What Verdica's 804 score means for BURNS MOTOR FREIGHT INC
BURNS MOTOR FREIGHT INC's composite score of 804 out of 850 places the carrier in the "excellent" band (800–850), indicating strong regulatory compliance across the dimensions Verdica measures. This score reflects an analysis of federal safety inspection records and licensing data maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the agency responsible for overseeing commercial trucking operations.
A score in this range signals that the carrier has maintained solid standards in authority verification, insurance coverage, safety performance, and inspection history. For a business owner or shipper evaluating carrier options, a score of 804 suggests lower regulatory risk compared to the general trucking population. However, the "excellent" designation does not mean perfect; the company's Inspection History sub-score (720) sits at the lower end of its range, indicating room for improvement in that specific dimension. Readers should interpret this as a carrier with demonstrated strength in most areas, but one worth monitoring on inspection frequency or outcomes.
How the sub-scores break down
Authority & Insurance (850/850): This perfect sub-score confirms that BURNS MOTOR FREIGHT INC holds valid operating authority from the FMCSA and maintains required insurance coverage. In the trucking industry, these are non-negotiable baseline requirements. A score of 850 means the carrier has cleared this threshold without flags—no lapsed licenses, no insurance gaps, no authority violations on record.
Safety Record (815/850): This sub-score reflects the carrier's performance on FMCSA BASIC (Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories) metrics, which measure crash involvement, unsafe driving, fatigued driving, substance abuse, and hazardous materials violations. A score of 815 indicates the carrier performs above average in safety compliance. It does not guarantee zero incidents, but suggests the carrier's safety profile is better than many peers in the industry.
Inspection History (720/850): This is the carrier's lowest sub-score and measures roadside safety inspections, vehicle condition violations, and driver qualification issues as coded by FMCSA. A 720 score is still within the acceptable to strong range but lags behind the other two categories. This may reflect a higher frequency of inspection events, more violations per inspection, or both. It warrants attention but does not indicate systematic non-compliance.
What regulators in WV track for trucking providers
The FMCSA uses standardized inspection protocols across all U.S. states, including West Virginia. Inspectors document violations in categories such as vehicle maintenance defects (brake, tire, lighting failures), driver hours-of-service violations, logbook falsification, lack of required permits, and cargo securement issues. These infractions feed into BASIC scores, which rank carriers on a percentile basis compared to national peers.
West Virginia carriers are subject to the same federal safety regulations as those in other states. The FMCSA publishes Unsafe Driving, Crash Indicator, Hours-of-Service Compliance, Vehicle Maintenance, and Controlled Substance and Alcohol scores for every carrier. Scores move up when violations decrease; they move down when inspection findings and incident reports accumulate. A carrier's composite score aggregates these domains and provides a single snapshot of regulatory risk. Verdica's use of FMCSA data means the analysis is based on official federal records, not proprietary or third-party assessments.
Bottom line
BURNS MOTOR FREIGHT INC scores well enough to be considered a lower-risk carrier for most commercial shipping or logistics needs. Before committing to a contract, confirm that the carrier's specific service area, equipment type, and insurance limits align with your requirements—and request references from current customers. The 804 score is a solid compliance signal, but it does not replace operational due diligence.