What Verdica's 816 score means for SUTTON TRANSPORT INC
Sutton Transport Inc has earned a Verdica composite score of 816 out of 850, placing the carrier in the excellent band (800–850). This score reflects strong performance across the regulatory dimensions tracked by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the primary federal regulator of commercial trucking operations.
A score in the excellent range indicates that Sutton Transport maintains current authority to operate, carries required insurance coverage, and has demonstrated consistent safety compliance in inspections. For a prospective shipper or freight broker, an 816 score suggests lower regulatory risk compared to carriers in lower bands. That said, the score is not a guarantee of service quality or reliability—it is a snapshot of regulatory standing based on federal inspection and licensing data. No independent customer reviews are currently indexed for this carrier, so readers should supplement this compliance analysis with direct reference checks and service history inquiries if making a contracting decision.
How the sub-scores break down
Authority & Insurance: 850/850 This perfect sub-score indicates that Sutton Transport holds active, valid authority from the FMCSA to operate as a motor carrier and maintains the required liability insurance minimums. Carriers must demonstrate proof of insurance and maintain an active USDOT number to legally haul freight across state lines. A maximum score here means no lapses, cancellations, or compliance gaps in these foundational requirements.
Safety Record: 845/850 This near-perfect sub-score reflects Sutton Transport's performance on FMCSA BASIC (Behavioral Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories) measures. These measures track five key safety dimensions: unsafe driving, crash involvement, violations of hours-of-service rules, vehicle maintenance failures, and hazardous materials handling. A score of 845 indicates few or minor violations in these categories relative to industry baselines. High safety scores correlate with lower accident rates and fewer roadside inspection citations.
Inspection History: 720/850 This sub-score is the lowest of the three, though it remains solidly within the acceptable-to-strong range. Inspection history reflects the results of roadside safety audits conducted by FMCSA officers or state highway patrol inspectors. A score of 720 may indicate a higher frequency of minor infractions during inspections—such as vehicle defects, paperwork discrepancies, or equipment violations—compared to the other two dimensions. This does not suggest systemic safety problems, but rather areas where compliance could be tighter. Many carriers in this band have isolated inspection findings rather than patterns of serious violations.
What regulators in WI track for trucking providers
The FMCSA operates a uniform inspection and enforcement system across all states, including Wisconsin. During roadside inspections, federal and state officers examine vehicle condition (brakes, tires, lighting, securing cargo), driver qualifications and hours-of-service compliance, and hazardous materials placarding where applicable. Violation severity ranges from warnings to out-of-service orders, which prevent a vehicle from operating until corrected.
BASIC scores aggregate violations into categories and compare each carrier's performance to national percentiles. A carrier's percentile ranking in each BASIC category determines whether it is flagged as a safety concern. Verdica's composite score synthesizes these regulatory inputs into a single normalized figure, allowing non-specialist readers to compare carriers at a glance.
Wisconsin does not impose separate state-level trucking safety scores; regulation is federal. However, Wisconsin state police conduct roadside inspections and report findings to FMCSA, feeding into the national database.
Bottom line
Sutton Transport Inc's 816 score places it in the top compliance tier, with excellent authority and insurance standing and strong safety metrics. The slightly lower inspection history sub-score warrants a note but does not materially diminish the overall profile. Anyone considering this carrier should verify the score's date of last update, request direct references, and confirm the carrier's current operating status before signing a contract.