What Verdica's 809 score means for JERKE LIVESTOCK INC
JERKE LIVESTOCK INC's composite score of 809 out of 850 places the company in the "excellent" band (800–850), indicating strong overall compliance with federal trucking regulations. This score reflects performance across three regulatory dimensions tracked by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA): licensing and insurance authority, safety record, and inspection history.
A reader should interpret this score as a signal that the carrier meets or exceeds baseline federal safety and operational standards. The 41-point margin below the maximum suggests room for minor improvement, but the grade A designation indicates the company poses minimal regulatory risk based on available FMCSA data. For shippers, brokers, or freight managers evaluating this carrier, an 809 score suggests a lower-risk partner from a compliance standpoint—though any carrier evaluation should also consider operational factors, customer service, capacity, and rates outside Verdica's compliance scope.
It is worth noting that no independent customer reviews are currently indexed for this entity, so the score reflects regulatory standing alone and does not incorporate shipper feedback on service quality, timeliness, or reliability.
How the sub-scores break down
Authority & Insurance (850/850): This perfect sub-score indicates JERKE LIVESTOCK INC holds valid USDOT authority, maintains current operating authority credentials, and carries required liability insurance at levels compliant with federal minimums. In plain terms: the company is legally licensed to operate and properly insured. A carrier with a lower authority score might have lapsed permits, historical authority suspensions, or insurance lapses—any of which would create legal exposure for shippers using their services.
Safety Record (835/850): This high sub-score reflects a favorable crash and violation history relative to the carrier's size and miles operated. The 15-point gap from perfect suggests the carrier has a clean record with only minor or isolated safety incidents on file. Lower scores in this category typically signal patterns of accidents, roadside safety violations, or driver conduct issues. A strong score here is meaningful because crashes and serious violations are costly, injure people, and trigger regulatory scrutiny.
Inspection History (710/850): This is the lowest of the three sub-scores, placing it in the "acceptable" range relative to the other two. A score of 710 indicates the carrier passed FMCSA roadside inspections and compliance audits but likely received citations for violations—such as equipment defects, driver hours-of-service infractions, logbook errors, or other documented non-compliances. The 125-point gap between this sub-score and the authority score is not unusual; carriers can hold perfect authority and insurance while accruing inspection violations during routine FMCSA Level I or II inspections.
What regulators in MT track for trucking providers
The FMCSA operates a national database of motor carrier safety audits and roadside inspections. Inspectors examine vehicle condition (brakes, tires, lighting, cargo securement), driver qualifications and hours-of-service compliance, and maintenance records. Violations are categorized by severity, and repeat or critical infractions can result in out-of-service orders or carrier safety alerts.
BASIC (Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories) scores aggregate violations into seven safety domains: unsafe driving, crash indicators, HOS compliance, vehicle maintenance, driver fitness, hazmat compliance, and controlled substances. Carriers with high violation counts in any BASIC category may face increased monitoring or enforcement.
Authority and insurance status are confirmed through USDOT and commercial insurance databases; any lapse in active authority or coverage immediately triggers compliance risk.
Montana-based carriers are subject to the same federal FMCSA standards as carriers nationwide, though state-level commercial vehicle enforcement and permitting may add additional oversight requirements.
Bottom line
JERKE LIVESTOCK INC scores in the excellent compliance range and represents a low-risk carrier choice based on federal safety and licensing metrics. Anyone considering this carrier should verify that the score remains current, confirm insurance coverage independently, and request references or service history from existing customers to validate operational performance and reliability.