How driver scores work

Only reviews a person has checked. We confirm the MC or DOT number and that the carrier factored with that company before a review goes live. Each carrier counts once, with its newest review. Pending, rejected, withdrawn and test reviews never count. Every review keeps the date it was written.

Every factor starts at 3 stars, counted as if it were 5 reviews. Each checked review pulls the score toward its own star rating. With a few reviews the score stays near 3. With many, it is close to what drivers gave. That is why 3 perfect reviews can’t outrank 80 strong ones.

Newer reviews count more. A review from a year ago counts half as much as a new one, and one from two years ago counts a quarter. Every review ages at the same pace, so a score changes only when a review is added or removed.

For example, 5 new reviews that all give 5 stars make a score of (5 × 3 + 5 × 5) ÷ (5 + 5) = 4.0.

weight of a review = 0.5 ^ (age in days ÷ 365)
weighted average   = Σ(weight × stars) ÷ Σ(weight)
score              = (5 × 3 + n × weighted average) ÷ (5 + n)
n                  = number of reviews that count

Each score shows a 90% range, like “Likely 3.8 to 4.4.” It shows how sure the score is. Few reviews, or reviews that disagree, give a wide range. It narrows as more drivers review.

range  = score ± 1.645 × spread ÷ √(5 + effective reviews)
spread = weighted standard deviation of the stars, at least 1 star
effective reviews = (Σ weight)² ÷ Σ(weight²)
The range is kept between 1 and 5.

A factor needs 5 checked reviews from different carriers before a score shows. Under 5, its page says how many there are, like “3 verified reviews so far. A score appears at 5.” It has no place in the “Highest score” order and is listed after the scored factors, A to Z.

The review count always shows next to a score. The factor page, the factor list, compare pages and the rating that search engines read all use the same number. The “Highest score” order uses the same score before rounding. Ties go to the factor with more reviews, then A to Z.

The bars are pay speed, reserve back on time, no surprise fees, reach a real person and easy to leave. Every reviewer gets the same questions. Each bar uses the same method as the score, on the answers to that one question, and shows its own answer count.

A bar shows once 5 drivers answer its question. Until then it says “Not enough answers yet.” A skipped question is left out. The bars are never mixed into the star score.

Advertised terms, contracts and terms we haven’t checked never go into a score. A term marked “Not checked yet” counts neither for nor against a factor.

Money never changes a score or ranking. The scoring code doesn’t read referral or payment data, and an automated check confirms that before every release.

Every factor page lists the same ten terms: advance, funding speed, fees, reserve and release, recourse, volume minimum, contract length, auto-renew, notice to leave, and exit fee. Each one has a date and a link to where we read it, and one label:

• From a contract: a dated agreement we reviewed, with who it applied to.
• Advertised: the factor’s own website, with the date we read it. Not a promise and not your contract.
• Third-party page: a program or partner page about the factor, with the date.
• Conflicting: their pages disagree. Both are shown.
• Not checked yet: not published, and no contract on file. The page turns it into a question to ask before you sign.

What drivers say about terms stays in their reviews. It never changes a label here.

No factor pays us a referral fee today. If one ever does, we’ll name it here, and it will never change a score or ranking. How we make money

• Method v2 · Nov 10, 2026. One formula for every score, bar and order. Newer reviews count more, every score starts at 3 stars, and a 90% range shows next to each score.
• Method v1 · Nov 10, 2026. The page showed the plain average of the stars. The “Highest score” order used the average blended with 5 three-star ratings.