Data Methodology & Principles
How TruckCodex sources, processes, and presents trucking industry data. Transparency and provenance are core to every page.
Data Sourcing
TruckCodex uses only official government datasets as primary sources. Carrier census and safety data come from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Recall, complaint, and investigation records come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Diesel fuel prices come from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). No scraped, crowdsourced, or third-party commercial data is used.
Provenance
Every fact displayed on TruckCodex links back to its upstream source. Each data table shows a source identifier and an as-of date indicating when the data was last refreshed. This lets users verify any claim against the original government record.
Update Cadence
- Carrier census: daily delta sync plus weekly full refresh from FMCSA SAFER.
- Recalls and complaints: daily sync from NHTSA ODI flat files.
- Diesel prices: weekly from EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report.
- Inspections: daily from the FMCSA SMS database (data is 24 hours old at minimum).
Known Limitations
- All inspection data has a minimum 24-hour lag from the time of the roadside event.
- Carrier census contact information (phone, address) may lag behind real-world changes by days or weeks.
- Inspections conducted under tribal or military jurisdiction are not included in the FMCSA dataset.
- NHTSA recall data covers only federally reportable safety defects, not voluntary service campaigns.
Entity Resolution
- Carriers are identified by their USDOT number, which is a unique federal identifier assigned by FMCSA.
- Vehicles are identified by 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) decoded via the NHTSA vPIC service.
- Recalls are identified by NHTSA campaign number, a unique identifier for each safety recall.
Trust Tiers
- Tier 1 — Official Primary Source: Data taken directly from the issuing agency's authoritative dataset (e.g., FMCSA carrier census, NHTSA recall flat files).
- Tier 2 — Official Derived/Aggregated: Data computed from official sources (e.g., state rollup counts, inspection rate calculations).
- Tier 3 — Third-Party Verified: Data from external providers that has been validated against official records. Currently not used.
Corrections
TruckCodex does not modify source data. Data corrections flow through official government channels. For inspection disputes, carriers use the FMCSA DataQs system. For recall or complaint corrections, contact the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). When upstream corrections are published, they are reflected in TruckCodex at the next scheduled sync.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where does TruckCodex get its data?
- TruckCodex uses only official government datasets. Carrier data comes from FMCSA, recalls and complaints from NHTSA, and diesel prices from EIA. No scraped, crowdsourced, or third-party data is used.
- How often is TruckCodex data updated?
- Carrier census data syncs daily from FMCSA. Recalls and complaints sync daily from NHTSA. Diesel prices update weekly from EIA. Inspection data comes from the FMCSA SMS database with a minimum 24-hour lag.
- How does TruckCodex verify data accuracy?
- Every fact displayed links back to its upstream source with an as-of date. Users can verify any claim against the original government record. TruckCodex does not modify source data.
- How are carriers, vehicles, and recalls identified?
- Carriers are identified by USDOT number. Vehicles are identified by 17-character VIN decoded via NHTSA vPIC. Recalls use NHTSA campaign numbers.
- How do I correct inaccurate data on TruckCodex?
- Data corrections flow through official government channels. For inspection disputes, use the FMCSA DataQs system. For recall or complaint corrections, contact the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Corrections are reflected at the next sync.
Related pages
Data sources & freshness
TruckCodex aggregates official public-sector datasets. See the Source registry for dataset-level coverage and the Freshness log for last-import timestamps.
Census, SAFER, SMS, Licensing & Insurance (L&I), roadside inspections, crashes, and authority history.
Vehicle recall campaigns, defect investigations, and consumer safety complaints (SCRS).
Cross-border carrier registry and Canadian recall campaigns where applicable.
TruckCodex is an independent aggregator; it is not affiliated with FMCSA, NHTSA, EIA, or Transport Canada. Always verify compliance-critical information directly with the originating agency.