Glossary
DataQs
DataQs is the federal channel for disputing data on the record: a carrier or driver who believes an inspection violation, crash record, or registration entry is inaccurate files a request for data review, with evidence, and the responsible agency adjudicates it. Crash-preventability reviews are also submitted through DataQs.
Why it matters to anyone reading the record
DataQs means the public record is correctable, and therefore slightly fluid: a violation visible today can be amended or removed next month if a challenge succeeds. That cuts both ways. It is a fairness mechanism for carriers (roadside data entry does produce genuine errors), and it is a reason point-in-time documentation matters for brokers: the record you relied on at booking time is best preserved at booking time.
The practical takeaways
For carriers: DataQs is the way to correct the record when it is wrong. For brokers: a dated record of what you checked answers "but my record doesn't say that anymore". fleetfax reads the record as FMCSA currently publishes it, corrections included.
Related terms
Roadside inspection (levels 1 to 6)
An enforcement officer's examination of a truck, its driver, or both, at weigh stations and roadside stops. The most abundant safety evidence in the public record; results feed OOS rates and CSA scoring.
Crash records & preventability
The federal crash file records qualifying crashes (a fatality, an injury transported for treatment, or a tow-away) regardless of fault. A listed crash is not a fault determination; FMCSA reviews preventability only for certain crash types on request.
CSA & the BASICs
FMCSA's safety scoring system: seven behavior categories. Official percentiles are hidden from the public for all seven; the raw data behind five of them is public.
fleetfax reads public FMCSA data and is not affiliated with FMCSA or the U.S. Department of Transportation. This page explains terminology; it is not legal advice.