Glossary of Frequently Used Terms

A C D F G H I L M N O P R S T V

A

Acute Violation

Violations where noncompliance is so severe that they require immediate corrective action by a carrier.

C

Cargo Tank Facility Review

An in-depth review of facilities engaged in the manufacture, assembly, inspection and testing, certification, or repair of a cargo tank or a cargo tank motor vehicle manufactured in accordance with DOT specifications or under the terms of a special permit to evaluate the facility’s compliance with the applicable hazardous materials regulations (HMRs).

Carrier Intervention Effectiveness Model (CIEM)

An analytic model that measures the safety benefits of motor carrier interventions in terms of crashes prevented, lives saved, and injuries prevented.

Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV)

A motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in commerce to transport passengers or property. See 49 CFR §§ 383.5 and 49 CFR 390.5.

Commercial Zone Inspection

Roadside inspections that occur in counties with border crossings along the U.S.-Mexico Border.

Critical Violation

Violations which are indicative of breakdowns in a carrier’s management controls.

D

Driver Inspection

An inspection of Level I, II, III, or VI.

Driver Out-of-Service Rate

The percentage of driver inspections that resulted in one or more Out-of-Service violations.

F

Federal Investigation

An investigation conducted by Federal personnel.

Final Safety Rating

The final safety rating assigned to a motor carrier.

G

Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR)

"The greater of: (1) A value specified by the manufacturer of the power unit, if such value is displayed on the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) certification label required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or (2) The sum of the gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWRs) or the gross vehicle weights (GVWs) of the power unit and the towed unit(s), or any combination thereof, that produces the highest value. Exception: The GCWR of the power unit will not be used to define a commercial motor vehicle when the power unit is not towing another vehicle."

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)

The value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a single vehicle.

H

Hazardous Materials (HM)

A substance or material which has been determined by the Secretary of Transportation to be capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported in commerce, and which has been so designated.

Hazardous Materials Carrier Type

A motor carrier that transports hazardous material and is subject to the SMS HM threshold business rules.

Hazardous Materials Out-of-Service Rate

The percentage of hazardous material inspections that resulted in one or more Out-of-Service orders.

Household Goods Carrier Type

A motor carrier that registers as a household good carrier and has active household goods authority.

I

Inspection Level III (Driver Only)

An examination that includes those items specified under the North American Standard Level III Driver/Credential/Administrative Inspection Procedure. As a minimum, Level III Inspections must include, where required and/or applicable: examination of the driver’s license; Medical Examiner’s Certificate and Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate; driver’s record of duty status; hours of service; seat belt; vehicle inspection report(s); and carrier identification and status.

Inspection Level IV (Special Study)

Inspections under this heading typically include a one-time examination of a particular item. These examinations are normally made in support of a study or to verify or refute a suspected trend.

Inspection Level V (Terminal)

An inspection that includes each of the vehicle inspection items specified under the North American Standard Inspection (Level I), without a driver present, conducted at any location.

Inspection Level VI (Radioactive Materials)

"An inspection for select radiological shipments, which include inspection procedures, enhancements to the North American Standard Level I Inspection, radiological requirements and the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria for Transuranic Waste and Highway Route Controlled Quantities of Radioactive material.

As of Jan. 1, 2005, all vehicles and carriers transporting HRCQ of radioactive material are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and required to pass the North American Standard Level VI Inspection.

Previously, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) voluntarily complied with the North American Standard Level VI Inspection Program requirements.

Select radiological shipments include HRCQ of radioactive material as defined by Title 49 CFR 173.403. And, because only a small fraction of transuranics are HRCQ, the U.S. DOE decided to include its transuranic waste shipments in the North American Standard Level VI Inspection Program."

Interstate Motor Carrier

A motor carrier engaged in transportation of passengers or property across State lines, including international boundaries, or within one State as part of a through movement that originates or terminates in another State or country.

Intrastate Motor Carrier

A motor carrier engaged in transportation of passengers or property entirely within one State that is not part of a through movement that originates or terminates in another State or country.

L

Level I Inspection (Full)

An inspection that includes examination of driver’s license; Medical Examiner’s Certificate and Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate (if applicable); alcohol and drugs; driver’s record of duty status, as required; hours of service; seat belt; vehicle inspection report(s) (if applicable); brake systems; cargo securement; coupling devices; driveline/driveshaft; exhaust systems; frames; fuel systems; lighting devices (headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, turn signals and lamps/flags on projecting loads); steering mechanisms; suspensions; tires; van and open-top trailer bodies; wheels, rims and hubs; windshield wipers; buses, motorcoaches, passenger vans or other passenger-carrying vehicles - emergency exits, electrical cables and systems in engine and battery compartments, seating, Hazardous Material (HM)/Dangerous Goods (DG) and specification cargo tank requirements, as applicable. HM/DG required inspection items will only be inspected by certified HM/DG and cargo tank inspectors, as applicable.

Level II Inspection (Walk-Around)

An examination that includes each of the items specified under the North American Standard Level II Walk-Around Driver/Vehicle Inspection Procedure. As a minimum, Level II Inspections must include examination of: driver’s license; Medical Examiner’s Certificate and Skill Performance Evaluation (SPE) Certificate (if applicable); alcohol and drugs; driver’s record of duty status as required; hours of service; seat belt; vehicle inspection report(s) (if applicable); brake systems; cargo securement; coupling devices; driveline/driveshaft; exhaust systems; frames; fuel systems; lighting devices (headlamps, tail lamps, stop lamps, turn signals and lamps/flags on projecting loads); steering mechanisms; suspensions; tires; van and open-top trailer bodies; wheels, rims and hubs; windshield wipers; buses, motorcoaches, passenger vans or other passenger-carrying vehicles - emergency exits, electrical cables and systems in engine and battery compartments, seating, and HM/DG requirements, as applicable. HM/DG required inspection items will only be inspected by certified HM/DG and cargo tank inspectors, as applicable. It is contemplated that the walk-around driver/vehicle inspection will include only those items that can be inspected without physically getting under the vehicle.

M

Matched Carrier Inspections

The number of roadside inspections conducted on motor carriers that had a valid US DOT number that was used to match the carrier with a record in the census file.

Mexican Certificate Carrier

A Mexico-domiciled motor carrier that transports exempt commodities or operates as a private motor carrier. These motor carriers were issued authority to operate trucks throughout the United States prior to 2002.

Mexican Commercial Zone Carrier

A Mexico-domiciled motor carrier that has authority to operate only within the U.S.-Mexico border commercial zones in the United States.

Mexican Enterprise Carrier

A Mexican-owned motor carrier that is domiciled in the United States; operates in the United States, conducting cross-border transportation of international cargo that originates in or is destined for a foreign country; and is subject to all U.S., State, and local laws pertaining to motor carrier operations and their vehicles.

Mexican Long Haul Carrier

A Mexico-domiciled motor carrier that has authority to engage in long-haul transportation as a common carrier of property (except household goods and hazardous materials) by motor vehicle in interstate or foreign commerce in or beyond the commercial zones of the United States.

Mexican Pre-Authority Safety Audit

A comprehensive review to determine if a Mexico-domiciled motor carrier exercises the necessary basic safety management controls.

Mexican Provisional Safety Audit

The 18-month period after the Pre-Authority Safety Audit has determined that a Mexico-domiciled motor carrier has adequate basic safety management controls.

Motorcoach Carrier

A motor carrier registered to transport passengers and meets the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) motorcoach definition.

N

Non-Matched Carrier Inspections

The number of roadside inspections conducted on carriers that lacked a valid US DOT number.

Notice of Claim (NOC)

"The initial document issued by FMCSA to assert a civil penalty for alleged violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMRs), or Federal Motor Carrier Commercial Regulations (FMCCRs)."

O

Offsite Investigation

A non-ratable investigation conducted remotely, rather than at a motor carrier’s place of business. An offsite investigation will not result in a safety rating, but penalties may be assessed for any violations found. An Offsite Investigation may be converted to an Onsite Focused or Comprehensive Investigation.

Offsite Safety Audit

A Safety Audit conducted off-site.

Onsite Comprehensive Investigation

An investigation conducted at a motor carrier’s place of business that examines all areas of regulatory compliance under 49 CFR 385, Appendix B. A comprehensive investigation may result in a Satisfactory, Conditional, or Unsatisfactory safety rating. Penalties may be assessed for any violations found.

Onsite Focused Investigation

An investigation conducted at a motor carrier’s place of business that targets specific areas of regulatory compliance. A focused investigation will not result in Satisfactory safety rating because not all regulatory parts are examined. A focused investigation may be unrated, or may result in a Conditional or Unsatisfactory safety rating. Penalties may be assessed for any violations found.

Onsite Safety Audit

A Safety Audit conducted at a motor carrier’s place of business.

Out-of-Service Rate

The total number of Out-of-Service inspections from the previous twelve months divided by the total number of inspections for the same 12-month period. The FMCSA may not issue a hazardous materials safety permit to a motor carrier that has a crash rate or a driver, vehicle or hazardous material out-of-service rate in the top 30 percent of the national average pursuant to 49 CFR §¿385.407.

Out-of-Service Violation

An Out-of-Service violation removes the driver and CMV off the roadway until the violation is corrected.

P

Passenger Carrier Type

A motor carrier that transports passengers and meets the FMCSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) passenger carrier threshold business rules.

Provisional Safety Rating

The initial safety rating assigned by the Safety Investigator.

R

Roadside Inspection

The pre-defined evaluation of a driver or vehicle components to ensure compliance with applicable Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). Roadside Inspections are conducted by a certified inspector at a variety of locations, such as weigh stations, border checkpoints, bus terminals, or when a law enforcement official stops a CMV.

Roadside Intervention Effectiveness Model (RIEM)

"An analytic model that measures the effectiveness of roadside inspections and traffic enforcements in terms of crashes prevented, injuries prevented, and lives saved."

S

Safety Audit

A review of a motor carrier’s records designed to verify that the carrier has basic safety management controls in place to ensure compliance with applicable Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and Hazarous Materials Regulations (HMRs) and to gather critical safety data needed to make an assessment of the carrier's safety performance and basic safety management controls. Safety audits do not result in safety ratings.

Safety Investigation

An investigation of a motor carrier conducted by a Safety Investigator (SI) to diagnose safety performance and compliance problems and identify actions a carrier can take to improve safety. SIs conduct three types of investigations on motor carriers: 1) Offsite, 2) Onsite Focused, and 3) Onsite Comprehensive.

Safety Rating

An evaluation of a motor carrier’s compliance with the safety fitness standard. The FMCSA may issue one of three safety ratings (Satisfactory, Conditional, or Unsatisfactory) after a Rated Investigation (compliance review). Not all investigations result in a safety rating.

Security Contact Review

A stand-alone review of a transportation entity that will evaluate the company’s security posture.

Shipper Review

An in-depth review of a shipper facility’s compliance with the applicable hazardous materials regulations (HMRs).

State Investigation

An investigation conducted by State personnel.

T

Terminal Investigation

An investigation conducted at one terminal of a company with multiple terminals.

Traffic Enforcement Inspection

An inspection conducted as a result of a traffic enforcement stop where a violation is cited from the SMS Unsafe Driving or Controlled Substances and Alcohol BASIC; where 392.2S (speeding) or 392.2SLLS1 (1-5 MPH over the speed limit) is citied; or where the inspection record has been flagged as q traffic enforcement by the officer.

Traffic Enforcement Violation

A violation cited from a Traffic Enforcement Inspection.

V

Vehicle Inspection

Inspections of Level I, II, V, and VI.

Vehicle Out-of-Service Rate

The percentage of vehicle inspections that resulted in one or more Out-of-Service violations.