BALL & CHAIN HOT SHOT SERVICES 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.
Roadside inspection performance
Out-of-service rate vs national average. Lower is better.
CSA performance breakdown
FMCSA · Sep 202622 inspections · 109 violations (21 OOS) · 59% of inspections had an OOS finding.
Violations by BASIC
click to filter codes
Top cited codes
score = count × severity weight
- 1395.11G-HOSDFPSDHours-of-Service Compliance
HOS (Manner) - Driver failed to provide supporting documents to an authorized Federal, State , or local official
35
5× · sev 7
- 2395.32B-ELDDFRHours-of-Service Compliance
HOS (ELD) - Driver failed to review any unassigned driving time when prompted by the ELD
30
6× · sev 5
- 3395.8E-HOSPDHours-of-Service Compliance
HOS (Property) - No driver may make a false report in connection with a duty status. Explain
28
4× · sev 7
- 4395.8A1-HOSPHours-of-Service Compliance2 OOS
HOS (Property) - Failing to have a record of duty status using the method prescribed
10
2× · sev 5
- 5392.2-SLLTL
State/Local Laws - Misc. traffic law violation
8
8×
- 6396.9D2-FTFVehicle Maintenance
Failing to correct the violation(s)/defect(s) noted on the roadside inspection report
8
2× · sev 4
- 7396.17C-PIVehicle Maintenance
Operating a CMV without documentation of a periodic inspection
8
2× · sev 4
- 8392.2-SLLIRP
State/Local Laws - IRP apportioned tag or registration violation
2
2×
- 9395.8A
HOS (Form) - Paper Log/Logging Programs Form and Manner
2
2×
- 10392.2-SLL
State/Local Laws -
2
2×
Most inspected in · top 8 states
- TN3
- WA3
- IL2
- MA2
- PA1
- MT1
- UT1
- CA1
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 100% is at/over the 60% 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.
- 395.8E-HOSPDHOS (Property) - No driver may make a false report in connection with a duty status. Explain7× · 23%
- 395.8A1-HOSPHOS (Property) - Failing to have a record of duty status using the method prescribed7× · 15%
- 395.8E-HOSPDOOSHOS (Property) - Driver produces a false record of duty status that concealed an HOS limitation violation after the last rest period. Explain:1× · 6%
- 395.11G-HOSDFPSDHOS (Manner) - Driver failed to provide supporting documents to an authorized Federal, State , or local official5× · 23%
- 395.32B-ELDDFRHOS (ELD) - Driver failed to review any unassigned driving time when prompted by the ELD6× · 19%
- 395.24C2II-ELDTNHOS (ELD) - Driver failing to manually input or verify CMV trailer number.1× · 0%
- 395.30B1Driver failed to certify the accuracy of the information gathered by the ELD1× · 0%
- 395.3A2-HOSPDHOS (Property) - Driving beyond the 14 hour after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty during the current 8 consecutive day period. Date and Tim2× · 3%
- 395.3A1-HOSPDHOS (Property) - Driving more than 11 hours following 10 consecutive hours off duty during the current 8 consecutive day period. Date and Time2× · 3%
- 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
Lighting / lamps violations are the leading contributor to Vehicle Maintenance
High impactEstimated Vehicle Maintenance percentile of 80% is at/over the 75% 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.
- 393.9A-LFTSILighting - Front - Turn signal - inoperative1× · 8%
- 393.9A-HLLHLighting - Headlamp(s) fail to operate on low and high beam1× · 8%
- 393.11A1-LRLMWRLighting - Tail lamp - Both lamps on rearmost vehicle missing when required to be on.1× · 7%
- 396.9D2-FTFFailing to correct the violation(s)/defect(s) noted on the roadside inspection report2× · 11%
- 393.43No/improper breakaway or emergency braking1× · 8%
- 396.7A-UOCUnsafe Operations - Severe Post Crash Condition1× · 3%
- 396.17C-PIOperating a CMV without documentation of a periodic inspection2× · 11%
- 393.43D-BBrake - Missing or inoperable breakaway braking system on a trailer(s) or converter dolly1× · 8%
- 393.43DBMABrake - Breakaway not attached to the towing vehicle1× · 3%
- Walk the lights every pre-trip and carry spare bulbs/fuses; clean lenses and check the trailer plug
- 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 43.8% vs the 22% national average. Driver OOS rate is 54.5% 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
A high share of violations are occurring in Bristol County, MA
Medium impact19 of 60 violations in the last 12 months (32%) came from inspections in Bristol County, MA. 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 Bristol County, MA 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 75% 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.
- Verify the extinguisher gauge is in the green and secured
- Keep a full set of warning triangles in the truck
- 395.8A-ELDELD - No record of duty status (ELD Required) · OOS
- Log in and annotate the ELD correctly every day; fix edits promptly
- Plan trips around available hours — never falsify a log
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 NHTSA9 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.
Crash record (US, last 24 months)
Total
1
Tow-away
1
Injury
0
Fatal
0
Company profile
FMCSA censusAUTHORIZED FOR HIRE
- Interstate · 100+ mi3 drivers
- Company officer
- KRISTEN LEIGH MERCER
- Operation
- Interstate
- Registered since
- 2024-12-18
- Last MCS-150 update
- 2026-02-19
- Census status
- Active
Fleet: 3 trucks.
Source: FMCSA Company Census File (data.transportation.gov). Fleet and driver counts are self-reported on the carrier’s most recent MCS-150 filing.
Activity history
8 events- 02/19/2026MCS-150 update filed
0.5M mi reported (2025)
- 12/18/2025Insurance cancelled — NATIONAL INDEMNITY COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy 70TRS135047
- 11/25/2025Insurance filed — NATIONAL INDEMNITY COMPANY
Liability (BIPD) — BMC-91X · policy 70TRS135047
- 11/25/2025Insurance replaced — NATIONAL INDEMNITY COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy 70TRS135047
- 11/21/2025COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (11/26/2025)
- 09/26/2025Insurance replaced — GEICO MARINE INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy 9300101722
- 01/14/2025MOTOR PROPERTY COMMON CARRIER — GRANTED
- 12/18/2024Registered 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
- 2026-02-19
- Reported mileage
- 500,000 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.