeled Insurance Required. For operators licensed for interstate travel of vehicles carrying more than 16 passengers, including the driver, $5,000,000 insurance should be present for both fields. If the operator’s largest vehicle seats 15 or fewer passengers, including the driver, this field would display $1,500,000. 

Remember that while an operator may have insurance in excess of the Insurance Required, they do not need to make the total amount public. If your group requires that your operator have insurance in excess of the minimum $5 million required, please contact the operator directly. Proof of insurance can be provided by any operator upon request.

Safety Measurement System

FMCSA’s new Safety Measurement System (SMS) is a key component of the new CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) initiative. This new program goes beyond measuring an individual company’s safety. It is designed to:

• Improve bus safety and the safety of the entire industry.
• Help reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities related to commercial motor vehicles.
• Check information that was previously inaccessible to the public.

The SMS can be accessed from the FMCSA’s Company Snapshot by clicking the SMS Results link in the blue box-out located in the upper right. 

Percentile Results

Since the SMS is tailored to improve overall industry safety, company-specific safety declarations (such as those found on the Company Snapshot page) are not present. Instead, the SMS results are organized by percentiles. 

The percentile system in SMS Results indicates how a company compares to others. The percentile is computed on a 0-100 scale, with 100 indicating the worst performance and 0 indicating the best performance. The SMS Results are presented within Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs). 

Let’s have an example where the operator’s record has an 81.9 percentile for Fatigued Driving and has been flagged for Hours of Service violations. However, the company’s actual “Safety Rating,” visible on the Company Snapshot, is Satisfactory — the highest rating possible.

In this case, this flag does not necessarily denote an “unsafe” operator. The flag is rather an indication that the FMCSA is “keeping their eye” on this carrier for any further Hours of Service violations and will prioritize this operator for future inspections.

Complete inspection details are archived in the SMS Results for 24 months. You can access further information by clicking any one of the seven BASIC categories. For instance, clicking on “Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service)” provides complete inspection details for all Hours of Service violations. Additionally, data for all categories is available at once by clicking the orange “View Complete Measurement Profile” at the upper right of the BASICs graph.

Things to Remember Before Booking With a Local Operator

Remember that the charter industry is a service industry. Do this before completing your booking:

• If you notice any aspect of an operator’s Company Snapshot that seems off, ask them about it. 
• If the operator’s Out of Service percentage is high, ask them for a reason for the failures.  
• If an injury occurred in the past two years, ask them what steps they’ve taken to ensure an accident does not occur again.

Booking Your Group Travel Safely With BusRates.com

At BusRates.com, we only list compliant operators. We are committed to serving group travelers and connecting them with reputable local companies throughout North America. 

Experience the BusRates advantage: 

• Detailed operator information: We are your best tool for finding an operator that meets or even exceeds your needs. 
• Direct listing: Since we are a directory of contact information, we skip the middleman and eliminate the price markup associated with brokers or travel agents. 
• Seamless search process: Begin a search on our homepage to find the best companies for your group. Take the time to check the FMCSA safety ratings, charter bus licensing and insurance requirements and other relevant details. 

Plan Your Next Group Trip With Confidence

Are you now comfortable with your bus operator choice? We’re delighted to have helped you plan and pick the right company for your next trip. If you feel at ease with your operator and the service they are willing to provide, complete your booking and enjoy the trip! If you feel their service isn’t up to your standards, back out and find the operator that’s right for you. 

Request a quote today and start planning for your trip. You can also get in touch with our team at 703-838-2955 for assistance.