FMCSA Publishes 2020 Pocket Guide to Truck and Bus Statistics

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has published the 2020 edition of its Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics.  The report contains data on the motor carrier and driver census, crashes, fatalities, investigations, and inspections.

According to the FMCSA, as of December 2019, there were 602,542 interstate motor carriers and intrastate hazmat motor carriers operating in the United States. In addition, some 3.4 million commercial motor vehicle drivers with CDLs operated in interstate commerce and another 1.5 million CDL drivers operated in intrastate commerce.

The report noted that some 3.4 million commercial motor vehicle and driver inspections were conducted in 2019.  As a result of those inspections, 5.1% of drivers were placed out of service and 20.7 % of vehicles were placed out of service.  In addition, when the inspected vehicle was transporting hazardous materials, the out of service rate was 4.5%.

The most common driver violations in inspections were, in order of frequency:

• Speeding (6-10 mph over the posted speed limit);
• Failure to obey traffic control device;
• Failure to use seat belt while operating a CMV;
• Record of Duty Status violation (form and manner of recording);
• Operating a property-carrying CMV without a proper medical certificate;
• False report of Record of Duty Status; and
• Operating a CMV without a CDL.

Of the 602,542 carriers regulated by the FMCSA in 2019, 40,460 had a satisfactory safety fitness rating, 14,919 had a conditional rating, and 1,320 had an unsatisfactory rating.  But 545,843 carriers, or over 90% of the total number of regulated carriers, had no safety fitness rating from the FMCSA.

In 2018, there were 4,415 fatal crashes involving large trucks, an increase of 18% since 2015.  Additionally, in 2018, there were 107,000 injury crashes involving large trucks, an increase of 22.4% since 2015.