STERLING FREIGHT LINES INC
Risk factors
Moderate 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.
Broker payment signals
Bond, cancellation & authority risk for this broker — from free FMCSA records.
- Authority revoked 10 times historically (reinstated) — a pattern worth noting.
- Bond has changed hands 6 times across 3 sureties — churn can signal payment or coverage trouble.
These are FMCSA bond & authority signals — not a credit report. A filed bond cancellation is the biggest early warning that a broker may stop paying, but days-to-pay and slow-pay history aren’t public FMCSA data — verify those with a broker-credit service or references before extending terms.
Roadside inspection performance
Out-of-service rate vs national average. Lower is better.
CSA performance breakdown
FMCSA · Sep 202638 inspections · 27 violations (1 OOS) · 3% of inspections had an OOS finding.
Violations by BASIC
click to filter codes
Top cited codes
score = count × severity weight
- 1395.3A2-HOSPDHours-of-Service Compliance
HOS (Property) - Driving beyond the 14 hour after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty during the current 8 consecutive day period. Date and Tim
28
4× · sev 7
- 2395.3A1-HOSPDHours-of-Service Compliance
HOS (Property) - Driving more than 11 hours following 10 consecutive hours off duty during the current 8 consecutive day period. Date and Time
21
3× · sev 7
- 3393.11Vehicle Maintenance
No or defective lighting devices or reflective material as required
12
4× · sev 3
- 4393.45B2-B-AIRVehicle Maintenance
Air Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured
8
2× · sev 4
- 5393.19Vehicle Maintenance
Inoperative/Defective Hazard Warning Lamp
6
1× · sev 6
- 6393.45B2PCVehicle Maintenance1 OOS
Brake Hose or Tubing Chafing and/or Kinking - Connection to Power Unit
4
1× · sev 4
- 7396.3A1BVehicle Maintenance
Brakes (general) Explain:
4
1× · sev 4
- 8395.3A3II
Driving beyond 8 hour driving limit since the end of the last on duty, off duty, or sleeper period of at least 30 minutes
3
3×
- 9393.78Vehicle Maintenance
Wipers - Inoperative / missing / damaged wipers
1
1× · sev 1
- 10392.2-SLLMFVehicle Maintenance
State/Local Laws - Wheel (mud) flaps missing or defective
1
1× · sev 1
Most inspected in · top 4 states
- TX24
- NM3
- US2
- AZ1
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 Webb County, TX
Medium impact11 of 27 violations in the last 12 months (41%) came from inspections in Webb County, TX. 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 Webb County, TX 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
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
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 22% is under the 80% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.
- 393.45B2-B-AIRAir Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured2× · 17%
- 393.45B2PCBrake Hose or Tubing Chafing and/or Kinking - Connection to Power Unit1× · 13%
- 396.3A1BBrakes (general) Explain:1× · 8%
- 396.5B-HWSLIWHubs - Wheel seal leaking - inner wheel1× · 3%
- 392.2-SLLMFState/Local Laws - Wheel (mud) flaps missing or defective1× · 2%
- 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.
- 395.3A2-HOSPD×4HOS (Property) - Driving beyond the 14 hour after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty during the current 8 consecutive day period. Date and Tim
- 395.3A1-HOSPD×3HOS (Property) - Driving more than 11 hours following 10 consecutive hours off duty during the current 8 consecutive day period. Date and Time
- 395.3AIIDriving beyond 8 hour driving limit since the end of the last on duty, off duty or sleeper berth period of at least 30 consecutive minutes
- Log in and annotate the ELD correctly every day; fix edits promptly
- Plan trips around available hours — never falsify a log
- 395.3A3II×3Driving beyond 8 hour driving limit since the end of the last on duty, off duty, or sleeper period of at least 30 minutes
- Review these violations with drivers and add the fix to your pre-trip and PM routine
- 393.45B2-B-AIRAir Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured
- 393.95A4-EEUSEmergency Equipment - Fire Extinguishers - unsecured
- 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
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 NHTSA53 distinct vehicles seen in this carrier’s roadside inspections.
+ 23 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.
Crash record (US, last 24 months)
Total
3
Tow-away
3
Injury
2
Fatal
0
Company profile
FMCSA censusAUTHORIZED FOR HIRE
- Interstate · 100+ mi1 drivers
- Company officer
- N E KLEIN
- Operation
- Interstate · Hazmat
- Registered since
- 1997-03-04
- Last MCS-150 update
- 2024-05-14
- Census status
- Active
Fleet: 1 trucks · 1 leased/term 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, addresses, phone numbers or emails with 22 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
49 events- 11/01/2025Insurance filed — Great West Casualty Co
Liability (BIPD) — BMC-91X · policy GRT47900A
- 11/01/2025Insurance ended — Great West Casualty Co
policy GRT47900A
- 11/01/2025Insurance filed — Merchants Bonding Company (Mutual)
Property broker surety — BMC-84 · policy 101581877
- 11/01/2025Insurance ended — Merchants Bonding Company (Mutual)
policy 101581877
- 11/01/2025Insurance replaced — HUDSON INSURANCE COMPANY
SURETY · policy HMB200034
- 11/01/2025Insurance cancelled — HUDSON INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD · policy HMB200007
- 10/06/2025COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (10/24/2025)
- 10/06/2025CONTRACT — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (10/24/2025)
- 05/14/2024MCS-150 update filed
0.2M mi reported (2023)
- 10/01/2013Insurance replaced — HUDSON INSURANCE COMPANY
SURETY · policy HMB200034
- 11/13/2010Insurance cancelled — HARTFORD FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
SURETY · policy 83BSBEJ8537
- 11/01/2010Insurance filed — RLI INSURANCE COMPANY
Cargo — BMC-34 · policy ILM0700378
- 11/01/2010Insurance ended — RLI INSURANCE COMPANY
policy ILM0700378
- 11/01/2010Insurance replaced — FIREMAN'S FUND INSURANCE CO.
CARGO · policy MXI 93002016
- 11/01/2010Insurance replaced — HARTFORD FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
SURETY · policy 83BSBEJ8537
- 10/18/2010BROKER — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (11/04/2010)
- 11/01/2008Insurance replaced — HARLEYSVILLE MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.
CARGO · policy 0M5879
- 02/01/2008Insurance replaced — LINCOLN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD · policy LMB100039
- 12/16/2007Insurance cancelled — UNITED STATES FIRE INSURANCE CO.
CARGO · policy 3210829596
- 11/19/2007COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (11/23/2007)
- 11/01/2007Insurance replaced — UNITED STATES FIRE INSURANCE CO.
CARGO · policy 3210829596
- 01/31/2007PROPERTY BROKER — GRANTED
- 11/01/2006Insurance replaced — ACE AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy ISA H06958278
- 11/08/2005COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (12/06/2005)
- 11/08/2005CONTRACT — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (12/06/2005)
- 11/01/2004Insurance replaced — DISCOVER PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.
BIPD/Primary · policy D003A00106
- 12/04/2003Insurance cancelled — DISCOVER PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.
BIPD/Primary · policy D003A00106
- 11/01/2003Insurance replaced — ZURICH AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy TRK 9307045-00
- 12/30/2002Insurance replaced — LEXINGTON INSURANCE COMPANY
CARGO · policy 1280376
- 11/01/2002Insurance replaced — SPECIALTY NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy 3XZ17256000
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
- 2024-05-14
- Reported mileage
- 174,994 mi (2023)
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.