SM LIGHTNING INC
USDOT 2872386MC-Docket MC963557TURLOCK, CA
Review before tendering5 power units
SM LIGHTNING INC (USDOT 2872386) in TURLOCK, CA — 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 is $750,000 — below your $1,000,000 floor (federal general-freight minimum is $750,000).
- No cargo insurance on file. Required for many shipper contracts.
- 2 prior insurance lapse(s) on record, most recent began 2020-11-30 — the carrier let required coverage lapse before.
- Unrated by FMCSA. Most carriers are unrated — unrated is not the same as unsafe.
- No BASIC alerts in any of the five public SMS categories.
- Driver out-of-service rate is above the national roadside average.
- No preventable crashes in the last 24 months; recordable crash rate 0 not elevated.
- No fatal crashes in the last 24 months.
- No link to a prior revoked authority.
- Authority involuntarily revoked 7 times, most recent 2024-05-16 — recurring instability (typically insurance-lapse / reinstate cycles).
- 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.
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
- Not applicable
Safety & BASIC scorecard
BASIC safety measures
Unsafe driving
No alert
measure 9.9
Hours of service
No alert
measure 1.07
Driver fitness
No alert
measure 1
Controlled substance
No alert
measure 2.14
Vehicle maintenance
No alert
measure 2.36
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
0
Injuries
0
Crashes
11
Inspections
5
OOS inspections
5
OOS violations
Insurance
- BIPD on file
- $750,000 below $1M baseline
- Cargo insurance
- No
- Bond on file
- No
Fleet
- Power units
- 5
- Total drivers
- 5
- Years in business
- 10
- Hazmat authority
- No
Crash risk
- Preventable crashes (24 mo)
- 0 of 0 total crash(es)
- Recordable crash rate
- 0
- Driver OOS rate
- 33.3%Above national
- Vehicle OOS rate
- 20%
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
- 7 times last 2024-05-16
- Physical address
- No address flags
- Federal OOS / safety action
- None on file
- MCS-150 self-report
- 2026-02-03
- Insurance lapse history
- 2 lapse(s) most recent 2020-11-30
- Last compliance review
- None on file
Inspection history (all-time)
14
Inspections
6
OOS inspections
27
Violations
7
OOS violations
0
Post-accident
Record spans 2024-01-23 → 2026-04-30.
Crash history (last 24 months)
No crashes recorded in the last 24 months.
Violation pattern (all-time, by area)
| Area (49 CFR part) | Violations | Out of service | Most recent |
|---|---|---|---|
Unsafe driving 392
|
9 | 1 | 2026-04-30 |
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393
|
4 | 1 | 2026-02-13 |
Hours of service 395
|
3 | 0 | 2025-11-04 |
Driver qualifications 391
|
2 | 1 | 2024-10-24 |
General safety regulations 390
|
2 | 0 | 2024-10-01 |
Vehicle inspection & repair 396
|
2 | 0 | 2024-10-01 |
Drug & alcohol testing 382
|
1 | 1 | 2026-01-09 |
CDL standards 383
|
1 | 1 | 2024-10-01 |
Recent violations (last 24 months, worst first)
| Date | Category | Violation | OOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-13 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Inoperative/defective primary or secondary pressure gauge | OOS |
| 2026-01-09 | Controlled Substances/​Alcohol | Drugs/Other Substances - Operating a CMV while recorded as prohibited from performing safety-sensitive functions. | OOS |
| 2025-11-04 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Speeding 6-10 miles per hour over the speed limit | — |
| 2025-11-04 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Lane restriction violation | — |
| 2025-11-04 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (ELD) - On request by an authorized safety official a driver must produce and transfer from an ELD the driver's hour | — |
| 2025-11-04 | Vehicle Maintenance | Emergency Equipment - Fire Extinguishers - not readily accessible or filled | — |
| 2025-11-04 | Vehicle Maintenance | Emergency Equipment - Fire Extinguishers - unsecured | — |
| 2025-11-04 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (ELD) - Driver failing to manually input or verify CMV trailer number. | — |
| 2025-11-04 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (ELD) - Driver failing to manually input or verify shipping document number. | — |
| 2024-10-24 | Driver Fitness | Operating a property-carrying vehicle without a valid medical certificate in possession or on file with the state driver | OOS |
| 2024-10-01 | Driver Fitness | License (CDL) - Operate a CMV and does not possess a valid CDL | OOS |
| 2024-10-01 | Driver Fitness | Medical (Certificate) - Operating a commercial motor vehicle without showing proof of a valid medical certification upo | — |
| 2024-09-25 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Speeding 11-14 miles per hour over the speed limit | — |
| 2024-09-25 | Vehicle Maintenance | Oil and/or grease leak | — |
| 2024-08-11 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tire-flat and/or audible air leak | OOS |
| 2024-07-30 | Unsafe Driving | Driver - Using or equipping a CMV with a radar detector | — |
| 2024-07-30 | Vehicle Maintenance | Emergency Equipment - Fire Extinguishers - no fire extinguisher present or not properly rated. | — |
Recent inspections (with violations, newest first)
Showing the 10 most-recent inspections that had violations. Clean inspections aren't listed here — they're counted in the all-time inspection totals above.
2026-04-30 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLUCR | — | — |
2026-04-29 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLUCR | — | — |
2026-02-13 1 viol· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 51C-BAPG | OOS | — |
2026-01-09 1 viol· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug & alcohol testing 382 | 15-SSF | OOS | — |
2025-11-04 8 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLS2 | — | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLLR | — | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLEQP | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 95A4-EEUS | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 95A4-EENA | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24C2III-ELDSDN | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24C2II-ELDTN | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24D-ELDPT | — | — |
2024-10-24 2 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver qualifications 391 | 41A | OOS | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLDL | — | — |
2024-10-01 4 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| General safety regulations 390 | 21T(b)(2) | — | — |
| CDL standards 383 | 23(a)(2) | OOS | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 17(c) | — | — |
| Driver qualifications 391 | 41(a) | — | — |
2024-09-25 2 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2 | — | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 5(b) | — | — |
2024-07-30 2 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 71(a) | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 95(a)(1) | — | — |
2024-01-23 2 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| General safety regulations 390 | 21TB2-DOT | — | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 9AA2-OA | OOS | — |
Verify on FMCSA
FMCSA is the system of record. One click through to the official source.