VCVioCodes
Carrier Vetting Report
Generated Oct 11, 2026
viocodes.yuriance.net
NICHOLS NURSERY INC
USDOT 471547 · EIN 51-0300588
324 MARKUS CT, NEWARK, DE, 19713
(302) 224-3032 · STEPHEN J NICHOLS
100
Low risk
Risk factors
No red flags in the public FMCSA record
Snapshot
Operating authority
—
Liability insurance
No active filing
Safety rating
Not rated
Power units / drivers
21 / 41
Inspections / CSA pts (24mo)
20 / 117
Crashes (24 mo)
0
Roadside inspection performance
Vehicle OOS rate23.1% · nat 22%
Driver OOS rate4.8% · nat 6.7%
CSA breakdown — violations by BASIC
Vehicle Maintenance64 pts
Unsafe Driving43 pts
Driver Fitness10 pts
Other2 pts
Top cited violations (by CSA points)
| Code | BASIC | Count | OOS | CSA pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 393.9A-LTSI | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 24 |
| 392.2-SLLS3 | Unsafe Driving | 1 | 21 | |
| 393.75A3-TAOL | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 20 |
| 393.9A-LSLI | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 18 | |
| 392.2-SLLS2 | Unsafe Driving | 1 | 12 | |
| 392.2-SLLTCD | Unsafe Driving | 2 | 10 | |
| 383.23A2-LCDLN | Driver Fitness | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 393.9A-LIL | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 2 | |
| 392.2-SLLTR | — | 2 | 0 |
Most inspected states
DE14
MD6
Next monthly SMS run — projection
| BASIC | Official (Sep 2026) | Projected | Est. %ile | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | 1.29 | 1.29 | ≈29–36% | steady |
| Hours-of-Service Compliance | 0.00 | 0.00 | ≈0–0% | steady |
| Driver Fitness | 0.22 | 0.23 | — | ▲ worse |
| Controlled Substances/Alcohol | 0.00 | 0.00 | ≈0–0% | steady |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 3.36 | 3.03 | — | ▼ better |
Latest inspection 2026-08-06. “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 New Castle County, DE · medium impact
• Review the inspections from New Castle County, DE to spot recurring issues
• Brief drivers running that lane; consider rerouting around the toughest enforcement corridors where practical
Speeding violations are the leading contributor to Unsafe Driving · low impact
Speeding 77% · Following / lane / reckless 23%
• Coach the drivers with speeding violations directly — Unsafe Driving points are weighted heavily
• Set and enforce a governed road speed; review telematics/dashcam speed events weekly
Projected: could improve up to 17 pts in ~12 months if worked down.
Hours-of-Service Compliance needs attention · low impact
• Review recent inspections with violations in this BASIC and take remedial action with drivers/equipment
Controlled Substances/Alcohol needs attention · low impact
• Review recent inspections with violations in this BASIC and take remedial action with drivers/equipment
Generated from the public inspection record. Percentiles/projections are VioCodes estimates, not official FMCSA figures.
90-day safety improvement plan
Last 90 days: 2 inspections, 1 violations, 0 OOS, 1 clean · improving.
1. Other1 viol · 100%
392.2-SLLTR
✓ Review these violations with drivers and add the fix to your pre-trip and PM routine
🎓 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
Equipment — 21 vehicles seen in inspections
15 incomplete vehicle4 trailer1 truck1 other
Company profile
Officer
STEPHEN J NICHOLS
Annual mileage
0.7M mi (2024)
CDL drivers
28
Registered since
1992-02-18
Operation
Interstate
Connections — 2 carriers
Shares identifiers with 2 carriers.
| Carrier | USDOT | Link | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| H I E CONTRACTORS INC | 451247 | officer, email, phone | strong |
| NICHOLS NURSERY INC | 4412993 | officer, email, phone | strong |
Activity history (recent)
03/16/2026 — MCS-150 update filed
0.7M mi reported (2024)
02/18/1992 — Registered with FMCSA
PRIVATE PROPERTY
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/471547.