Carrier & road-transport data, explained.
Plain-English definitions of the identifiers, filings and compliance terms behind the Fraktix directory — what they mean and why they matter.
DOT number
A unique identifier the U.S. FMCSA assigns to a commercial motor carrier; it's the primary key for tracking a carrier's safety, registration and inspection record.
MC number
An FMCSA 'motor carrier' operating-authority number that shows a carrier is authorized to haul regulated freight for hire across state lines.
Operating authority
FMCSA permission that defines what kind of freight or passengers a carrier may transport for hire — common, contract or broker authority.
BIPD insurance
Bodily Injury and Property Damage liability insurance a for-hire carrier must keep on file with the FMCSA to maintain active operating authority.
Out-of-service (OOS)
An FMCSA order barring a carrier, driver or vehicle from operating until a serious safety or compliance problem is resolved.
Power units
The count of self-propelled vehicles (tractors, trucks, buses) a carrier operates — the standard measure of fleet size in FMCSA data.
MCS-150
The FMCSA registration/update form on which a carrier reports its fleet size, mileage, cargo and contact details; the source of much US census data.
Carrier vs broker
A carrier physically transports freight with its own equipment; a broker arranges transportation between shippers and carriers without hauling it.
FMCSA
The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — the agency that registers and regulates commercial motor carriers and publishes the census, licensing and safety data.
DVSA
The UK's Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency, which licenses goods-vehicle operators — the source of Fraktix's UK carrier data.
SITR
France's national register of road-freight transport companies (Registre des marchandises) — the source of Fraktix's French carrier data.