UNIVERSAL
Legal: UNIVERSAL DEDICATED OF DETROIT MI LLC
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.
Broker payment signals
Bond, cancellation & authority risk for this broker — from free FMCSA records.
- Bond has changed hands 3 times across 1 sureties — churn can signal payment or coverage trouble.
These are FMCSA bond & authority signals — not a credit report. A filed bond cancellation is the biggest early warning that a broker may stop paying, but days-to-pay and slow-pay history aren’t public FMCSA data — verify those with a broker-credit service or references before extending terms.
Roadside inspection performance
Out-of-service rate vs national average. Lower is better.
CSA performance breakdown
FMCSA · Sep 202620 inspections · 44 violations (6 OOS) · 13% of inspections had an OOS finding.
Violations by BASIC
click to filter codes
Top cited codes
score = count × severity weight
- 1393.75A3-TAOLVehicle Maintenance2 OOS
Tires - All others, leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS
16
2× · sev 8
- 2392.16-DUnsafe Driving
Driver - Failed to use seat belt while operating a CMV
14
2× · sev 7
- 3383.23A2-LCDLNPDriver Fitness
License (CDL) - Operate a CMV while not in possession of a CDL on person
8
1× · sev 8
- 4392.16ADUnsafe Driving
Driver - Failed to use seat belt while operating a CMV.
7
1× · sev 7
- 5392.2-SLLS3Unsafe Driving
State/Local Laws - Speeding 11-14 miles per hour over the speed limit
7
1× · sev 7
- 6393.25E-LVehicle Maintenance
Lighting - Lamps (other than headlamps), not steady burning as required
6
1× · sev 6
- 7392.2-SLLLRUnsafe Driving
State/Local Laws - Lane restriction violation
3
1× · sev 3
- 8392.2-SLLMFVehicle Maintenance
State/Local Laws - Wheel (mud) flaps missing or defective
2
2× · sev 1
- 9393.95A4-EEUSVehicle Maintenance
Emergency Equipment - Fire Extinguishers - unsecured
2
1× · sev 2
- 10392.2-SLLTL
State/Local Laws - Misc. traffic law violation
1
1×
Most inspected in · top 6 states
- MI23
- OH3
- IN1
- KY1
- SC1
- TN1
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.
A high share of violations are occurring in MI
Medium impact7 of 13 violations in the last 12 months (54%) came from inspections in MI. 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 MI to spot recurring issues
- Brief drivers running that lane; consider rerouting around the toughest enforcement corridors where practical
Seat belt violations are the leading contributor to Unsafe Driving
Low impactEstimated Unsafe Driving percentile of 1% is under the 65% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.
- 392.2-SLLS3State/Local Laws - Speeding 11-14 miles per hour over the speed limit1× · 25%
- 392.2-SLLS2State/Local Laws - Speeding 6-10 miles per hour over the speed limit1× · 14%
- 392.2-SLLLRState/Local Laws - Lane restriction violation1× · 11%
- Zero-tolerance belt policy; verify with in-cab camera or spot checks
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 41% is under the 80% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.
- 393.75A3-TAOLTires - All others, leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS4× · 59%
- 393.25E-LLighting - Lamps (other than headlamps), not steady burning as required1× · 18%
- 393.9A-LFTSILighting - Front - Turn signal - inoperative1× · 6%
- 393.11A1-CSLRRConspicuity Systems - Truck tractor, lower rear retro reflective sheeting missing on vehicle manufactured on or after July 1, 19971× · 3%
- 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.
- 392.2-SLLS2State/Local Laws - Speeding 6-10 miles per hour over the speed limit
- Coach speed and following distance — Unsafe Driving points are weighted heavily
- Hands off the phone; always belt up
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 NHTSA73 distinct vehicles seen in this carrier’s roadside inspections.
+ 43 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.
Crash record (US, last 24 months)
Total
13
Tow-away
13
Injury
1
Fatal
0
Company profile
FMCSA censusAUTHORIZED FOR HIRE
- Interstate · 100+ mi25 drivers
- Interstate · <100 mi471 drivers
- Company officer
- KERI LOWE
- Operation
- Interstate
- Registered since
- 2018-12-12
- Last MCS-150 update
- 2026-08-27
- Census status
- Active
Fleet: 281 trucks · 275 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, addresses, phone numbers, officers or emails with 29 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
15 events- 08/27/2026MCS-150 update filed
5.1M mi reported (2025)
- 01/01/2026Insurance filed — Cherokee Insurance Company
Liability (BIPD) — BMC-91X · policy CA260012
- 01/01/2026Insurance ended — Cherokee Insurance Company
policy CA260012
- 01/01/2026Insurance replaced — CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy CA250012
- 01/01/2025Insurance replaced — CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy CA240012
- 01/01/2024Insurance replaced — CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy CA230012
- 01/01/2023Insurance replaced — CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy CA220012
- 01/01/2022Insurance replaced — CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy CA210012
- 01/01/2021Insurance filed — Cherokee Insurance Company
Property broker surety — BMC-84 · policy SB190004
- 01/01/2021Insurance ended — Cherokee Insurance Company
policy SB190004
- 01/01/2021Insurance replaced — CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy CA200012
- 01/01/2020Insurance replaced — CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy CA190020
- 01/03/2019PROPERTY BROKER — GRANTED
- 01/03/2019MOTOR PROPERTY COMMON CARRIER — GRANTED
- 12/12/2018Registered 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
- —
- Rated
- —
- Last review
- —
MCS-150 registration
- Form date
- 2026-08-27
- Reported mileage
- 5,108,000 mi (2025)
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.