HIGHTOWER COMMUNICATIONS INC
Risk factors
Moderate 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 202629 inspections · 40 violations (14 OOS) · 30% of inspections had an OOS finding.
Violations by BASIC
click to filter codes
Top cited codes
score = count × severity weight
- 1393.43DBMAVehicle Maintenance2 OOS
Brake - Breakaway not attached to the towing vehicle
8
2× · sev 4
- 2393.43D-BVehicle Maintenance2 OOS
Brake - Missing or inoperable breakaway braking system on a trailer(s) or converter dolly
8
2× · sev 4
- 3393.9TVehicle Maintenance
Inoperable tail lamp
6
1× · sev 6
- 4393.75G-LOADVehicle Maintenance1 OOS
Weight carried exceeds tire load limit
3
1× · sev 3
- 5392.2LVUnsafe Driving
Lane Restriction violation
3
1× · sev 3
- 6393.75A1 OOS
Flat tire or fabric exposed
1
1×
- 7393.95F
Emergency Equipment - Stopped vehicle warning devices missing or improper
1
1×
- 8390.21BNot in SMS
Carrier name and/or USDOT Number not displayed as required
1
1×
- 9392.2-SLLEWA1
State/Local Laws - Excessive weight - 1-2500 lbs over on an axle/axle groups
1
1×
- 10396.17C
Operating a CMV without proof of a periodic inspection
1
1×
Most inspected in · top 4 states
- NC21
- VA5
- GA3
- SC1
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 and driver out-of-service rate exceeds the national average
High impactVehicle OOS rate is 40% vs the 22% national average. Driver OOS rate is 6.9% vs the 6.7% 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
A high share of violations are occurring in VA
Medium impact12 of 22 violations in the last 12 months (55%) came from inspections in VA. That can mean tougher enforcement there or simply more of your miles run through it — either way it's worth a look.
- Review the inspections from VA to spot recurring issues
- Brief drivers running that lane; consider rerouting around the toughest enforcement corridors where practical
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
Brakes violations are the leading contributor to Vehicle Maintenance
Low impactEstimated Vehicle Maintenance percentile of 36% is under the 80% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.
- 393.43D-BBrake - Missing or inoperable breakaway braking system on a trailer(s) or converter dolly2× · 30%
- 393.43DBMABrake - Breakaway not attached to the towing vehicle3× · 30%
- 393.9TInoperable tail lamp1× · 5%
- 393.11A1-CSLRRConspicuity Systems - Truck tractor, lower rear retro reflective sheeting missing on vehicle manufactured on or after July 1, 19971× · 3%
- 393.9A-LCLLighting - Clearance lamp(s) inoperative1× · 2%
- Check brake adjustment and listen for air leaks every pre-trip; put brakes on the PM schedule
- Fix air-loss and warning-light faults before dispatch — don’t “drive it in”
- 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.
- 172.302A-HMMHM (Markings) - Failing to mark a bulk HM package with ID numbers as required.
- 172.504A-HMPSHM (Placarding) - Bulk package/freight container/unit load device/transport vehicle not placarded as required.
- 172.514A-HMPSHM (Placarding) - Failing to affix placards to a bulk package when required.
- Verify placards match the shipping papers before leaving
- Keep shipping papers in reach and in order
- 391.11B5-LNCDLNVLLicense - Operate a CMV without a valid operators license, issued by one State or jurisdiction · OOS
- 383.23A2-LCDLNLicense (CDL) - Operate a CMV and does not possess a valid CDL · OOS
- 391.41APCMedical (Certificate) - Operating a property-carrying vehicle without a valid medical certificate in possession or on file with the state drivers licensing agency · OOS
- Track CDL, medical card, and endorsement expirations ahead of time
- Keep the DQ file complete and the medical card on the driver
- 393.43D-B×2Brake - Missing or inoperable breakaway braking system on a trailer(s) or converter dolly · OOS
- Check brake adjustment and listen for air leaks every pre-trip
- Fix air-loss and warning-light faults before dispatch; put brakes on the PM schedule
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 NHTSA45 distinct vehicles seen in this carrier’s roadside inspections.
+ 15 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 censusPRIVATE PROPERTY;AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE;EXEMPT FOR HIRE
- Interstate · 100+ mi104 drivers
- Company officer
- JOEL D. HIGHTOWER
- Operation
- Interstate
- Registered since
- 2008-10-01
- Last MCS-150 update
- 2025-09-05
- Census status
- Active
Fleet: 98 trucks · 9 owned tractors · 83 owned trailers.
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 or phone numbers with 2 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
2 events- 09/05/2025MCS-150 update filed
2.1M mi reported (2024)
- 10/01/2008Registered with FMCSA
PRIVATE PROPERTY;AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE;EXEMPT FOR HIRE
Merged from FMCSA authority, insurance, out-of-service, and census records.
Operations
Classification
- PRIVATE PROPERTY;AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE;EXEMPT FOR HIRE
Area served
- Interstate
FMCSA safety rating
- Rating
- Not rated
- Type
- —
- Rated
- —
- Last review
- —
MCS-150 registration
- Form date
- 2025-09-05
- Reported mileage
- 2,122,126 mi (2024)
Changes on file
FMCSA census historyAugust, 2021
- Fleet grew to 69 power units
January, 2021
First on-record entry — HIGHTOWER COMMUNICATIONS INC, LA GRANGE, NC
Got a violation you want to contest?
Use the free AI-powered DataQs Drafter to generate a polished challenge letter — quotes the relevant 49 CFR, predicts your grant chance.