Helm Michigan Trucking Pulse: September 2026
Latest edition: September 2026. Data pulled Oct 25, 2026.
We are not licensed in any state yet. Our Michigan license is pending. We do not quote or sell insurance until licensed. This page is general information.
Short answer
In September 2026, 21.4% of roadside truck and bus inspections in Michigan found at least one out-of-service violation (931 of 4,353). That compares with 19.5% in Ohio, 17.8% in Indiana and 20.9% for the US. This is Helm's measure, not FMCSA's official out-of-service rate. Month over month, Michigan fell 4.0 points from 25.4% in August. Year over year, it rose 0.3 points from 21.1% in September 2025.
"Out-of-service share" is Helm's measure, not FMCSA's official out-of-service rate. It is the share of inspections with at least one out-of-service order of any kind.
Out-of-service share by month
| Month | Michigan | Ohio | Indiana | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09 | 21.1% | 15.8% | 14.9% | 18.9% |
| 2025-10 | 21.3% | 17.9% | 14.9% | 19.7% |
| 2025-11 | 22.3% | 17.3% | 13.5% | 19.4% |
| 2025-12 | 22.9% | 14.9% | 13.8% | 18.5% |
| 2026-01 | 19.9% | 15.7% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| 2026-02 | 19.9% | 17.9% | 13.7% | 20.1% |
| 2026-03 | 22.3% | 17.6% | 14.8% | 20.4% |
| 2026-04 | 23.4% | 19.8% | 15.4% | 20.9% |
| 2026-05 | 23.9% | 18.0% | 13.8% | 21.0% |
| 2026-06 | 24.8% | 17.4% | 14.5% | 20.6% |
| 2026-07 | 22.1% | 19.8% | 15.8% | 20.8% |
| 2026-08 | 25.4% | 20.6% | 16.8% | 21.4% |
| 2026-09 | 21.4% | 19.5% | 17.8% | 20.9% |
Michigan counties, September 2026
Counties with fewer than 30 inspections are not shown. 80 Michigan inspections had no valid county code and count in the state total only. Figures show where the inspection happened, not where the carrier is based.
| County | Share | Inspections |
|---|---|---|
| Kalamazoo County | 47.5% | 61 |
| Calhoun County | 33.9% | 109 |
| Wexford County | 30.3% | 33 |
| Berrien County | 29.9% | 184 |
| Ionia County | 29.5% | 61 |
| Macomb County | 29.3% | 92 |
| Crawford County | 28.2% | 39 |
| Monroe County | 27.1% | 542 |
| Jackson County | 26.6% | 511 |
| Chippewa County | 24.5% | 49 |
| Mackinac County | 24.5% | 98 |
| Kent County | 24.0% | 100 |
| Livingston County | 23.2% | 293 |
| Menominee County | 21.2% | 80 |
| Van Buren County | 18.7% | 91 |
| Washtenaw County | 15.4% | 136 |
| Oakland County | 15.2% | 237 |
| Cheboygan County | 14.6% | 48 |
| Lenawee County | 13.6% | 44 |
| Marquette County | 13.0% | 46 |
| Wayne County | 11.9% | 404 |
| Genesee County | 10.8% | 167 |
| Hillsdale County | 10.8% | 37 |
| Saginaw County | 8.7% | 69 |
| Eaton County | 6.8% | 73 |
| Shiawassee County | 6.7% | 30 |
| Ingham County | 2.7% | 37 |
Crashes (months at least 90 days old)
Michigan reported 494 truck and bus crashes in June 2026, 5.7% fewer than a year earlier, with 16 fatalities. We only show months at least 90 days old because states upload crash reports late. Counts can still rise.
| Month | MI | OH | IN | US | MI fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06 | 524 | 570 | 543 | 13,996 | 22 |
| 2025-07 | 482 | 574 | 495 | 14,526 | 13 |
| 2025-08 | 501 | 539 | 485 | 14,084 | 13 |
| 2025-09 | 565 | 641 | 579 | 15,163 | 15 |
| 2025-10 | 625 | 682 | 586 | 16,034 | 20 |
| 2025-11 | 507 | 611 | 577 | 13,908 | 8 |
| 2025-12 | 740 | 738 | 612 | 16,350 | 13 |
| 2026-01 | 991 | 726 | 684 | 14,427 | 8 |
| 2026-02 | 446 | 616 | 443 | 12,652 | 5 |
| 2026-03 | 461 | 675 | 511 | 14,944 | 10 |
| 2026-04 | 444 | 531 | 489 | 14,000 | 7 |
| 2026-05 | 478 | 547 | 518 | 13,471 | 6 |
| 2026-06 | 494 | 599 | 551 | 13,544 | 16 |
Michigan safety ratings (active carriers, census snapshot Oct 25, 2026)
Counts only. Not rated means the carrier has no FMCSA safety rating on file. A new-entrant safety audit does not produce a safety rating.
| Satisfactory | 1,127 |
|---|---|
| Conditional | 349 |
| Unsatisfactory | 52 |
| No rating listed | 76,608 |
Data and method
- Download data.csv (totals only, every row has a query_id) and queries_log.csv.
- Methodology, version 1.1.1. Sources: FMCSA Vehicle Inspection File (fx4q-ay7w) and Crash File (aayw-vxb3).
- Monthly archive: September 2026 edition.
- License: Our compilation, calculations and text are licensed under CC BY 4.0. Please credit "Helm Partners, Helm Michigan Trucking Pulse" and link to this page. The underlying FMCSA data is a US government work in the public domain. We claim no rights in it, and you can get it free from FMCSA.
- Earlier report with Ohio and Indiana census tables: Midwest trucking report, October 2026.
- These are safety and enforcement statistics. They say nothing about any individual carrier, any insurance price or any underwriting decision.
Cite this data
Helm Partners, Helm Michigan Trucking Pulse, September 2026 edition, analysis of FMCSA public data, https://helmprotected.com/data/michigan-trucking-pulse/2026-09/ (accessed DATE).
Helm Partners is a trucking-only insurance agency being formed in Michigan. We are not licensed in any state yet. Our Michigan license is pending. We do not quote or sell insurance until licensed. This page is general information.