TRI STAR FREIGHT SYSTEM INC
USDOT 325836MC-Docket MC203287HOUSTON, TX
Review before tenderingHazmat-authorized134 power units
TRI STAR FREIGHT SYSTEM INC (USDOT 325836) in HOUSTON, TX — has findings to review before tendering. FMCSA authority, fleet size, BASIC safety measures, crash and inspection history.
- Has active operating authority that's tenderable today (common or contract).
- No pending authority revocation.
- Not under an uncleared federal out-of-service or safety action.
- BIPD on file: $1,000,000.
- No cargo insurance on file. Required for many shipper contracts.
- 1 prior insurance lapse(s) on record, most recent began 2015-04-08 — the carrier let required coverage lapse before.
- Satisfactory safety rating.
- No BASIC alerts in any of the five public SMS categories.
- Vehicle out-of-service rate is above the national roadside average.
- 5 preventable crash(es) in the last 24 months; recordable crash rate not available.
- No fatal crashes in the last 24 months.
- No link to a prior revoked authority.
- Authority involuntarily revoked 16 times, most recent 2025-09-18 — recurring instability (typically insurance-lapse / reinstate cycles).
- FMCSA compliance review on file dated 2012-07-30 (C).
- Crash Indicator and Hazmat Compliance BASICs are statutorily withheld from public SMS under the FAST Act — their absence is not a clean record; use the crash-risk signals above instead. The Hazmat Compliance BASIC is also withheld for this hazmat carrier.
Built from FMCSA's public Safety Management System data — guidance, not legal advice. Verify directly with the carrier and your cargo policy before tendering.
Authority
- Common authority
- Active
- Contract authority
- Active
Safety & BASIC scorecard
BASIC safety measures
Unsafe driving
No alert
measure 2.28
Hours of service
No alert
measure 0.37
Driver fitness
No alert
measure 0
Controlled substance
No alert
measure 0
Vehicle maintenance
No alert
measure 5.38
Under the FAST Act, FMCSA publishes an absolute per-category measure (not a 0–100 percentile) for these five BASICs — the alert flag, not the raw number, is the risk signal. The Crash Indicator and Hazmat Compliance BASICs are statutorily withheld from public view.
Last 24 months
0
Fatalities
4
Injuries
5
Crashes
250
Inspections
53
OOS inspections
71
OOS violations
Insurance
- BIPD on file
- $1,000,000
- Cargo insurance
- No
- Bond on file
- Yes
Fleet
- Power units
- 134
- Total drivers
- 143
- Years in business
- 38
- Hazmat authority
- Yes
Crash risk
- Preventable crashes (24 mo)
- 5 of 5 total crash(es)
- Recordable crash rate
- Not available
- Driver OOS rate
- 1.1%
- Vehicle OOS rate
- 28.3%Above national
The official Crash Indicator BASIC is withheld from public SMS under the FAST Act — these derived signals stand in for it; their absence is not a clean record.
Compliance & history
- Reincarnation / chameleon
- No prior revoked authority
- Involuntary revocations
- 16 times last 2025-09-18
- Physical address
- No address flags
- Federal OOS / safety action
- None on file
- MCS-150 self-report
- 2025-12-23
- Insurance lapse history
- 1 lapse(s) most recent 2015-04-08
- Last compliance review
- 2012-07-30 · C
Inspection history (all-time)
396
Inspections
88
OOS inspections
660
Violations
127
OOS violations
3
Post-accident
Record spans 2023-05-29 → 2026-05-26.
Crash history (last 24 months)
2026-03-25
SD
2 injuredTow-away
2025-11-19
VA
1 injuredTow-away
2024-09-18
GA
Tow-away
2024-07-03
GA
Tow-away
2024-06-28
GA
1 injuredTow-away
Violation pattern (all-time, by area)
| Area (49 CFR part) | Violations | Out of service | Most recent |
|---|---|---|---|
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393
|
323 | 74 | 2026-04-30 |
Unsafe driving 392
|
81 | 1 | 2026-05-05 |
Hours of service 395
|
70 | 3 | 2026-05-05 |
Vehicle inspection & repair 396
|
43 | 21 | 2026-04-30 |
General safety regulations 390
|
1 | 0 | 2023-09-28 |
Recent violations (last 24 months, worst first)
| Date | Category | Violation | OOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-17 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS | OOS |
| 2026-04-14 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Lane restriction violation | — |
| 2026-04-13 | Vehicle Maintenance | Flat tire or fabric exposed | OOS |
| 2026-04-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake Out of Adjustment - Roto Clamp (Short & Long) DD-3 or Bolt | — |
| 2026-04-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - CMV manufactured on or after 10/20/1994 has an automatic airbrake adjustment system that fails to compensate | — |
| 2026-04-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake - Defective brake(s) are equal to or greater than 20% of the service brakes on the vehicle/combination | OOS |
| 2026-03-31 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake Out of Adjustment - Roto Clamp (Short & Long) DD-3 or Bolt | — |
| 2026-03-31 | Vehicle Maintenance | CMV manufactured after 10/19/94 has an automatic airbrake adjustment system that fails to compensate for wear | — |
| 2026-03-20 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS | OOS |
| 2026-03-20 | Vehicle Maintenance | Inoperative Brake Lamps | — |
| 2026-03-20 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - All electrical systems on towed vehicle(s) inoperative due to no electrical connection (e.g. unplugged or loo | OOS |
| 2026-03-20 | Vehicle Maintenance | Emergency Equipment - Fire Extinguishers - no fire extinguisher present or not properly rated. | — |
| 2026-03-18 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Failed to obey a traffic control device - Permanent or Temporary - e.g. safety official signal sign l | — |
| 2026-03-10 | Vehicle Maintenance | Oil and/or grease leak | — |
| 2026-03-10 | Vehicle Maintenance | Exhaust - Discharging at a point forward or directly below the driver or sleeper compartment | — |
| 2026-03-09 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Lane restriction violation | — |
| 2026-03-04 | Vehicle Maintenance | Flattened/Crushed Vehicles - Improper use of synthetic webbing | OOS |
| 2026-02-26 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Audible air leak at a proper connection | — |
| 2026-02-26 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lubrication - Oil or grease leak | — |
| 2026-02-24 | Vehicle Maintenance | Axle positioning parts defective/missing | OOS |
| 2026-02-24 | Vehicle Maintenance | No or defective brake warning device or pressure gauge | OOS |
| 2026-02-24 | Vehicle Maintenance | Wipers - Inoperative / missing / damaged wipers | — |
| 2026-02-22 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Speeding 6-10 miles per hour over the speed limit | — |
| 2026-02-18 | Vehicle Maintenance | Windshield - Damaged or Discolored | — |
| 2026-02-11 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS | OOS |
| 2026-02-11 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Audible air leak at other than a proper connection | OOS |
| 2026-02-03 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tire-flat and/or audible air leak | OOS |
| 2026-01-29 | Vehicle Maintenance | Axle positioning parts defective/missing | OOS |
| 2026-01-29 | Vehicle Maintenance | Wipers - Inoperative / missing / damaged wipers | — |
| 2026-01-21 | Unsafe Driving | Failing to use seat belt while operating a CMV | — |
| 2026-01-15 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake Connections with Leaks - Connection to Power Unit | — |
| 2026-01-15 | Vehicle Maintenance | Damaged or Missing tiedown or securement device for intermodal containers transported on container chassis vehicle | OOS |
| 2026-01-14 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Failed to obey a traffic control device - Permanent or Temporary - e.g. safety official signal sign l | — |
| 2025-12-17 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | False report of drivers record of duty status | OOS |
| 2025-12-17 | Unsafe Driving | Failing to use seat belt while operating a CMV | — |
| 2025-12-11 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS | OOS |
| 2025-12-11 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Audible air leak at a proper connection | — |
| 2025-12-04 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (ELD) - A portable ELD is not mounted in a fixed position and visible to the driver when seated in the normal drivin | — |
| 2025-12-01 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Lane restriction violation | — |
| 2025-11-26 | Unsafe Driving | Improper turns | — |
| 2025-11-19 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | False report of drivers record of duty status | OOS |
| 2025-11-19 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | Drivers record of duty status not current | — |
| 2025-11-18 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS | OOS |
| 2025-11-18 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS | OOS |
| 2025-11-18 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Turn signal - Any inoperative on the rearmost vehicle. | OOS |
| 2025-11-18 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Tail lamp - Any missing | — |
| 2025-11-18 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Stop lamps - Any missing. | — |
| 2025-11-18 | Vehicle Maintenance | Wheel/Rim - Wheel fasteners loose/missing/ineffective/broken. | OOS |
| 2025-11-18 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Truck-tractor manufactured on or after March 1 1997 not equipped with an ABS system. System does not functio | — |
| 2025-11-18 | Vehicle Maintenance | Operating a CMV without documentation of a periodic inspection | — |
Recent inspections (with violations, newest first)
Showing the 25 most-recent inspections that had violations. Clean inspections aren't listed here — they're counted in the all-time inspection totals above.
2026-05-05 6 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
2026-05-05 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLS2 | — | — |
2026-04-30 5 viols· 2 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 9A2-C | OOS | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 47E | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 53B | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9 | — | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 3A1-PAW | OOS | — |
2026-04-30 6 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2C | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9 | — | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2RG | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 45B2PC | OOS | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 45B2PC | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 45B2UV | — | — |
2026-04-29 3 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 3A1-TRDL | OOS | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 201D | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 45DLPC | — | — |
2026-04-28 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 17C | — | — |
2026-04-22 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLEWA2 | — | — |
2026-04-20 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLEWA2 | — | — |
2026-04-17 1 viol· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 75A3-TAOL | OOS | — |
2026-04-14 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLLR | — | — |
2026-04-13 1 viol· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 75A | OOS | — |
2026-04-08 4 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 53B-B | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 47E | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 47E | — | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 3A1-BOS | OOS | — |
2026-03-31 2 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 47E | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 53B | — | — |
2026-03-20 2 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9BRKLAMP | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 75A3-TAOL | OOS | — |
2026-03-20 2 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 23-LEU | OOS | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 95A1 | — | — |
2026-03-18 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLTCD | — | — |
2026-03-12 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 201D | — | — |
2026-03-10 2 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 83G | — | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 5B | — | — |
2026-03-09 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2W | — | — |
2026-03-09 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLLR | — | — |
2026-03-04 1 viol· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 132B-CHVE | OOS | — |
2026-02-28 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLEWA1 | — | — |
2026-02-26 7 viols· 2 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 207E-S | OOS | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 3A1-BOS | OOS | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 47E | — | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 5B-L | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 45D-B | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 47E | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 53B-B | — | — |
2026-02-24 3 viols· 2 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 51 | OOS | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 207A | OOS | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 78 | — | — |
2026-02-22 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLS2 | — | — |
Verify on FMCSA
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