CSA
Authorized · PropertyUSDOT 4338095· MC1694613· CARRIER· EIN 99-2846663
⬇ PDF report

TOP TIER TRANSPORT LLC

1467 FURNACE ST, MONTGOMERY, AL, 36104(334) 414-5527TWATSON@toptiertransport.netTODD WATSON
Vetting snapshot
Authority
Active
operating authority
Insurance
$750K BIPD
SOUTHLAKE SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY
Vehicle OOS
29.4%
above 22% national avg
Driver OOS
6.7%
below 6.7% national avg
Crashes 24mo
0
clean
Red flags
1 flag
see details below
65
/ 100

Risk factors

Moderate riskVioCodes score
Possible reincarnation pattern — tied to an older inactive carrierVehicle OOS 29.4% — above the 22% national average

A 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.

Authority & insurance

MC1694613

Operating authority and insurance on file — from FMCSA Licensing & Insurance (L&I).

Common
Active
Contract
None
Broker
None
Authorized for: Property
Liability (BIPD)
$750K on file
$750K required
Cargo
Not on file
not required
Bond / surety
Not on file
not required
Insurance filings
ON FILELiability (BIPD) — BMC-91X$750K coverageeff 01/17/2026
SOUTHLAKE SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY· policy STU01AL8003
Authority history (1) ▾
01/23/2025MOTOR PROPERTY COMMON CARRIERGRANTED
Insurance history2 insurers on record
Filing timeline (3)
  1. PROGRESSIVE SPECIALTY INS. CO.$750KReplaced
    BIPD/Primary · eff 07/24/202501/17/2026
  2. PROGRESSIVE SPECIALTY INS. CO.$750KCancelled
    BIPD/Primary · eff 02/03/202507/24/2025
  3. PROGRESSIVE SPECIALTY INS. CO.$750KReplaced
    BIPD/Primary · eff 01/17/202502/03/2025

Source: FMCSA Licensing & Insurance (L&I), public data. This shows the carrier’s federal insurance filings (BMC-91X liability, BMC-34 cargo) — the federally-required minimums on file for operating authority — not the carrier’s full commercial policy (its actual auto combined-single-limit, general liability, cargo, or workers’ comp, which appear on the carrier’s ACORD certificate of insurance). Always confirm current coverage with a COI from the carrier’s agent before making a vetting decision.

Roadside inspection performance

Out-of-service rate vs national average. Lower is better.

Vehicle17 inspections · 29.4% OOS · National 22%
Driver30 inspections · 6.7% OOS · National 6.7%

CSA performance breakdown

FMCSA · Sep 2026

30 inspections · 28 violations (8 OOS) · 20% of inspections had an OOS finding.

30
Inspections
28
Violations
8
OOS violations
10
Distinct codes

Violations by BASIC

click to filter codes

16
total

Top cited codes

score = count × severity weight

Most inspected in · top 8 states

  • AL15
  • TN5
  • GA2
  • LA1
  • KY1
  • IA1
  • SC1
  • MD1

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.

Recommendations

What’s driving each score, what to do about it, and where it could go.

Following / lane / reckless violations are the leading contributor to Hours-of-Service Compliance

High impact

Estimated 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.

What’s contributing11 violations · 1 OOS (24 mo)
Following / lane / reckless6 viol63%
  • 395.3A1-HOSPDHOS (Property) - Driving more than 11 hours following 10 consecutive hours off duty during the current 8 consecutive day period. Date and Time4× · 42%
  • 395.3A2-HOSPDITHOS (Property) - Driver driving beyond the 14 hour after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty at the time of inspection. Time2× · 21%
False log / RODS2 viol21%
  • 395.8E-HOSPDHOS (Property) - No driver may make a false report in connection with a duty status. Explain2× · 21%
Log / ELD device1 OOS3 viol16%
  • 395.8E-HOSPDELDTHOS (Property) - Tampering with an ELD so that the device does not accurately record and retain required data. Explain:1× · 14%
  • 395.24HOS (ELD) - ELD Form and Manner2× · 2%
What to do
  • Defensive-driving refresher on following distance and lane discipline
  • Prioritize the out-of-service items — they carry the heaviest weight
Projected estimatecould improve up to 27 pts in ~12 mo
nowin 12 months
Current trend 50% followed 100% followed 65% line

Vehicle out-of-service rate exceeds the national average

High impact

Vehicle OOS rate is 31.6% vs the 22% national average. Carriers above the national OOS average draw more enforcement attention (audits, roadside stops) and can see higher insurance premiums.

What to do
  • 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 Spartanburg County, SC

Medium impact

6 of 28 violations in the last 12 months (21%) came from inspections in Spartanburg County, SC. That can mean tougher enforcement there or simply more of your miles run through it — either way it's worth a look.

What to do
  • Review the inspections from Spartanburg County, SC 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

Estimated Controlled Substances/Alcohol percentile of 0% is under the 80% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.

What to do
  • 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 impact

Estimated Vehicle Maintenance percentile of 46% is under the 80% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.

What’s contributing10 violations · 5 OOS (24 mo)
Tires3 OOS3 viol50%
  • 393.75A3-TAOLTires - All others, leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS3× · 50%
Lighting / lamps1 OOS3 viol30%
  • 393.9A-LSLIWRLighting - Stop lamps - Both inoperative when required to be on1× · 15%
  • 393.9A-LFTSILighting - Front - Turn signal - inoperative1× · 11%
  • 393.9A-LCLLighting - Clearance lamp(s) inoperative1× · 4%
Brakes3 viol15%
  • 393.55C2-BAir Brake - CMV other than truck-tractor manufactured on or after March 1, 1998 not equipped with an antilock brake system. System does not function or indicates1× · 5%
  • 393.45B2-B-AIRAir Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured1× · 5%
  • 396.3A1-BALACBrake - Audible air leak from a brake chamber1× · 5%
Suspension / axle1 OOS1 viol6%
What to do
  • 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
Projected estimatecould improve up to 31 pts in ~12 mo
nowin 12 months
Current trend 50% followed 100% followed 80% line

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.

Improving
10
Inspections
5
Violations
3
Out-of-service
5
Clean
Where the violations are
Other 40%Hours-of-Service Compliance 20%Vehicle Maintenance 20%Unsafe Driving 20%
Focus here first
1Other
2 violations · 1 OOS · 40% of recent
  • 396.3A1-BOSBrake - Defective brake(s) are equal to or greater than 20% of the service brakes on the vehicle/combination · OOS
  • 392.2-SLLState/Local Laws -
Do this
  • 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
2Hours-of-Service Compliance
1 violation · 1 OOS · 20% of recent
  • 395.8E-HOSPDELDTHOS (Property) - Tampering with an ELD so that the device does not accurately record and retain required data. Explain: · OOS
Do this
  • Log in and annotate the ELD correctly every day; fix edits promptly
  • Plan trips around available hours — never falsify a log
3Vehicle Maintenance
1 violation · 1 OOS · 20% of recent
  • 393.9A-LSLIWRLighting - Stop lamps - Both inoperative when required to be on · OOS
Do this
  • Walk the lights every pre-trip and carry spare bulbs/fuses
  • Clean lenses and check the trailer plug for corrosion
🎓
Turn these into driver coaching — and prove it
FleetTrained (my companion project) makes branded, multilingual training videos for these exact violations — your driver watches and gets a completion certificate for the file.

Based on roadside inspections in the last 90 days, ranked by what recurs most. Informational, not legal advice.

Inspection & crash map

live · FMCSA MCMIS

Every inspection and crash on record — hover a point for the summary, click for full detail (codes, severity, CSA points).

32
Inspections
30
Violations
9
Out-of-service
465
CSA points
0
Crashes
12
States
cleanviolOOS

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 NHTSA

44 distinct vehicles seen in this carrier’s roadside inspections.

26 trailer 18 truck
2025 VOLVO TRUCK VNL (4)seen 4×
4V4BC9EH9SN695480· 1218095 AL
2025 VOLVO TRUCK VNL (4)seen 4×
4V4BC9EH1SN695487· 1221318 AL
2024 INTERNATIONAL LT62Fseen 4×
3HSDZTZR0RN193045· 1201967 AL
2014 UTILITY TRAILER MANUFACTURER Utility Trailer Manufacturerseen 3×
1UYVS2534EP066811· 5654910 ME
2025 VOLVO TRUCK VNL (4)seen 3×
4V4BC9EH6SN695484· 1179743 AL
2014 WABASH VANS Dry Van Duraplateseen 2×
1JJV532D7EL830304· 5574580 ME
2023 INTERNATIONAL LT62Fseen 2×
3HSDZTZR1PN018901· 1227849 AL
2024 VOLVO TRUCK VNLseen 2×
4V4NC9EH8RN660307· 1215418 AL
2024 VOLVO TRUCK VNLseen 2×
4V4NC9EH6RN660306· 1215417 AL
2008 GREAT DANE TRAILERS Great Dane Trailers
1GRAA06238S700479· 2833777 ME
2015 WABASH VANS Dry Van Duraplate
1JJV532D3FL867254· 5539446 ME
2007 GREAT DANE TRAILERS Great Dane Trailers
1GRAA06217G341750· R1K739 KY
2007 GREAT DANE TRAILERS Great Dane Trailers
1GRAA06287G341776· 62A0NHT AL
2014 WABASH VANS Dry Van Duraplate
1JJV532D4EL822550· 5572565 ME
2025 VOLVO TRUCK VNL (4)
4V4BC9EH7SN695476· 1218415 AL
2021 HYUNDAI TRANSLEAD TRAILERS Hyundai Translead Trailers
3H3V532C8MT733148· P893462 IN
2024 INTERNATIONAL LT62F
3HSDZTZR7RN495013· 1231083 AL
2025 VOLVO TRUCK VNL (4)
4V4BC9EH8SN695485· 7019004 AL
2023 HYUNDAI TRANSLEAD TRAILERS Hyundai Translead Trailers
3H3V532K1PS027012· PB10504 IN
2024 INTERNATIONAL LT62F
3HSDZTZR9RN535155· 1179740 AL
2016 WABASH VANS Dry Van Duraplate
1JJV532D3GL900187· 5654611 ME
2024 INTERNATIONAL LT62F
3HSDZTZR0RN495015· 1202680 AL
2026 HYUNDAI TRANSLEAD TRAILERS Hyundai Translead Trailers
3H3V532K7TJ008058· 630824T TN
2020 HYUNDAI TRANSLEAD TRAILERS Hyundai Translead Trailers
3H3V532C7LR442846· TL5945 ID
2007 GREAT DANE TRAILERS Great Dane Trailers
1GRAA06267G341789· 62A0NHB AL
2023 INTERNATIONAL LT62F
3HSDZTZRXPN116986· 1231664 AL
2025 VOLVO TRUCK VNL (4)
4V4BC9EH2SN695482· 1232547 AL
2026 HYUNDAI TRANSLEAD TRAILERS Hyundai Translead Trailers
3H3V532K0TS097711· PF25268 IN
2025 VOLVO TRUCK VNL (4)
4V4BC9EH4SN695483· 1221346 AL
2018 STOUGHTON TRAILERS Stoughton Trailers
1DW1A5323JBA04364· PR95472 IN

+ 14 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 census

AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE

Power units
29
on file (MCS-150)
Drivers
29
29 hold a CDL
Annual mileage
2.1M mi
reported 2026
Recordable crash rate
0.00
per million miles
How far they run · drivers by operating lane
  • Interstate · 100+ mi29 drivers
Company officer
TODD WATSON
Operation
Interstate
Registered since
2024-12-23
Last MCS-150 update
2026-05-11
Census status
Active

Fleet: 29 trucks · 29 owned tractors · 15 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 graph

This carrier shares VINs, phone numbers or officers with 23 other carriers — review the connections below as part of your vetting.

23
Connected carriers
14
Fleet-transfer links
8
Most shared VINs
11
Strong links
Possible reincarnation pattern: AUTO-RAIN SUPPLY INC (USDOT 1045266, registered 2002) is inactive, shares this carrier’s officer, and predates it — worth checking whether this carrier re-registered to shed a prior record.
Strong· 11
1
UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION INC
USDOT 2544514Active· ALABASTER, AL
Strong
Shared VIN · 8
3HSDZTZR0RN1930453HSDZTZRXPN1169863HSDZTZR7RN4950133HSDZTZR9PN1239593HSDZTZR3RN5351524V4NC9EH8RN660307
2
UNIVERSITY CORP
USDOT 200236Active· COLUMBUS, OH
Strong
Shared VIN · 6
3HSDZTZR0RN4950153HSDZTZR9RN5351553HSDZTZR3RN5351523HSDZTZR7RN4950133HSDZTZR9PN1239593HSDZTZR1PN018901
3
AUTO-RAIN SUPPLY INC
USDOT 1045266Inactive· SPOKANE, WA
Strong
Officer
4
BI-MART CORPORATION
USDOT 26519Active· EUGENE, OR
Strong
Officer
5
BUSBIN & WATSON TRUCKING LLC
USDOT 2039368Inactive· MONTGOMERY, AL
Strong
OfficerPhone
6
GATOR OFFICE FURNITURE WAREHOUSE INC
USDOT 1355351Inactive· JACKSONVILLE, FL
Strong
Officer
7
SPLASH SALES LLC
USDOT 2406708Active· GUTHRIE, OK
Strong
Officer
8
TODD'S CUSTOM WOODWORKS LLC
USDOT 3385963Inactive· COLUMBUS, GA
Strong
Officer
9
TOP TIER TRANSPORT LLC
USDOT 4337523Inactive· MONTGOMERY, AL
Strong
OfficerPhone
10
TOP TIER TRANSPORT LLC
USDOT 4581701Active· MONTGOMERY, AL
Strong
OfficerPhone
11
WATSON'S VENDING & FOODSERVICE INC
USDOT 1357600Inactive· SHEBOYGAN, WI
Strong
Officer

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

7 events
  1. 05/11/2026MCS-150 update filed

    2.1M mi reported (2026)

  2. 01/17/2026Insurance filed — SOUTHLAKE SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY

    Liability (BIPD) — BMC-91X · policy STU01AL8003

  3. 01/17/2026Insurance replaced — PROGRESSIVE SPECIALTY INS. CO.

    BIPD/Primary · policy CA991875921

  4. 07/24/2025Insurance cancelled — PROGRESSIVE SPECIALTY INS. CO.

    BIPD/Primary · policy CA991875921

  5. 02/03/2025Insurance replaced — PROGRESSIVE SPECIALTY INS. CO.

    BIPD/Primary · policy CA991875921

  6. 01/23/2025MOTOR PROPERTY COMMON CARRIER — GRANTED
  7. 12/23/2024Registered 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
2026-05-11
Reported mileage
2,125,000 mi (2026)

Got a violation you want to contest?

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Data sourced from public FMCSA records via safer.fmcsa.dot.gov · Latest FMCSA update: Sep 2026 · Page refreshed: Sep 22, 2026, 7:42 PM. VioCodes is not affiliated with FMCSA. To dispute incorrect data, file a DataQs Request for Data Review.