When you look up a carrier on FMCSA SAFER, the Company Snapshot shows a safety rating. Brokers, shippers and insurers all check it. Here is what each rating means and what to do if yours is not where you want it.
⭐ The Four Ratings
- Satisfactory: FMCSA investigated and found your safety controls adequate. This is the best rating.
- Conditional: FMCSA found problems with your safety controls, such as driver qualification files, hours of service or maintenance. You can keep operating, but some brokers and shippers will not load you.
- Unsatisfactory: FMCSA found serious problems and considers you unfit. A proposed Unsatisfactory rating becomes final and you are ordered out of service unless you fix the problems in time: 45 days for hazmat and passenger carriers, 60 days for other carriers.
- Not Rated (None): no investigation has ever been done. This is what most small carriers show, and it is not a negative.
🔍 How a Carrier Gets Rated
Ratings come only from an on-site or off-site investigation (also called a compliance review). FMCSA usually opens one after a serious crash, a complaint, or high CSA scores. Your CSA scores are a separate thing: they come from roadside inspections and crashes and update monthly, while the safety rating changes only after an investigation.
💲 How the Rating Affects Insurance and Loads
- Insurance: a Conditional or Unsatisfactory rating can raise your premium or limit which insurers will quote you.
- Brokers and shippers: many will not book Conditional carriers, and none can use an out-of-service carrier.
- Contracts: some customers require Satisfactory or Not Rated in writing.
🔧 How to Fix a Bad Rating
- Read the investigation report and list every violation.
- Fix each one: driver files, ELD and hours of service, maintenance records, drug and alcohol testing.
- Write a corrective action plan with proof of each fix.
- Ask FMCSA for an upgrade (49 CFR 385.17), or request an administrative review if the rating was wrong.
Check any carrier's rating and insurance on file with our free FMCSA check tool.
📞 Get a Trucking Insurance Quote
Protec Consulting Group insures owner-operators and fleets in Texas and across the U.S. Get a free quote or call (469) 739-6335.
Frequently asked questions
Is Not Rated a bad safety rating?
No. Not Rated (or None) only means FMCSA has never done an investigation of your company. Most small carriers are Not Rated, and most brokers accept it.
Can I still haul loads with a Conditional rating?
Yes, FMCSA lets you keep operating. But some brokers and shippers will not load Conditional carriers, and insurers may charge more, so it is worth requesting an upgrade once you fix the problems.
How do I upgrade my safety rating?
Fix the violations, document the corrective actions, and ask FMCSA for a safety rating upgrade under 49 CFR 385.17. You can also request an administrative review if you think the rating was wrong.
Is the safety rating the same as my CSA scores?
No. CSA scores are percentiles based on roadside inspections and crashes and change every month. The safety rating only changes after an FMCSA investigation.