A J EXPRESS 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 202627 inspections · 86 violations (19 OOS) · 34% of inspections had an OOS finding.
Violations by BASIC
click to filter codes
Top cited codes
score = count × severity weight
- 1395.8A1-HOSPHours-of-Service Compliance3 OOS
HOS (Property) - Failing to have a record of duty status using the method prescribed
15
3× · sev 5
- 2393.9Vehicle Maintenance
Inoperable Required Lamp
10
5× · sev 2
- 3393.45B2-B-AIRVehicle Maintenance
Air Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured
8
2× · sev 4
- 4393.75A3-TAOLVehicle Maintenance1 OOS
Tires - All others, leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS
8
1× · sev 8
- 5393.48A
Inoperative/defective brakes
3
3×
- 6393.47E
Brake Out of Adjustment - Roto, Clamp (Short & Long), DD-3, or Bolt
2
2×
- 7393.78Vehicle Maintenance
Wipers - Inoperative / missing / damaged wipers
2
2× · sev 1
- 8396.5B
Oil and/or grease leak
2
2×
- 9392.9A2-CVehicle Maintenance1 OOS
Cargo - Vehicle components or dunnage not secured
1
1× · sev 1
- 10393.75A1
Tire-ply or belt material exposed
1
1×
Most inspected in · top 8 states
- TX9
- CO3
- AZ2
- PA2
- NY2
- TN2
- UT2
- AR1
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.
False log / RODS violations are the leading contributor to Hours-of-Service Compliance
High impactEstimated Hours-of-Service Compliance percentile of 82% is at/over the 65% intervention line. Carriers with a BASIC in alert are prioritized for enforcement (warning letters, audits) and inspected more often — which tends to generate still more violations.
- 395.8A1-HOSPHOS (Property) - Failing to have a record of duty status using the method prescribed3× · 74%
- 395.8A-ELDELD - No record of duty status (ELD Required)1× · 15%
- 395.8F01Drivers record of duty status not current1× · 11%
- Audit ELD edits and duty-status annotations weekly; a false log is a high-severity, high-visibility violation
- Retrain on correct logging and never letting a load pressure a driver into a false entry
- Prioritize the out-of-service items — they carry the heaviest weight
Brakes violations are the leading contributor to Vehicle Maintenance
High impactEstimated Vehicle Maintenance percentile of 100% is at/over the 80% intervention line. Carriers with a BASIC in alert are prioritized for enforcement (warning letters, audits) and inspected more often — which tends to generate still more violations.
- 393.45B2-B-AIRAir Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured2× · 7%
- 393.53B-BAir Brake - CMV manufactured on or after 10/20/1994 has an automatic airbrake adjustment system that fails to compensate for wear2× · 5%
- 393.55C1-BAir Brake - Truck-tractor manufactured on or after March 1, 1997, not equipped with an ABS system. System does not function or indicates a fault.1× · 3%
- 393.75A3-TAOLTires - All others, leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS3× · 12%
- 393.75A3-TFLTires - Front, leaking or inflation 50% or less than of the maximum inflation pressure1× · 8%
- 396.17C-PIOperating a CMV without documentation of a periodic inspection5× · 8%
- 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
Vehicle and driver out-of-service rate exceeds the national average
High impactVehicle OOS rate is 35% vs the 22% national average. Driver OOS rate is 18.5% 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
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
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.
- Walk the lights every pre-trip and carry spare bulbs/fuses
- Clean lenses and check the trailer plug for corrosion
- 396.5BOil and/or grease leak
- Review these violations with drivers and add the fix to your pre-trip and PM routine
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 NHTSA27 distinct vehicles seen in this carrier’s roadside inspections.
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
- Company officer
- ANTONIO LERMA JR
- Operation
- Interstate
- Registered since
- 2023-01-18
- Last MCS-150 update
- 2025-12-22
- Census status
- Active
Fleet: 5 trucks · 5 owned tractors · 5 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, phone numbers or emails with 28 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
17 events- 03/29/2026Insurance cancelled — ALPINE TRANSPORTATION INSURANCE RRG, INC.
BIPD/Primary · policy ALP2500815-01
- 03/02/2026COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (03/30/2026)
- 01/26/2026Insurance filed — ALPINE TRANSPORTATION INSURANCE RRG, INC.
Liability (BIPD) — BMC-91X · policy ALP2500815-01
- 01/26/2026Insurance cancelled — ALPINE TRANSPORTATION INSURANCE RRG, INC.
BIPD/Primary · policy ALP2500815-00
- 01/26/2026Insurance replaced — ALPINE TRANSPORTATION INSURANCE RRG, INC.
BIPD/Primary · policy ALP2500815-01
- 12/30/2025COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (01/26/2026)
- 12/22/2025MCS-150 update filed
0.2M mi reported (2024)
- 01/26/2025Insurance replaced — CANAL INSURANCE CO.
BIPD/Primary · policy CT7310811712
- 11/20/2024Insurance cancelled — CANAL INSURANCE CO.
BIPD/Primary · policy CT7310811712
- 10/29/2024Insurance replaced — CANAL INSURANCE CO.
BIPD/Primary · policy CT7310811712
- 10/24/2024COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (10/30/2024)
- 01/26/2024Insurance replaced — PROGRESSIVE COUNTY MUTUAL
BIPD/Primary · policy CA965548065
- 03/31/2023MOTOR PROPERTY COMMON CARRIER — REINSTATED
- 03/19/2023Insurance cancelled — ACCREDITED SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy 2-CWH-TX-19-S0116569-00
- 02/08/2023MOTOR PROPERTY COMMON CARRIER — GRANTED
REVOKED (03/27/2023)
- 02/06/2023Insurance replaced — PROGRESSIVE COUNTY MUTUAL
BIPD/Primary · policy CA965548065
- 01/18/2023Registered 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
- 2025-12-22
- Reported mileage
- 200,000 mi (2024)
Got a violation you want to contest?
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