CHEROKEE EXPRESS LLC
Risk factors
Low riskVioCodes scoreA weighted read of the public FMCSA signals below — authority, insurance, out-of-service, crashes, roadside OOS rates, and carrier connections. A starting point for vetting, not a guarantee.
Roadside inspection performance
Out-of-service rate vs national average. Lower is better.
CSA performance breakdown
FMCSA · Sep 202625 inspections · 26 violations (7 OOS) · 23% of inspections had an OOS finding.
Violations by BASIC
click to filter codes
Top cited codes
score = count × severity weight
- 1393.55E-BVehicle Maintenance
Air Brake - ABS malfunction lamp defective on trailers manufactured on or after March 1, 1998
8
2× · sev 4
- 2393.75A3-TFLVehicle Maintenance1 OOS
Tires - Front, leaking or inflation 50% or less than of the maximum inflation pressure
8
1× · sev 8
- 3393.75A3-TAOLTISVehicle Maintenance1 OOS
Tires - All others, leaking in tread area and inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire equipped with ATIS
8
1× · sev 8
- 4393.102C2-CVehicle Maintenance
Cargo - Sided Vehicle - Insufficient load securement so that it cannot shift or tip to the extent that the vehicle's stability or maneuverability is adversely aff
7
1× · sev 7
- 5393.100B-CVehicle Maintenance1 OOS
Cargo - Cargo not secured to prevent leaking/spilling/blowing/falling from CMV
7
1× · sev 7
- 6396.5B-LVehicle Maintenance
Lubrication - Oil or grease leak
6
2× · sev 3
- 7393.9A-LHLIVehicle Maintenance
Lighting - Headlamp(s) - Any inoperative
6
1× · sev 6
- 8393.11B-CSRIGRRVehicle Maintenance
Conspicuity Systems - Trailers, rear impact guard retro reflective sheeting inadequate on vehicle manufactured on or after December 1, 1993
3
1× · sev 3
- 9393.95A4-EEUSVehicle Maintenance
Emergency Equipment - Fire Extinguishers - unsecured
2
1× · sev 2
- 10393.45B2-B
Air Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured
1
1×
Most inspected in · top 2 states
- CA19
- NV11
Latest FMCSA SMS snapshot. Codes link to the lookup — severity weighting, contest angles, and the DataQs Drafter for each. Click a BASIC to filter the codes.
Safety trends & next-run projection
Where each BASIC sits today, how it ranks against peers, and where it’s heading at the next monthly SMS run.
FMCSA keeps the Crash Indicator percentile private, and its measure needs a power-unit history public data doesn’t expose — so it can’t be estimated yet. VioCodes now records power units monthly, so a calibrated Crash estimate should light up over time. These are the public crash facts (all state-reportable crashes count, regardless of fault).
“Projected” estimates the next monthly SMS run from inspections on record now. FMCSA marks the BASIC percentile itself “Not Public,” so the percentile shown is a VioCodes estimate of how the carrier ranks against its peers, presented as a likely range (shaded on the gauge) and calibrated against real carriers. Crash Indicator has no public estimate — FMCSA keeps its measures fully private. Estimates, not official FMCSA figures. Not affiliated with FMCSA.
Recommendations
What’s driving each score, what to do about it, and where it could go.
Vehicle out-of-service rate exceeds the national average
High impactVehicle OOS rate is 35% vs the 22% national average. Carriers above the national OOS average draw more enforcement attention (audits, roadside stops) and can see higher insurance premiums.
- Review recent inspections with out-of-service violations and fix the root causes with equipment and drivers
- Run a preventative-maintenance program; periodically inspect tires, brakes and lights
- Reinforce thorough pre-trip and post-trip inspections; retrain where needed
Hours-of-Service Compliance needs attention
Low impactEstimated Hours-of-Service Compliance percentile of 0% is under the 65% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.
- Review recent inspections with violations in this BASIC and take remedial action with drivers/equipment
Driver Fitness needs attention
Low impactEstimated Driver Fitness percentile of 0% is under the 80% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.
- Review recent inspections with violations in this BASIC and take remedial action with drivers/equipment
Controlled Substances/Alcohol needs attention
Low impactEstimated Controlled Substances/Alcohol percentile of 0% is under the 80% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.
- Review recent inspections with violations in this BASIC and take remedial action with drivers/equipment
Tires violations are the leading contributor to Vehicle Maintenance
Low impactEstimated Vehicle Maintenance percentile of 53% is under the 80% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.
- 393.75C-TAOTD-LT2/32Tires - Less than 2/32 inch tread depth2× · 20%
- 393.75A3-TAOLTires - All others, leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS1× · 6%
- 393.75A3-TAOLTISTires - All others, leaking in tread area and inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire equipped with ATIS1× · 6%
- 393.45B2-BHTDAir Brake - Hose/tubing damage into the outer reinforcement ply.1× · 11%
- 396.3A1-BALACBrake - Audible air leak from a brake chamber1× · 8%
- 393.55E-BAir Brake - ABS malfunction lamp defective on trailers manufactured on or after March 1, 19982× · 5%
- 393.9A-LSLIWRLighting - Stop lamps - Both inoperative when required to be on1× · 5%
- 393.9A-LHLILighting - Headlamp(s) - Any inoperative1× · 4%
- 393.11B-CSRIGRRConspicuity Systems - Trailers, rear impact guard retro reflective sheeting inadequate on vehicle manufactured on or after December 1, 19931× · 2%
- 393.100B-CCargo - Cargo not secured to prevent leaking/spilling/blowing/falling from CMV1× · 6%
- 393.102C2-CCargo - Sided Vehicle - Insufficient load securement so that it cannot shift or tip to the extent that the vehicle's stability or maneuverability is adversely aff1× · 4%
- Gauge and thump every tire on the walk-around, including inner duals
- Replace before tread hits the limit; correct low pressure immediately
- Prioritize the out-of-service items — they carry the heaviest weight
Recommendations are generated from the carrier’s public FMCSA roadside-inspection record. Percentiles and projections are VioCodes estimates, not official FMCSA figures. Informational, not legal advice.
90-day safety improvement plan
What this carrier has struggled with most in the last 90 days — where to focus now.
- 393.75C-TAOTD-LT2/32Tires - Less than 2/32 inch tread depth
- 393.45B2-BHTDAir Brake - Hose/tubing damage into the outer reinforcement ply. · OOS
- Gauge/thump every tire on the walk-around, including inner duals
- Replace before tread hits the limit and correct low pressure immediately
Based on roadside inspections in the last 90 days, ranked by what recurs most. Informational, not legal advice.
Inspection & crash map
live · FMCSA MCMISEvery inspection and crash on record — hover a point for the summary, click for full detail (codes, severity, CSA points).
CSA points = violation severity weight × FMCSA time weight (3× in the last 6 months, 2× at 6–12, 1× at 12–24). Points are spread within each state — FMCSA records the inspection state, not an exact location. Source: FMCSA MCMIS.
Equipment
VINs via NHTSA35 distinct vehicles seen in this carrier’s roadside inspections.
+ 5 more.
Equipment is inferred from VINs recorded on roadside inspections (FMCSA MCMIS), decoded via the NHTSA vPIC API — it reflects vehicles inspected, not a current fleet roster.
Company profile
FMCSA censusAUTHORIZED FOR HIRE
- Interstate · 100+ mi1 drivers
- Interstate · <100 mi8 drivers
- Company officer
- JOSH STEPHAN
- Operation
- Interstate
- Registered since
- 2004-11-08
- Last MCS-150 update
- 2025-08-12
- Census status
- Active
Fleet: 10 trucks · 5 owned tractors · 100 owned trailers · 5 leased/term tractors.
Source: FMCSA Company Census File (data.transportation.gov). Fleet and driver counts are self-reported on the carrier’s most recent MCS-150 filing.
Connections
carrier graphThis carrier shares VINs with 5 other carriers — review the connections below as part of your vetting.
Shared VINs come from FMCSA roadside-inspection records — a vehicle inspected under more than one carrier, often a fleet transfer or trailer interchange. Other links come from the FMCSA census. Shared identifiers are common and often legitimate — treat these as leads to investigate, not proof of wrongdoing.
Activity history
11 events- 08/12/2025MCS-150 update filed
0.6M mi reported (2025)
- 10/14/2024Insurance filed — UNITED FINANCIAL CASUALTY COMPANY
Liability (BIPD) — BMC-91X · policy CA02567793
- 10/14/2024Insurance cancelled — UNITED FINANCIAL CASUALTY COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy CA02567793
- 09/17/2024CONTRACT — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (10/18/2024)
- 08/09/2023Insurance replaced — UNITED FINANCIAL CASUALTY COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy CA2567793
- 11/13/2020Insurance cancelled — UNITED FINANCIAL CASUALTY COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy CA2567793
- 10/19/2020CONTRACT — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (10/29/2020)
- 09/08/2020Insurance cancelled — WESTERN NATIONAL ASSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy CPP1125107
- 08/12/2020CONTRACT — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/03/2020)
- 03/12/2018MOTOR PROPERTY CONTRACT CARRIER — GRANTED
- 11/08/2004Registered with FMCSA
AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE
Merged from FMCSA authority, insurance, out-of-service, and census records.
Operations
Classification
- AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE
Area served
- Interstate
FMCSA safety rating
- Rating
- Not rated
- Type
- Non-ratable review
- Rated
- —
- Last review
- 2026-04-29
MCS-150 registration
- Form date
- 2025-08-12
- Reported mileage
- 625,000 mi (2025)
Changes on file
FMCSA census historyJune, 2021
- Fleet grew to 8 power units
- Drivers grew to 10
January, 2021
First on-record entry — CHEROKEE EXPRESS LLC, RENO, NV
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