Navigating the FMCSA: A Guide for Logistics Companies
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets the rules that every carrier and broker in the U.S. operates under. For shippers, understanding the basics of FMCSA compliance is a quick way to spot a carrier that takes safety seriously.
Hours of Service
Drivers are limited in how many hours they can drive and how many they must rest, tracked through Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs). This is one of the biggest levers on transit time — a load that looks like a one-day drive on a map may legally take two.
Carrier Safety Ratings
The FMCSA's Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program scores carriers across categories like unsafe driving, vehicle maintenance, and driver fitness. A carrier's safety score is public information, and it's worth checking before you commit freight to a new partner.
Insurance & Authority
Every for-hire carrier needs active operating authority and minimum liability insurance on file with the FMCSA. Confirming this before tendering a load is one of the simplest ways to protect your shipment.
Compliance isn't a formality — it's the baseline for whether a carrier can be trusted with your freight.
How AJG Stays Ahead
We treat FMCSA compliance as a floor, not a ceiling. Between our in-house repair shop, driver vetting process, and real-time tracking systems, we build in the kind of oversight that keeps our safety record — and your freight — where it should be.
Questions about our safety record?
Ask us directly — we're glad to share it.