VCVioCodes
Carrier Vetting Report
Generated Nov 6, 2026
viocodes.yuriance.net
HIGHTOWER COMMUNICATIONS INC
USDOT 1816770 · EIN 56-1974128
6995 US HWY 70 WEST, LA GRANGE, NC, 28551
(252) 566-9835 · JOEL D. HIGHTOWER
75
Moderate risk
Risk factors
Vehicle OOS 40% — well above the 22% national average
Snapshot
Operating authority
—
Liability insurance
No active filing
Safety rating
Not rated
Power units / drivers
98 / 104
Inspections / CSA pts (24mo)
30 / 368
Crashes (24 mo)
0
Roadside inspection performance
Vehicle OOS rate40% · nat 22%
Driver OOS rate6.9% · nat 6.7%
CSA breakdown — violations by BASIC
Vehicle Maintenance274 pts
Hazardous Materials Compliance105 pts
Driver Fitness70 pts
Other13 pts
Unsafe Driving3 pts
Not in SMS1 pts
Top cited violations (by CSA points)
| Code | BASIC | Count | OOS | CSA pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 393.43DBMA | Vehicle Maintenance | 4 | 4 | 54 |
| 393.48A-BIHE | Vehicle Maintenance | 4 | 48 | |
| 393.43D-B | Vehicle Maintenance | 2 | 2 | 36 |
| 396.17C-PI | Vehicle Maintenance | 4 | 32 | |
| 391.11B5-LNCDLNVL | Driver Fitness | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| 383.23A2-LCDLN | Driver Fitness | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| 393.9A-LTSI | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 24 |
| 177.823A-HMPMCNP50% | Hazardous Materials Compliance | 1 | 1 | 21 |
| 393.205C-WRAWFLMIB | Vehicle Maintenance | 3 | 18 | |
| 396.3A1-CDLME | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 15 |
Most inspected states
NC21
VA5
GA3
SC1
Next monthly SMS run — projection
| BASIC | Official (Oct 2026) | Projected | Est. %ile | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | 0.05 | 0.03 | — | ▼ better |
| Hours-of-Service Compliance | 0.06 | 0.00 | — | ▼ better |
| Driver Fitness | 1.40 | 1.51 | — | ▲ worse |
| Controlled Substances/Alcohol | 0.00 | 0.00 | ≈0–0% | steady |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 3.48 | 3.63 | ≈36–40% | ▲ worse |
| Hazardous Materials Compliance | 2.04 | 2.19 | — | ▲ worse |
Latest inspection 2026-10-27 · 2 new since the Oct 2026 run. “Projected” recomputes the SMS formula on today’s record — an estimate, not an official FMCSA figure. “Est. %ile” is a VioCodes estimate of how the carrier ranks against its peers (FMCSA marks the percentile itself “Not Public”), shown as a likely range.
Recommendations — what's driving each score
Vehicle out-of-service rate exceeds the national average · high impact
• 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
A high share of violations are occurring in Henry County, VA · medium impact
• Review the inspections from Henry County, 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 impact
• 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 impact
Brakes 50% (6 OOS) · Wheels / rims 14% (2 OOS) · Lighting / lamps 13% (1 OOS)
• 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”
Projected: could improve up to 21 pts in ~12 months if worked down.
Generated from the public inspection record. Percentiles/projections are VioCodes estimates, not official FMCSA figures.
90-day safety improvement plan
Last 90 days: 6 inspections, 29 violations, 9 OOS, 3 clean · trending worse.
1. Vehicle Maintenance16 viol · 5 OOS · 55%
393.48A-BIHE ×4, 393.205C-WRAWFLMIB ×3, 396.17C-PI ×2
✓ 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
≈ 5 clean inspections would cut this BASIC ~25% (to 2.61).
2. Hazardous Materials Compliance7 viol · 2 OOS · 24%
172.302A-HMM, 172.504A-HMPS, 172.514A-HMPS
✓ Verify placards match the shipping papers before leaving
✓ Keep shipping papers in reach and in order
3. Other5 viol · 1 OOS · 17%
396.3A1-BOS, 390.21TB2-DOT, 393.95F
✓ 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
Repeat offenders: 393.48A-BIHE ×4, 393.205C-WRAWFLMIB ×3, 396.17C-PI ×2, 393.43D-B ×2
🎓 Coach the driver & document it
FleetTrained — my companion project — turns these exact violations into branded, multilingual training videos your driver watches, with a completion certificate for the DQ file. fleettrained.com
Equipment — 43 vehicles seen in inspections
18 trailer14 incomplete vehicle10 truck1 other
Company profile
Officer
JOEL D. HIGHTOWER
Annual mileage
2.1M mi (2024)
CDL drivers
9
Registered since
2008-10-01
Operation
Interstate
Connections — 2 carriers
Shares identifiers with 2 carriers (1 via shared VINs).
Activity history (recent)
09/05/2025 — MCS-150 update filed
2.1M mi reported (2024)
10/01/2008 — Registered with FMCSA
PRIVATE PROPERTY;AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE;EXEMPT FOR HIRE
Generated by VioCodes from current public FMCSA data (Census, Licensing & Insurance, SMS/MCMIS, QCMobile). VioCodes is not affiliated with FMCSA. Informational only — verify current coverage and status directly before making a vetting decision. Full interactive profile at viocodes.yuriance.net/carrier/1816770.