In the trucking industry, safety data isn’t just about compliance scores or insurance premiums—it is the pulse of our roadways. We recently aggregated safety violation data over an 18-month period, spanning from February 2024 through  July 2025. The resulting numbers offer a stark look at the current state of fleet safety.

While the grand totals show a fluctuating but gradually rising trend in overall violations, the real story emerges when we peel back the layers and look at fleet size. The data reveals a significant disparity: small carriers (1–10 trucks) are disproportionately representing the bulk of safety violations compared to their mid-sized and large counterparts.

The “Small Fleet” Challenge

The most immediate takeaway from the chart is the sheer volume of violations occurring within the 1–10 fleet size category. Consistently month-over-month, this group accounts for the majority of total violations.

For instance, looking at the data for February 2024, out of 73,855 total violations, nearly 56% (41,053) came from the smallest fleets. This trend holds steady even as we look toward future projections; in July 2025, the data anticipates small fleets will account for nearly 50,000 of the 89,385 total projected violations.

Why is this happening? It is rarely a lack of care on the part of small business owners. Rather, it is often a resource gap. Large fleets (100+ trucks) typically employ dedicated safety directors and utilize automated compliance management software. Small fleets, conversely, are often run by owner-operators wearing multiple hats—driving, dispatching, and managing compliance simultaneously. The data suggests that without the infrastructure of larger carriers, smaller operations are finding it harder to keep up with the regulatory landscape.

Large Fleets: Stability in Numbers

In contrast, the 100+ fleet size category shows remarkable stability. Despite presumably having exponentially more miles driven, their violation numbers remain the lowest of the three categories, hovering consistently between 12,000 and 15,000 per month.

This creates an inverse relationship between fleet size and violation frequency that might seem counterintuitive to outsiders. One might expect that more trucks equal more violations. However, the data proves that standardized protocols, robust maintenance schedules, and dedicated safety training programs—hallmarks of large carriers—are effective at suppressing violation rates.

The Seasonal and Upward Trend

Beyond the fleet size breakdown, the aggregate data points to a worrying upward trajectory. In early 2024, total monthly violations hovered in the low-to-mid 70,000s. By mid-2025, that baseline is shifting toward the 80,000s, with a significant peak in July 2025 at nearly 90,000 violations.

There is also a clear element of seasonality. The data shows spikes in the summer months (July 2024 and July 2025), likely correlating with increased freight volumes and higher mileage during the warmer months.

The Takeaway

For fleet managers and industry stakeholders, this chart is a call to action. For smaller carriers, the data highlights the urgent need for accessible, affordable safety tools that can level the playing field. For the industry at large, the rising grand totals suggest that despite better technology, we have not yet solved the compliance puzzle. As we move through 2025, the focus must remain on supporting the 1–10 truck carriers who form the backbone of our supply chain, ensuring they have the resources to operate as safely as the giants of the road.