3PL: Third-Party Logistics provider, a company that provides outsourced logistics services.
Accessorial Charges: Additional fees for services beyond standard shipping, such as loading, unloading, or storage.
Accounts Payable: Amounts a company owes to suppliers for items or services purchased on credit.
Accounts Receivable: Amounts a company is owed by customers for goods or services delivered.
Accrual: An accounting method where revenue and expenses are recorded when they are earned or incurred, regardless of when cash is exchanged.
Add Date: Date when carrier information was added to MCMIS Database System
Asset: Resources owned by a company that have economic value.
Authorized For Hire: Y - Carrier's operation classified as Authorized For Hire
Backhaul: A return trip carrying freight, often at a discounted rate.
Balance Sheet: A financial statement showing a company's assets, liabilities, and equity at a specific point in time.
Bill of Lading (BOL): A legal document, usually issued by a carrier, acknowledging receipt of cargo for shipment and detailing the type, quantity, dimensions, origin, and destination of the goods.
Box Truck: A truck with an enclosed cargo area, typically used for local deliveries.
Broker: A person or company that arranges transportation of goods on behalf of shippers.
Bus: Any motor vehicle designed, constructed, and used for the commercial transportation of 15 or more passengers, including the driver.
Capital: Wealth in the form of money or assets, used to start or maintain a business.
Car Carrier: A trailer designed to transport vehicles.
Cargo Insurance: Insurance covering loss or damage to goods during transit.
Carrier: A company or individual responsible for transporting goods.
Carrier Operation: Codes identifying carriers' type of Operation; A = Interstate, B = Intrastate Hazmat, C = Intrastate Non-Hazmat
Carrier Packet: A set of documents required by a broker to onboard a carrier.
Carrier Type: "For-hire" or "Private."
Cash Flow: The total amount of money being transferred into and out of a business.
Commercial Vehicle: A motor vehicle, usually a truck or bus, which transports freight or passengers for compensation.
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA): An organization of states and provinces in the United States, Canada, and Mexico dedicated to improving the uniformity of commercial motor vehicle safety enforcement.
Consignee: The person or company to whom goods are shipped and delivered.
Consignor: The person or company sending the goods.
Container Chassis: A trailer designed to carry shipping containers.
Controlled Substance AC/SV: Controlled Substances and Alcohol BASIC Acute/Critical Indicator (Y = Active/Critical from investigation within previous 12 months)
Controlled Substance Basic Alert: Controlled Substances and Alcohol BASIC Indicator (Y - Roadside Performance Percentile over threshold and/or Serious Violation within previous 12 months)
Controlled Substance Inspection W Violation: Number of inspections with at least one Controlled Substances and Alcohol BASIC violation
Controlled Substance Measure: Controlled Substances and Alcohol BASIC Roadside Performance measure value
Controlled Substance Percent: Controlled Substances and Alcohol BASIC Roadside Performance Percentile
Controlled Substance Red Alert: Controlled Substances and Alcohol BASIC Roadside Performance Over Threshold Indicator (Y = Over Intervention Threshold)
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): Direct costs attributable to the production of goods sold by a company.
DBA Name: Carrier's Doing-Business-As name
Deadhead: A truck traveling without cargo, often referring to distance.
Defect Group: The "group" to which a given violation is attributed. In this report, all violations identifiable during the driver-vehicle inspections are assigned to one of three mutually-exclusive groups: vehicle, driver, or hazardous materials.
Depreciation: The allocation of the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life.
Detention: Charges assessed when a carrier is delayed at a shipper or receiver beyond the allotted free time.
Dispatch: The act of assigning a load to a carrier or driver.
DOT Number: An identification number assigned to all interstate commercial carriers regulated by the FMCSA. The number is used to track the safety records associated with a given carrier.
Double: A commercial motor vehicle consisting of a truck-tractor and two detachable trailers.
Driver Fitness AC: Driver Fitness BASIC Acute/Critical Indicator (Y = Active/Critical from investigation within previous 12 months)
Driver Fitness Basic Alert: Driver Fitness BASIC Indicator (Y - Roadside Performance Percentile over threshold and/or Serious Violation within previous 12 months)
Driver Fitness Inspection W Viol: Number of inspections with at least one Driver Fitness BASIC violation
Driver Fitness Measure: Driver Fitness BASIC Roadside Performance measure value
Driver Fitness Percent: Driver Fitness BASIC Roadside Performance Percentile
Driver Fitness Red Alert: Driver Fitness BASIC Roadside Performance Over Threshold Indicator (Y = Over Intervention Threshold)
Driver: The person operating a commercial motor vehicle.
Driver Inspection Total: Total Number of Driver Inspections for the measurement period
Driver Only Inspection: Examines only the driver-related aspects of the standard Full Inspection, including compliance with commercial drivers' licensing requirements, medical certifications and waivers, and the hours-of-service regulations. This inspection type is a Level III inspection.
Driver OOS Inspection Total: Total Number of Driver Inspections containing at least one Driver Out-of-Service Violation
Driver Total: Number of drivers reported
Driver Violation: A violation discovered during the inspection which pertains to the driver of the commercial vehicle.
Dry Van: An enclosed, non-refrigerated trailer used for general freight.
Dump Truck: A truck with a bed that can be tilted to unload its contents.
Duration: The amount of time required to complete a given inspection. It is calculated using the "start" and "finish" times recorded by the inspector.
Email Address: Contact email address
Equity: The value of an owner's interest in a company, calculated as assets minus liabilities.
Exempt For Hire: Y - Carrier's operation classified as Exempt For Hire
Expense: The costs incurred in the process of earning revenue.
Facility Type: The type of facility - fixed or roadside - where the inspection was conducted.
Fax: Fax Number
Federal Government: Y - Carrier's operation classified as Federal Government
Fixed Facility: A state commercial vehicle "scale" facility or other permanent site used to conduct inspections.
Flatbed: A trailer with a flat, open bed for hauling large or irregularly shaped cargo.
Fleet Size: The total number of power units (truck-tractors and straight trucks) owned or operated by a given motor carrier.
For Hire Carrier: A commercial motor carrier whose primary business activity is the transportation of property or passenger by motor vehicle for compensation.
For Hire Carrier Authorized: A for-hire carrier subject to economic regulation by the Interstate Commerce Commission.
For Hire Carrier Exempt: A for-hire carrier not subject to economic regulation by the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Freight Bill: An invoice for transportation charges.
Freight Broker: A person or company that arranges transportation of goods for a fee.
Freight Forwarder: A company that arranges the storage and shipping of merchandise on behalf of shippers.
Full Inspection: The most comprehensive and thorough of the inspection types, it involves extensive vehicle checks - including under-the-vehicle measurement of brake performance - and examination of hours-of-service logs. This inspection type is a Level I inspection; it is also sometimes referred to as the North American.
General Ledger: A complete record of all financial transactions over the life of a company.
Gooseneck Trailer: A trailer that attaches to a ball hitch in the bed of a pickup truck.
Gross Profit: Revenue minus cost of goods sold.
Hazardous Materials: Materials, substances, or wastes, which, due to their compositional nature, may be toxic, harmful or fatal if accidentally exposed to humans, animals, or the environment.
Hazardous Materials Regulations (Hmr): Federal regulations governing the commercial transportation of hazardous materials. The HMR are contained in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 49, Subtitle B, Chapter I.
Hazardous Materials Violation: A violation discovered during the inspection which pertains to the transportation of hazardous materials.
Hazmat Flag: Carrier is subject to placardable HM threshold ( Y = Yes, N = No)
HOS Compliance AC: Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance BASIC Acute/Critical Indicator (Y = Active/Critical from investigation within previous 12 months)
HOS Compliance Basic Alert: Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance BASIC Indicator (Y - Roadside Performance Percentile over threshold and/or Serious Violation within previous 12 months)
HOS Compliance Percent: Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance BASIC Roadside Performance Percentile
HOS Compliance Red Alert: Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance BASIC Roadside Performance Over Threshold Indicator (Y = Over Intervention Threshold)
HOS Driver Inspection W Viol: Number of inspections with at least one Hours-of-Service BASIC violation
HOS Driver Measure: Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance BASIC Roadside Performance measure value
Hot Shot: A smaller truck and trailer combination used for expedited freight.
Income Statement: A financial statement showing a company's revenue and expenses over a period of time.
Indian Tribe: Y - Carrier's operation classified as Indian Tribe
Inspection Total: Total Number of Inspections for the measurement period (24 months)
Inspection: The systematic examination of a commercial motor vehicle and its driver to determine their overall safety fitness.
Inspection Level: Refers to the inspection methodology employed in the examination of a given vehicle and driver. Five inspection levels are referenced in this report: Full, Walk-Around, Driver-Only, Special, and Terminal.
Intermodal Chassis: A trailer used to transport intermodal containers.
Interstate Carrier: A carrier who sometimes or always operates in interstate or foreign commerce. For the purposes of this report, "interstate carrier" is defined also to include carriers of hazardous materials who operate in interstate, foreign, or intrastate commerce.
Intrastate Carrier: A carrier who operates solely in intrastate commerce and, for the purposes of this report, never transports hazardous materials.
Inventory: The goods and materials a business holds for the purpose of resale.
Journal Entry: A record of a transaction in the accounting journal.
LTL (Less Than Truckload): A shipment that does not require a full truckload.
Legal Name: Legal name of a carrier
Liability: A company's legal debts or obligations.
Line Haul: The movement of freight between cities or terminals.
Load Board: An online marketplace where shippers and brokers post loads and carriers find freight to haul.
Local Government: Y - Carrier's operation classified as Local Government
Location: The U.S. State or Territory, Canadian Province, or Mexican State in which a specific inspection was conducted.
Lowboy: A trailer with a low deck, used for hauling heavy equipment.
MC Number: Motor Carrier number issued by the FMCSA to carriers and brokers.
Mailing City: Mail city of a carrier
Mailing Country: Mail country of a carrier
Mailing State: Mail state of a carrier
Mailing Street: Mail street address of a carrier
Mailing Zip: Mail zip code of a carrier
MCS150 Date: Latest date MCS-150 was filed
MCS150 Mileage: Vehicle Mileage Traveled (VMT) reported on the carrier's MCS-150 form
MCS150 Mileage Year: Year for which VMT was reported
Migrant: Y - Carrier's operation classified as Migrant
Mobile Inspection Facility: A non-permanent inspection facility. Mobile facilities can be moved from one location to another, as conditions warrant. Sometimes called a "roadside" facility.
Number Power Unit: Number of power units reported
Net Income: Total revenue minus total expenses, taxes, and costs.
Out Of Service (OOS) Violations: A violation of the FMCSR or HMR requiring that a commercial vehicle or driver be taken out of service or moved off the road until the circumstances which caused the violation have been resolved or corrected.
Owner-Operator: A self-employed truck driver who owns and operates their own trucking business.
POD (Proof of Delivery): A document signed by the consignee confirming delivery of goods.
Payroll: The total amount paid to employees for services rendered.
Passenger Carrier Flag: Carrier is subject to passengercarrier Threshold (Y = Yes, N = No)
Physical City: Physical city of a carrier
Physical Country: Physical country of a carrier
Physical State: Physical state of a carrier
Physical Street: Physical street address of a carrier
Physical Zip: Physical zip code of a carrier
Private Carrier: A commercial motor carrier for which private highway transportation activities are incidental to, and only in furtherance of, its primary.
Private Only: Y - Carrier's operation classified as private property, priver passenger business, and private passenger nonbusiness but not authorized or exempt for hire
Private Passenger Business: Y - Carrier's operation classified as Private Passenger Business
Private Passenger Nonbusiness: Y - Carrier's operation classified as Private Passenger Non-Business
Private Property: Y - Carrier's operation classified as Private Property
Rate Confirmation: A document confirming the agreed-upon rate for a shipment between a broker and a carrier.
Recent Mileage: Carrier's recent Vehicle Mileage Traveled (VMT) based on the most recent data
Recent Mileage Year: Year for which Recent VMT was reported
Reefer (Refrigerated Trailer): A refrigerated trailer with temperature control used for transporting perishable goods.
Revenue: Income generated from normal business operations.
SafetyNet: A state-based information system used to store and process commercial carrier safety information, including driver-vehicle inspection data. The use of SAFETYNET ensures that data electronically transferred to MCMIS are in a standard format and have successfully passed through a variety of edit checks.
Shipper: A person or company who is sending the freight.
Single: A commercial motor vehicle consisting of a truck-tractor and a detachable trailer.
Special Study: Ad hoc examination of particular items, usually inspected in support of a particular study or verification/refutation of a specific trend. This inspection type is a Level IV inspection.
State Government: Y - Carrier's operation classified as State Government
Step Deck: A flatbed trailer with a lower deck to accommodate taller cargo.
Straight Truck: A commercial motor vehicle in which the power unit and cargo box are non-detachable.
TWIC Card: Transportation Worker Identification Credential required for access to secure areas of ports and vessels.
Tanker: A trailer designed to transport liquids or gases.
Team Drivers: Two drivers who operate a truck in shifts to cover longer distances.
Telephone: Contact telephone number
Tender: An offer to carry freight under specified terms.
Terminal Inspection: Examination of vehicles at carriers' terminal facilities. Although the inspection methodology employed may vary, a Walk-Around technique is generally used. Terminal inspections normally focus only on the "vehicle" aspects of the inspection process. This inspection type is a Level V.
Tracking: Monitoring the location and status of a shipment.
Tractor: The power unit of a truck, used to pull trailers.
Trailer: The non-powered vehicle pulled by a tractor to transport goods.
Transportation Management System (TMS): Software used to plan, execute, and optimize the movement of goods.
Trial Balance: A bookkeeping worksheet in which the balances of all ledgers are compiled into debit and credit columns.
Triple: A commercial motor vehicle consisting of a truck-tractor and three detachable trailers.
Truck Tractor: A self-propelled motor vehicle designed and primarily used to draw other vehicles.
Unsafe Driver AC: Unsafe Driving BASIC Acute/Critical Indicator (Y = Active/Critical from investigation within previous 12 months)
Unsafe Driver Basic Alert: Unsafe Driving Overall BASIC Indicator (Y - Roadside Performance Percentile over threshold and/or Serious Violation within previous 12 months)
Unsafe Driver Inspection W Viol: Number of inspections with at least one Unsafe Driving BASIC violation
Unsafe Driver Measure: Unsafe Driving BASIC Roadside Performance Measure Value
Unsafe Driver Percent: Unsafe Driving BASIC Roadside Performance Percentile
Unsafe Driver Red Alert: Unsafe Driving BASIC Roadside Performance Over Threshold Indicator (Y = Over Intervention Threshold)
US Mail: Y - Carrier's operation classified as U.S. Mail
Vehicle Maintenance AC: Vehicle Maintenance BASIC Acute/Critical Indicator (Y = Active/Critical from investigation within previous 12 months)
Vehicle Maintenance Basic Alert: Vehicle Maintenance BASIC Indicator (Y - Roadside Performance Percentile over threshold and/or Serious Violation within previous 12 months)
Vehicle Maintenance Inspection W Violation: Number of inspections with at least one Vehicle Maintenance BASIC violation
Vehicle Maintenance Measure: Vehicle Maintenance BASIC Roadside Performance measure value
Vehicle Maintenance Percent: Vehicle Maintenance BASIC Roadside Performance Percentile
Vehicle Maintenance Red Alert: Vehicle Maintenance BASIC Roadside Performance Over Threshold Indicator (Y = Over Intervention Threshold)
Vehicle Configuration: Arrangement of the individual units - truck-tractors, trailers, etc. - comprising a commercial vehicle.
Vehicle Inspection Total: Total Number of Vehicle Inspections for the measurement period
Vehicle OOS Inspection Total: Total Number of Vehicle Inspections containing at least one Vehicle Out-of-Service violation
Vehicle Violation: A violation of the FMCSR or HRM.
VMT Source: 1 - Census; 2 - Safety Audit; 3 - Investigation
Walk Around Inspection: Follows most procedures of the Full Inspection, except those actions which can only be accomplished by climbing underneath the vehicle (e.g., to measure brake performance). This inspection type is a Level II inspection.
Walking Floor Trailer: A trailer with a moving floor to assist with unloading bulk materials.
Weight Ticket: A document showing the weight of a loaded or empty vehicle.
Working Capital: Current assets minus current liabilities, indicating the liquidity of a business.
Write-Off: A reduction of the recognized value of an asset.