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 remedy when the record is wrong, and it beats complaining to a broker about a flag the data supports. For brokers: a timestamped export of what the record showed when you checked (every fleetfax report exports one) is the clean answer to "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.