PHELPS UNIFORM SPECIALISTS INC
Risk factors
Low 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 202621 inspections · 28 violations (4 OOS) · 11% of inspections had an OOS finding.
Violations by BASIC
click to filter codes
Top cited codes
score = count × severity weight
- 1392.16Unsafe Driving
Failing to use seat belt while operating a CMV
14
2× · sev 7
- 2392.16ADUnsafe Driving
Driver - Failed to use seat belt while operating a CMV.
7
1× · sev 7
- 3392.2-SLLTCDUnsafe Driving
State/Local Laws - Failed to obey a traffic control device - Permanent or Temporary - e.g., safety official, signal, sign, light, lane marking, other
5
1× · sev 5
- 4393.11Vehicle Maintenance
No or defective lighting devices or reflective material as required
3
1× · sev 3
- 5393.47A
Inadequate brakes for safe stopping - Brake Lining condition
2
2×
- 6396.5B-HLOWVehicle Maintenance
Hubs - oil and/or Grease Leaking from hub - outer wheel
2
1× · sev 2
- 7390.21TB1-MC
Operating a CMV without legal name or trade name displayed
1
1×
- 8393.45D
Brake connections with leaks or constrictions
1
1×
- 9390.21TBNot in SMS
Carrier name and/or USDOT Number not displayed as required
1
1×
- 10392.2-SLLS1
State/Local Laws - Speeding 1-5 miles per hour over the speed limit
1
1×
Most inspected in · top 5 states
- IA14
- IL11
- MN1
- SD1
- WI1
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.
A high share of violations are occurring in IA
Medium impact8 of 14 violations in the last 12 months (57%) came from inspections in IA. 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 IA to spot recurring issues
- Brief drivers running that lane; consider rerouting around the toughest enforcement corridors where practical
Seat belt violations are the leading contributor to Unsafe Driving
Low impactEstimated Unsafe Driving percentile of 43% is under the 65% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.
- 392.2PImproper passing1× · 19%
- 392.2-SLLTCDState/Local Laws - Failed to obey a traffic control device - Permanent or Temporary - e.g., safety official, signal, sign, light, lane marking, other1× · 6%
- Zero-tolerance belt policy; verify with in-cab camera or spot checks
Hours-of-Service Compliance needs attention
Low impactEstimated Hours-of-Service Compliance percentile of 0% is under the 65% 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
Driver Fitness needs attention
Low impactEstimated Driver Fitness 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
Drugs / alcohol violations are the leading contributor to Controlled Substances/Alcohol
Low impactEstimated Controlled Substances/Alcohol percentile of 26% is under the 80% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.
- 392.4A-POSDriver on duty and in possession of a narcotic drug / amphetamine1× · 100%
- Reinforce the testing program and zero-tolerance policy
- Prioritize the out-of-service items — they carry the heaviest weight
Lighting / lamps violations are the leading contributor to Vehicle Maintenance
Low impactEstimated Vehicle Maintenance percentile of 22% is under the 80% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.
- 396.3A1BOSBRAKES OUT OF SERVICE: The number of defective brakes is equal to or greater than 20 percent of the service brakes on the vehicle or combination1× · 30%
- 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
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.
- 396.17COperating a CMV without proof of a periodic inspection
- Do — and document — a real pre-trip and post-trip DVIR
- Keep the annual inspection current and records in the truck
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 NHTSA20 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
1
Fatal
0
Company profile
FMCSA censusPRIVATE PROPERTY
- Interstate · 100+ mi2 drivers
- Interstate · <100 mi25 drivers
- Intrastate · 100+ mi1 drivers
- Intrastate · <100 mi25 drivers
- Company officer
- MICHAEL PHELPS
- Operation
- Interstate
- Registered since
- 1995-10-17
- Last MCS-150 update
- 2026-02-10
- Census status
- Active
Fleet: 24 trucks · 2 owned tractors · 2 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 or officers with 6 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
2 events- 02/10/2026MCS-150 update filed
0.9M mi reported (2025)
- 10/17/1995Registered with FMCSA
PRIVATE PROPERTY
Merged from FMCSA authority, insurance, out-of-service, and census records.
Operations
Classification
- PRIVATE PROPERTY
Area served
- Interstate
FMCSA safety rating
- Rating
- Not rated
- Type
- —
- Rated
- —
- Last review
- —
MCS-150 registration
- Form date
- 2026-02-10
- Reported mileage
- 857,100 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.