What Verdica's 819 score means for N KOHL GROCER COMPANY INC
N KOHL GROCER COMPANY INC's composite score of 819 out of 850 places the company in Verdica's "excellent" band (800–850). This score reflects strong overall compliance across the dimensions Verdica tracks: regulatory authority and insurance status, safety record, and inspection history. A score in this range suggests that the company has maintained good standing with federal motor carrier safety requirements and has not accumulated a pattern of serious violations or deficiencies in recent regulatory reviews.
For a business owner or shipper evaluating this provider, a score of 819 signals lower compliance risk compared to the broader trucking industry. However, the score is composite—meaning it represents an average across three distinct regulatory dimensions. To make a fully informed decision, you should understand how each sub-score contributes to the overall picture, since a provider can be excellent in one area and merely acceptable in another.
How the sub-scores break down
Authority & Insurance: 850
This perfect sub-score indicates that N KOHL GROCER COMPANY INC holds valid operating authority from the FMCSA and maintains required insurance coverage. In the trucking industry, this is a baseline requirement—operating without proper authority or allowing insurance to lapse results in immediate federal penalties and potential service shutdown. A score of 850 means the company has no flagged issues in this dimension.
Safety Record: 845
This score reflects the company's BASIC (Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories) profile, which measures crash involvement, unsafe driving, and hours-of-service violations. A score of 845 is well above average and suggests the company has maintained a relatively low frequency of reportable safety events. In the FMCSA system, safety records improve when carriers reduce crashes and violations over time; conversely, they decline with each substantiated incident.
Inspection History: 735
This is the lowest of the three sub-scores, though it remains in the "acceptable" range (670–739). Inspection history reflects the outcome of roadside and facility-based FMCSA audits. A score of 735 suggests the company has received inspection reports with some level of non-compliance findings—potentially including vehicle maintenance defects, driver qualification file irregularities, or record-keeping issues. This is not uncommon in the industry; many carriers in the "strong" and "excellent" overall bands still carry some inspection findings.
What regulators in IL track for trucking providers
The FMCSA administers a national safety program that applies uniformly across states, including Illinois. Regulators monitor several categories of trucking provider performance:
BASIC scores measure five key areas: unsafe driving (speeding, reckless driving, improper lane changes), crash involvement (frequency and severity), hours-of-service compliance (log violations, fatigue-related breaches), vehicle maintenance (mechanical defects discovered in roadside inspections), and hazardous materials handling (if applicable). Each category generates a percentile score; carriers scoring above the 65th percentile trigger investigation or intervention.
Inspections can be Level I (comprehensive out-of-service audits), Level II (driver qualification file reviews), or roadside Level III checks. Inspectors document any violations of federal motor carrier safety regulations (FMCSRs). Common findings include improper vehicle condition, driver documentation deficiencies, or logbook inaccuracies. Violations do not automatically disqualify a carrier but accumulate in regulatory records and influence BASIC scores.
Authority and insurance are verified through the FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance (L&I) system. Gaps in coverage or lapsed operating authority appear immediately in compliance databases.
Bottom line
N KOHL GROCER COMPANY INC scores well across compliance metrics and represents lower regulatory risk than many trucking providers. Before committing to a partnership, confirm that the company's operating authority and insurance remain current, and request references or service history from existing shippers to validate operational performance beyond the regulatory snapshot.