VCVioCodes
Carrier Vetting Report
Generated Nov 6, 2026
viocodes.yuriance.net
EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC
USDOT 44064 · MC164259 · EIN 86-0894087 · AUTHORIZED FOR Property
1725 S COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE, MESA, AZ, 85210
(480) 633-4000 · CHRISTOPHER ZAHARIS
85
Low risk
Risk factors
9 crashes in the last 24 months
Snapshot
Operating authority
Active
Liability insurance
$5M on file
Safety rating
Satisfactory
Power units / drivers
1178 / 1175
Inspections / CSA pts (24mo)
379 / 567
Crashes (24 mo)
9
Authority & insurance
Common
Active
Contract
Active
Broker
Active
NATIONAL UNION FIRE INS. CO. OF PITSBGH. PA — $5M BIPD · policy 2970075 · eff 04/01/2024
Federal BMC-91X filing; actual commercial limits (per COI) may be higher.
Roadside inspection performance
Vehicle OOS rate8.1% · nat 22%
Driver OOS rate0.8% · nat 6.7%
CSA breakdown — violations by BASIC
Vehicle Maintenance435 pts
Unsafe Driving88 pts
Other45 pts
Driver Fitness20 pts
Hazardous Materials Compliance15 pts
Hours-of-Service Compliance10 pts
Top cited violations (by CSA points)
| Code | BASIC | Count | OOS | CSA pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 393.75A3-TAOL | Vehicle Maintenance | 5 | 5 | 120 |
| 392.2-SLLTCD | Unsafe Driving | 4 | 40 | |
| 393.9A-LTSI | Vehicle Maintenance | 3 | 3 | 32 |
| 393.55E-B | Vehicle Maintenance | 4 | 24 | |
| 396.17C-PI | Vehicle Maintenance | 3 | 24 | |
| 393.9A-LSLIWR | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 24 |
| 392.16-D | Unsafe Driving | 1 | 21 | |
| 393.43DBMA | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 18 |
| 393.130B-CHVE | Vehicle Maintenance | 2 | 2 | 18 |
| 393.53B-B | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 12 |
Most inspected states
AZ308
CA40
NV20
CO4
NM3
IA2
US1
TX1
Next monthly SMS run — projection
| BASIC | Official (Oct 2026) | Projected | Est. %ile | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | 0.06 | 0.06 | ≈1–8% | steady |
| Hours-of-Service Compliance | 0.02 | 0.01 | — | steady |
| Driver Fitness | 0.02 | 0.02 | — | steady |
| Controlled Substances/Alcohol | 0.00 | 0.00 | ≈0–0% | steady |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 1.11 | 1.17 | ≈9–13% | ▲ worse |
| Hazardous Materials Compliance | 0.04 | 0.04 | — | steady |
Latest inspection 2026-11-04 · 9 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
A high share of violations are occurring in Maricopa County, AZ · medium impact
• Review the inspections from Maricopa County, AZ to spot recurring issues
• Brief drivers running that lane; consider rerouting around the toughest enforcement corridors where practical
Following / lane / reckless violations are the leading contributor to Unsafe Driving · low impact
Following / lane / reckless 45% · Speeding 31% · Seat belt 24%
• Defensive-driving refresher on following distance and lane discipline
Projected: could improve up to 1 pts in ~12 months if worked down.
Controlled Substances/Alcohol needs attention · low impact
• 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
Tires 32% (6 OOS) · Brakes 23% (3 OOS) · Lighting / lamps 20% (4 OOS)
• Gauge and thump every tire on the walk-around, including inner duals
• Replace before tread hits the limit; correct low pressure immediately
Projected: could improve up to 6 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: 51 inspections, 17 violations, 4 OOS, 40 clean · trending worse.
1. Vehicle Maintenance9 viol · 4 OOS · 53%
393.75A3-TAOL ×2, 393.9A-LSLIWR, 393.53B-B
✓ Gauge/thump every tire on the walk-around, including inner duals
✓ Replace before tread hits the limit and correct low pressure immediately
≈ 39 clean inspections would cut this BASIC ~25% (to 0.833).
2. Other6 viol · 35%
393.60D ×2, 390.21TB2-DOT, 393.95F
✓ Walk the lights every pre-trip and carry spare bulbs/fuses
✓ Clean lenses and check the trailer plug for corrosion
3. Unsafe Driving1 viol · 6%
392.16-D
✓ Coach speed and following distance — Unsafe Driving points are weighted heavily
✓ Hands off the phone; always belt up
≈ 78 clean inspections would cut this BASIC ~25% (to 0.045).
Repeat offenders: 393.75A3-TAOL ×2, 393.60D ×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
Crash record — 9 in 24 months
| Date | Location | Fatal | Inj | Tow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/01/2026 | GLOBE, AZ | ✓ | ||
| 04/27/2026 | MESA, AZ | ✓ | ||
| 04/02/2026 | NOT LISTED, TX | 1 | ✓ | |
| 08/15/2025 | Unknown, NV | 1 | ✓ | |
| 05/04/2025 | SALOME, AZ | 2 | ✓ | |
| 04/12/2025 | Payson, AZ | ✓ | ||
| 02/10/2025 | NV | ✓ | ||
| 02/03/2025 | AZ | 1 | ✓ | |
| 01/23/2025 | Phoenix, AZ | 4 | ✓ |
Equipment — 79 vehicles seen in inspections
39 trailer27 truck8 other5 incomplete vehicle
Company profile
Officer
CHRISTOPHER ZAHARIS
Annual mileage
21.5M mi (2025)
CDL drivers
1017
Registered since
1974-06-01
Operation
Interstate
Connections — 17 carriers
Shares identifiers with 17 carriers (17 via shared VINs).
| Carrier | USDOT | Link | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| SIGNATURE FLEET LLC | 3376327 | 2 VINs | medium |
Activity history (recent)
01/07/2026 — MCS-150 update filed
21.5M mi reported (2025)
04/01/2024 — Insurance filed — NATIONAL UNION FIRE INS. CO. OF PITSBGH. PA
Liability (BIPD) — BMC-91X · policy 2970075
04/01/2024 — Insurance replaced — ACE AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy ISAH25552635
07/01/2021 — Insurance replaced — ACE AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy ISA H25311188
11/02/2020 — Insurance filed — MERCHANTS BONDING COMPANY ( MUTUAL)
Property broker surety — BMC-84 · policy AZ5335017
11/02/2020 — Insurance cancelled — TRAVELERS CASUALTY & SURETY CO. OF AMERICA
SURETY · policy 106002920
08/13/2020 — Insurance cancelled — LIBERTY INSURANCE CORPORATION
BIPD/Primary · policy AI7-661-066618-04
07/17/2020 — COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (07/27/2020)
07/17/2020 — CONTRACT — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (07/27/2020)
07/01/2020 — Insurance replaced — LIBERTY INSURANCE CORPORATION
BIPD/Primary · policy AI7-661-066618-04
07/01/2016 — Insurance filed — ROCKHILL INSURANCE COMPANY
Liability (BIPD) — BMC-91X · policy UMBR009066-03
07/30/2014 — Insurance cancelled — TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICA
BIPD/Primary · policy TC2J-GAR-1761B914-TIL-09
07/03/2014 — COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (07/14/2014)
07/03/2014 — CONTRACT — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (07/14/2014)
07/01/2014 — Insurance replaced — TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICA
BIPD/Primary · policy TC2J-GAR-1761B914-TIL-09
11/02/2013 — Insurance cancelled — TRAVELERS CASUALTY & SURETY CO. OF AMERICA
SURETY · policy 105213631
11/02/2013 — Insurance replaced — TRAVELERS CASUALTY & SURETY CO. OF AMERICA
SURETY · policy 106002920
11/01/2013 — BROKER — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (11/04/2013)
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/44064.