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Carrier Risk Intelligence

High-Risk Carriers in West Virginia

Analysis of motor carriers with elevated crash histories based on federal safety data. This report identifies carriers with the highest severity scores within the 24-month monitoring period.

180
Total Crashes
Top 50 Carriers
7
Fatal Crashes
Top 50 Carriers
260
State Fatalities
NHTSA 2023
17.3%
Truck-Involved
Of Total Fatalities

Understanding Carrier Risk Assessment

This analysis identifies motor carriers in West Virginia with elevated crash frequencies using a weighted severity scoring methodology. The severity score weights incidents by their human impact: fatal crashes receive the highest weight (10 points), followed by injury crashes (5 points), and tow-away incidents (1 point). This approach prioritizes carriers whose crashes resulted in the most serious outcomes.

Important context: A carrier's appearance on this list does not necessarily indicate negligence or poor safety practices. DOT-reportable crashes can occur through no fault of the commercial vehicle operator. Large fleet operators with more trucks and higher mileage will statistically experience more incidents than smaller carriers, even with equivalent safety performance on a per-mile basis.

Shippers, freight brokers, and insurers should use this data as one component of a comprehensive carrier vetting process. Additional factors to consider include the carrier's SMS percentiles, out-of-service rates, driver fitness scores, and whether crashes were determined to be preventable through FMCSA's DataQs review process.

West Virginia Carrier Landscape

Total Registered Carriers 29,381
Carriers with Crash History 411 (1.4%)
Total Carrier Crashes 623
Fatal Carrier Crashes 10

NHTSA Safety Context

2023 Traffic Fatalities 260
Truck-Involved Fatalities 45
Fatality Rate (per 100k) 14.7
Year-over-Year Trend — 1.9%

Major Corridors: I-79 (N-S), I-77 (N-S), I-64 (E-W)

How We Calculate Risk Rankings

Our risk ranking methodology uses a weighted severity scoring system designed to prioritize carriers whose crash histories indicate the greatest potential harm to public safety. Unlike simple crash counts, which treat all incidents equally, our severity score assigns different weights based on the human impact of each crash type. This approach reflects the reality that a carrier involved in multiple fatal crashes presents a fundamentally different risk profile than one with only minor tow-away incidents.

The formula assigns 10 points per fatal crash, 5 points per injury crash, and 1 point per tow-away crash. This weighting is consistent with the FMCSA's own approach to evaluating crash severity within the Safety Measurement System (SMS). The resulting score provides a single, comparable metric that accounts for both the frequency and severity of a carrier's crash history within the most recent 24-month federal monitoring period.

It is important to note several limitations of this approach. First, DOT-reportable crashes include incidents where the commercial vehicle may not have been at fault. A carrier rear-ended at a traffic light is included in the same dataset as a carrier that caused a rollover through negligent driving. The FMCSA's DataQs process allows carriers to challenge crash records they believe are inaccurate or non-preventable, but this process does not always result in records being removed.

Second, fleet size normalization is not applied to these rankings. Large national carriers operating thousands of trucks across millions of miles will statistically accumulate more crashes than small local operators, even with superior safety programs. For a more balanced assessment of individual carriers, we recommend viewing their complete safety profile where you can compare crash rates relative to fleet size, or use our carrier comparison tool for direct side-by-side analysis.

What You Can Do With This Data

  • Shippers: Cross-reference carriers on your approved list. If a current partner appears in the top rankings, request their corrective action plan and consider additional monitoring.
  • Freight Brokers: Use this data as part of your carrier vetting process. High severity scores should trigger enhanced due diligence before load assignment.
  • Consumers: If you are hiring a moving company or other carrier, verify they do not appear on high-risk lists. Learn how to check a carrier's safety record.
  • Insurance Professionals: State-level risk rankings support territorial rating analysis and portfolio risk assessment for commercial auto underwriting.

Top 50 High-Risk Carriers in West Virginia

Ranked by weighted severity score. Click carrier name for detailed safety report.

Rank Carrier Name City Trucks Crashes Fatal Score
#1 HINKLE TRUCKING INC USDOT: 85216 RIVERTON 86 15 55
#2 ENERGY TRANSPORTATION LLC USDOT: 2400559 MEADOWBROOK 152 12 41
#3 HALL DRILLING LLC USDOT: 1534075 ELLENBORO 138 6 2 41
#4 MAXXIM REBUILD CO LLC USDOT: 334674 JULIAN 89 6 41
#5 BLACK LABEL TRUCKING LLC USDOT: 2571796 LORADO 21 5 40
#6 THE TRI-STATE TRANSIT AUTHORITY USDOT: 129830 HUNTINGTON 45 11 39
#7 BENEDUM & SONS INC USDOT: 1009105 SALEM 69 6 1 36
#8 JAMES STEVENS USDOT: 1279813 HEDGESVILLE 1 1 36
#9 BREWER & COMPANY OF WEST VIRGINIA INC USDOT: 2704 CHARLESTON 1 1 31
#10 CW SPAID TRUCKING LLC USDOT: 510104 ROMNEY 4 1 31
#11 L P L DAVIS & SONS LLC USDOT: 1667797 MORGANTOWN 9 4 29
#12 RECLAIM COMPANY LLC USDOT: 1852026 FAIRMONT 7 2 27
#13 STONES TRUCKING LLC USDOT: 1764685 HAMLIN 14 2 27
#14 JAMARCO LLC USDOT: 3063723 MILLWOOD 20 2 1 27
#15 GMB POWERLINE SERVICES LLC USDOT: 3779735 CHARLESTON 138 6 26
#16 CLAY TRUCKING INC USDOT: 2520592 SUMMERSVILLE 89 4 24
#17 BURNS MOTOR FREIGHT INC USDOT: 2413 MARLINTON 65 3 1 23
#18 BAM TRUCKING LLC USDOT: 2727899 CHARLESTON 30 8 23
#19 QUALITY SUPPLIER TRUCKING INC USDOT: 207025 KEYSER 20 3 22
#20 VES INC USDOT: 220152 PARKERSBURG 17 2 22
#21 M & M TRANSPORTATION LLC USDOT: 968308 FISHER 90 12 21
#22 LONE PINE BUS LINES INC USDOT: 4055870 KINGWOOD 6 1 21
#23 TEAM SLEDD LLC USDOT: 329155 WHEELING 45 1 21
#24 OHIO VALLEY WATER RESOURCES LLC USDOT: 2482091 MINERAL WELLS 7 5 20
#25 WASTE MANAGEMENT OF WEST VIRGINIA INC USDOT: 335239 BRIDGEPORT 227 5 1 20
#26 MCCUSSO SERVICES LLC USDOT: 3136190 MORGANTOWN 36 4 19
#27 J P TRUCKING INC USDOT: 777396 FALLING WATERS 29 3 18
#28 N & T TRUCKING INC USDOT: 1203400 DANESE 9 3 18
#29 MONONGALIA COUNTY URBAN MASS TRANSIT AUTHORITY USDOT: 1430006 MORGANTOWN 44 4 18
#30 LUSK DISPOSAL SERVICE INC USDOT: 321699 PRINCETON 48 3 18
#31 RJ RECYCLING LLC USDOT: 1124299 NITRO 11 2 17
#32 J & E TRUCKING INC USDOT: 1182094 CHARLESTON 12 2 17
#33 GOOSFRABA LLC USDOT: 3146578 PARKERSBURG 3 2 17
#34 TED VANCE TRUCKING LLC USDOT: 441298 ELKINS 3 1 16
#35 SMALLRIDGE EXCAVATING AND TRANSPORT LLC USDOT: 2375958 TALLMANSVILLE 7 1 16
#36 DEBRICH LLC USDOT: 2066376 SCARBORO 8 1 16
#37 R S P TRUCKING LLC USDOT: 1239614 COALTON 3 1 16
#38 GREEN LEAF SERVICES OF BECKLEY LLC USDOT: 1746705 MOUNT HOPE 12 1 16
#39 METHENY TRUCKING LLC USDOT: 2889672 BRUCETON MILLS 2 1 15
#40 FRANCIS BROTHERS LLC USDOT: 427863 RIPLEY 24 4 14
#41 DOSS ENTERPRISES LC USDOT: 1230267 JANE LEW 77 4 14
#42 ADVANCED ASPHALT INC USDOT: 4027094 PRINCETON 5 3 13
#43 ERIC'S TRUCKING CO LLC USDOT: 786581 KERMIT 25 3 13
#44 WHOLESALE TIRE INC USDOT: 149317 BRIDGEPORT 15 2 12
#45 JENNINGS EXCAVATING INC USDOT: 712308 NEWBURG 17 2 12
#46 GRANT COUNTY MULCH INC USDOT: 1025201 PETERSBURG 44 2 12
#47 ROBERT A DUNN TRUCKING LLC USDOT: 660056 MORGANTOWN 4 2 1 12
#48 BERGDOLL AND SON TRUCKING LLC USDOT: 2496395 PETERSBURG 4 2 12
#49 G-L & SONS TRUCKING INC USDOT: 357279 ALBRIGHT 9 2 12
#50 DEWEY BELCHER USDOT: 2914 LEWISBURG 0 1 11

Methodology & Data Sources

Severity Score Calculation

The severity score is calculated as: (Fatal Crashes × 10) + (Injury Crashes × 5) + (Tow-Away Crashes × 1). This weighting prioritizes carriers whose incidents resulted in the most serious human consequences. The formula is consistent with FMCSA's approach to evaluating crash severity in the Safety Measurement System.

Data Period

Crash data reflects the 24-month federal monitoring period maintained in the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS). This rolling window ensures rankings reflect current safety performance rather than historical incidents that may no longer be relevant to carrier operations.

Limitations

This analysis does not account for fleet size normalization, vehicle miles traveled, or fault determination. Large carriers operating extensive fleets will naturally appear more frequently than smaller operators. Users should review individual carrier profiles for complete safety assessments.

Disclaimer

Rankings are provided for informational purposes only. Inclusion on this list should not be interpreted as an indication of carrier negligence or unsafe operations. Users should conduct comprehensive due diligence before making carrier selection decisions.

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