RANCHO CARDENAS
Legal: JAY ARDEN PETERSON - CESAR CARDENAS KENNEDY
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 202626 inspections · 63 violations (14 OOS) · 27% of inspections had an OOS finding.
Violations by BASIC
click to filter codes
Top cited codes
score = count × severity weight
- 1393.45D-BVehicle Maintenance
Air Brake - Audible air leak at a proper connection
8
2× · sev 4
- 2391.11B2-ZDriver Fitness
Border Zone - Driver cannot satisfy the English language proficiency requirements of 391.11(b)(2) in accordance with the current corresponding FMCSA enforcement
8
2× · sev 4
- 3393.47B-BMBCBDVehicle Maintenance
Drum Brake - Mismatched brake chamber sizes on the same axle other than a steering axle
8
2× · sev 4
- 4393.11B-CSRIGRRVehicle Maintenance
Conspicuity Systems - Trailers, rear impact guard retro reflective sheeting inadequate on vehicle manufactured on or after December 1, 1993
6
2× · sev 3
- 5393.9A-LFTSIVehicle Maintenance
Lighting - Front - Turn signal - inoperative
6
1× · sev 6
- 6393.9A-LBLVehicle Maintenance
Lighting - Backup lamp inoperative
6
1× · sev 6
- 7393.9A-LHWSVehicle Maintenance
Lighting - Hazard warning signal(s) inoperative
6
1× · sev 6
- 8396.17C-PIVehicle Maintenance
Operating a CMV without documentation of a periodic inspection
4
1× · sev 4
- 9392.2-SLLEWA1
State/Local Laws - Excessive weight - 1-2500 lbs over on an axle/axle groups
2
2×
- 10392.2-SLLUCR
State/Local Laws - Failure to pay UCR fee
2
2×
Most inspected in · top 2 states
- CA26
- US4
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.
Vehicle out-of-service rate exceeds the national average
High impactVehicle 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.
- 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 San Diego County, CA
Medium impact19 of 20 violations in the last 12 months (95%) came from inspections in San Diego County, CA. 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 San Diego County, CA to spot recurring issues
- Brief drivers running that lane; consider rerouting around the toughest enforcement corridors where practical
Unsafe Driving needs attention
Low impactEstimated Unsafe Driving 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
Controlled Substances/Alcohol needs attention
Low impactEstimated Controlled Substances/Alcohol 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
Brakes violations are the leading contributor to Vehicle Maintenance
Low impactEstimated Vehicle Maintenance percentile of 69% is under the 80% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.
- 393.47B-BMBCBDDrum Brake - Mismatched brake chamber sizes on the same axle other than a steering axle2× · 7%
- 393.45D-BAir Brake - Audible air leak at a proper connection3× · 7%
- 393.43A-TPVAir Brake - Inoperable or missing tractor protection valve1× · 5%
- 393.75A3-TAOLTires - All others, leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS3× · 22%
- 393.75C-TAOTD-LT1/32Tires - Less than 1/32 inch tread depth at 3 locations/2 adjacent tread grooves1× · 4%
- 393.11B-CSRIGRRConspicuity Systems - Trailers, rear impact guard retro reflective sheeting inadequate on vehicle manufactured on or after December 1, 19932× · 7%
- 393.9A-LFTSILighting - Front - Turn signal - inoperative1× · 3%
- 393.9A-LBLLighting - Backup lamp inoperative1× · 3%
- 396.5B-HWSLHubs - Wheel seal leaking2× · 6%
- 396.5-HLHubs - Leaking hub2× · 4%
- 392.2-SLLMFState/Local Laws - Wheel (mud) flaps missing or defective1× · 0%
- Check brake adjustment and listen for air leaks every pre-trip; put brakes on the PM schedule
- Fix air-loss and warning-light faults before dispatch — don’t “drive it in”
- 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.
- 393.75A3-TAOLTires - All others, leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS · OOS
- 393.43A-TPVAir Brake - Inoperable or missing tractor protection valve
- 396.3A1-ALBVAir Brake - Any leak from a brake valve
- Gauge/thump every tire on the walk-around, including inner duals
- Replace before tread hits the limit and correct low pressure immediately
- 391.11B2-QDriver cannot satisfy the English language proficiency requirements of 391.11(b)(2) in accordance with the current corresponding FMCSA enforcement guidance (391. · OOS
- Run a credential-expiration tracker and keep DQ files complete
- Verify medical cards and endorsements before dispatch
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 NHTSA16 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.
Company profile
FMCSA censusAUTHORIZED FOR HIRE
- Interstate · 100+ mi5 drivers
- Company officer
- CESAR CARLOS CARDENAS KENNEDY
- Operation
- Interstate
- Registered since
- 1996-07-18
- Last MCS-150 update
- 2025-03-19
- Census status
- Active
Fleet: 4 trucks · 4 owned tractors.
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 3 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
3 events- 03/19/2025MCS-150 update filed
0.0M mi reported (2024)
- 07/18/1996Registered with FMCSA
AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE
- 06/05/1996PRIVATE CARRIER — GRANTED
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
- Non-ratable review
- Rated
- —
- Last review
- 2019-10-11
MCS-150 registration
- Form date
- 2025-03-19
- Reported mileage
- 10,000 mi (2024)
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.