UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC, DOT #3420026 FMCSA Safety & Compliance Report
UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC is a mid-size fleet motor carrier based in CRESCO, Iowa (USDOT #3420026). As of 2026-10-15T02:26:07.134Z, it holds a Not Rated FMCSA safety rating and a FileFlo Carrier Intelligence Score of 88/100 (Low Risk), based on 42 recent inspection(s) and 26 recorded violation(s) in public FMCSA data.
Free FMCSA Audit · 60 seconds · No signup
Run a CFR-cited gap audit on UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC
Pulls the same Socrata data shown above. Grades against the rule pack FileFlo runs internally. Every gap names its 49 CFR section.
Take the book. Free.
238 pages on the paperwork side of trucking. Every checklist in it, yours.
The complete digital edition · Every checklist and template · Unsubscribe anytime
Free FMCSA record alerts
Is this your company? Get free alerts when this record changes.
FileFlo emails you the morning the public FMCSA record for UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC shows a new roadside inspection, an insurance cancellation or suspension notice, an authority change, the MCS-150 update coming due, or a safety rating change. Free, and FileFlo is not the DOT.
Turn on free alertsCarrier Intelligence Score
88/100 Low Risk
| Category | Score | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Safety Rating | 22 | 30 |
| Inspection Pass Rate | 20 | 20 |
| Out-of-Service Rate (vs FMCSA national avg) | 15 | 15 |
| CSA BASIC percentiles | Not measured | n/a |
CIS subtotal normalizes 3 publicly-available FMCSA components (Safety Rating + Inspection Pass Rate + OOS Rate) to a 0-100 surface. CSA SMS BASIC percentiles are not published in FMCSA's public Socrata datasets and the SMS portal at ai.fmcsa.dot.gov is not crawlable at scale, so we surface a transparent "Not measured" rather than fabricate a score component. Carriers with a Compliance Review on record may have published BASIC data on the SAFER snapshot for that DOT.
UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC: CRESCO, Iowa Trucking Company
UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC is a mid-size fleet operating out of CRESCO, Iowa with USDOT number 3420026. The company operates 29 power units and has no published FMCSA safety rating (most active carriers are unrated unless they have undergone a compliance review). Based on our analysis of federal safety data, UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC has a FileFlo Carrier Intelligence Score (CIS) of 88/100, classified as Low Risk.
FMCSA Safety Record & Inspection History
UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC has undergone 42 recorded DOT inspections. The vehicle out-of-service rate is 4.8%, which is below the national average of 20.72%, suggesting solid vehicle maintenance practices.
Recorded Violations and Out-of-Service Status
The public FMCSA record for UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC carries 26 recorded violations, and the most recent inspection on file is dated 20260923. Across 42 recorded inspections, the record carries 0 driver out-of-service violations and 2 vehicle out-of-service violations.
A recorded violation is what an inspector wrote down at the roadside. It is not a penalty, and it is not an amount owed: FMCSA assesses civil penalties only after a compliance review classifies specific cited violations. The step that changes this record is the document behind each line, so the next move is to see which records an investigator would ask for and which of them exist today.
What a 88/100 Carrier Intelligence Score Means
A CIS score of 88 places UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC in the Low Risk category. This carrier demonstrates strong safety practices across inspections, maintenance, and driver compliance. Maintaining this score requires ongoing document tracking, timely medical card renewals, and consistent pre-trip inspections.
Iowa Trucking Compliance: CRESCO Area Carriers
Motor carriers operating in Iowa must comply with both federal FMCSA regulations and state-specific transportation requirements. The CRESCO, IA corridor is monitored by FMCSA field offices and state highway patrol units conducting roadside inspections. Carriers based in CRESCO should ensure driver qualification files, vehicle inspection reports, and hours-of-service records are current and audit-ready at all times.
FileFlo helps Iowa trucking companies automate compliance document tracking across 600+ document types, including CDL medical cards, annual vehicle inspections, drug & alcohol testing records, and driver training certifications.
Authority Type, Hazmat Status, and Operating Profile
UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC is classified by FMCSA as an interstate carrier.
The carrier holds an Private Property;Authorized For Hire classification, meaning it transports cargo or passengers for compensation under FMCSA operating authority and is subject to MC-number requirements at 49 CFR Part 365.
UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC is not flagged in FMCSA Census as a hazmat carrier (HM indicator: N), so the carrier is not subject to the additional 49 CFR Subchapter C hazmat regulations.
Operational range per MCS-150 filing: interstate beyond 100 miles (long-haul, 23 drivers). The 100-mile boundary matters because drivers operating within a 100-air-mile radius qualify for the short-haul exception under 49 CFR 395.1(e)(1), which removes the requirement to maintain RODS for the day.
Self-reported MCS-150 annual mileage: 1,145,046 miles. MCS-150 mileage feeds the FMCSA SafeStat exposure denominator: drastically understated mileage can artificially inflate CSA BASIC percentile scores by reducing the per-mile exposure baseline. Updates are required every 24 months under 49 CFR 390.19.
Fleet Composition and Driver Profile
Owned equipment per the FMCSA Census filing: 17 straight trucks, 12 tractors, 17 trailers. Owned-vs-leased equipment matters for compliance documentation, owned trailers require the carrier to retain annual inspection certificates under 49 CFR 396.17, while leased trailers shift that documentation responsibility to the lease agreement.
The carrier reports 23 CDL-holding drivers on file. Each CDL driver must have a current Driver Qualification File (DQF) maintained per 49 CFR 391.51, including a Medical Examiner's Certificate, an annual MVR review, and a record of road-test results.
Primary cargo type per MCS-150: Trailers. Cargo type drives which BASIC categories the carrier is monitored under (Hazmat Compliance applies only to HM-flagged carriers; Cargo-Related Crash applies broadly).
FMCSA Crash History
The FMCSA Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) crash dataset records 2 crash events involving UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC in the available reporting window. Of these, 0 involved a fatality, 0 involved a reported injury, and 2 resulted in a tow-away. 2 events meet the federal-recordable threshold under 49 CFR 390.5 (fatality, injury treated away from the scene, OR tow-away of any vehicle).
Federal-recordable crashes feed the Crash Indicator BASIC in CSA: carriers above the intervention threshold are 7-10x more likely to be selected for a compliance review than peer carriers below the threshold. Insurance carriers also pull federal-recordable crash counts during quoting; a single recordable crash in a 24-month look-back can drive a 10-20% premium increase for owner-operators and small fleets.
Most recent recorded event: US 63 S AT JEFFERSON, WATERLOO, IA on 20251207.
UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC's Inspection Fingerprint: Geographic Pattern and Trend
Inspections cluster geographically across South Dakota (5), Iowa (4), Illinois (4). The concentration in South Dakota is consistent with the carrier's primary lanes and tends to correlate with which state DOT inspector teams UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC's drivers encounter most often at roadside checkpoints.
How UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC Compares to the National Average
Across the 42 recorded inspections, UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC's 4.8% vehicle out-of-service rate sits well below the FMCSA 2024 national average of 20.72%. The 0.0% driver out-of-service rate sits materially below the 2024 national average of 5.51%. Vehicle OOS-rate variance is the strongest predictor of Vehicle Maintenance BASIC scores in CSA; driver OOS-rate variance is the strongest predictor of Hours-of-Service Compliance + Driver Fitness BASIC scores.
FMCSA's intervention thresholds (the percentile bands that trigger investigator outreach) are roughly 65th percentile for non-passenger non-hazmat carriers (75th for hazmat, 70th for passenger) on each BASIC. Carriers that consistently sit above the national average across multiple BASICs accumulate intervention risk faster than carriers with mixed performance. A single high BASIC alone rarely triggers enforcement; sustained over-threshold performance does.
Have UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC's compliance file built for you
The compliance department you never had to hire.
Every driver's file built and kept current, every expiration and renewal date in front of you before it lapses, and the audit packet ready on demand. For 5 trucks or 50.
The Audit-Ready Setup is $499, one time. Send your paperwork and USDOT 3420026; FileFlo files every record against the 49 CFR section that requires it, assembles a driver qualification file per driver, builds the vehicle files, and delivers a gap list with the automatic-failure items first plus your audit packet indexed to the CFR. Your 14 calendar days start once we have your USDOT number, the name of at least one driver and one usable record, and they never pause. If your files are not organized and audit-retrievable by the end of them, the $499 comes back. Your first 30 days of FileFlo are included, and nothing bills automatically after that.
- A full gap report inside 24 hours, with the regulation behind every line
- Driver qualification files, vehicle files, and the audit packet in FMCSA review format
- The Radar on USDOT 3420026: one email the day the public record changes
- The guarantee above, printed word for word on the price card
Start the Audit-Ready Setup for UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC →
FileFlo
FileFloQuestions: sales@getfileflo.com
See the work: a sample audit packet · how FileFlo handles your data
Want the gap list first? Run the free FMCSA audit for UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC: sixty seconds, no signup, every gap cited to the 49 CFR section. Or get your free readiness score. See pricing. Read the founder's FMCSA Audit Survival Guide.
Broker or insurance agent? Partner program
Recent DOT Inspections: UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC
Open any inspection for the records an auditor would ask for behind it: free, from USDOT 3420026, no signup.
| Date | State | Driver OOS | Vehicle OOS | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-23 | MN | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2026-08-14 | MN | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2026-07-13 | SD | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2026-05-28 | OK | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2026-05-11 | SD | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2026-05-06 | SD | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2026-04-01 | KS | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2026-03-09 | CO | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2025-11-15 | NJ | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2025-10-02 | AL | 0 | 1 | Audit check |
Free · No signup
Run a free FMCSA audit on your fleet
Walks every 49 CFR section a new-entrant audit or compliance review actually checks. Every gap names the CFR section that cites it. No signup, no credit card.
Frequently asked questions about UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC
What is UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC's FMCSA safety rating?
UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC (USDOT #3420026) does not currently carry a published FMCSA safety rating. A "Not Rated" status is common for carriers that have never had a compliance review: it is not a negative finding. FileFlo scores the carrier at 88/100 (Low Risk) from the public inspection and out-of-service data that is available.
How large is UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC's fleet?
Per its most recent FMCSA MCS-150 filing, UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC operates 29 power unit(s) and 23 driver(s), classifying it as a mid-size fleet. Fleet counts are self-reported to FMCSA and can lag a carrier's current operation.
Where is UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC based?
UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC is registered with the FMCSA at a physical address in CRESCO, Iowa, under USDOT number 3420026.
What is UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC's DOT inspection and violation history?
FileFlo shows 42 recent DOT inspection(s) and 26 recorded violation(s) for UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC (USDOT #3420026), sourced from FMCSA public records and the Socrata transportation datasets. The inspection table on this page lists dates, states, and out-of-service counts.
What is UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC's FileFlo Carrier Intelligence Score?
UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC scores 88/100 (Low Risk) on FileFlo's Carrier Intelligence Score. The score normalizes three public FMCSA components (safety rating, inspection pass rate, and out-of-service rate versus the national average) into one 0-100 surface. CSA SMS BASIC percentiles are not published in FMCSA's public data and are excluded rather than estimated.
Federal rules a carrier like UNIVERSAL FREIGHT LLC is audited against
The 49 CFR sections a DOT compliance review actually checks, plain-English:
- 49 CFR 395.8, Hours of service & ELD records
- 49 CFR 391.51, Driver qualification files (DQF)
- 49 CFR 396.3, Vehicle inspection, repair & maintenance
- 49 CFR 382.301, Pre-employment drug & alcohol testing
Compliance terms: CSA score · out-of-service order · hours of service · driver qualification file. See DOT compliance software & document management →
More Iowa carriers on file
- LADEHOFF TRUCKING LLC, ANKENY (USDOT 3425758)
- PRAIRE CREEK AG LLC, GARWIN (USDOT 3428155)
- HITT TRUCKING LLC, HUMESTON (USDOT 3435408)
- RIVER CITY TRANSPORT INC, DUBUQUE (USDOT 3437344)
- A&O TRANSPORT LLC, WATERLOO (USDOT 3447028)
- HANKINS TRUCKING LLC, CORWITH (USDOT 3467015)
← Browse All Carriers · Iowa Carriers · 2026 FMCSA Penalty Guide · Free FMCSA Audit
Compare the best FMCSA audit prep software →
Data sourced from FMCSA public records and the Socrata transportation dataset. Last updated: 2026-10-15T02:26:07.134Z. Information may not reflect the carrier's current status. Dispute this record · Claim this profile