A
JAMES TATE (DBA DIRECT FREIGHT)
USDOT 1549667 • CORDOVA, TN
MoverAudit grade: A, based on federal records below
✓ No major red flags found
Complaint history
No federal complaints on record in the last 4 years. Records checked against the FMCSA household goods complaint database.
Company details
Legal nameJAMES TATE
Doing business asDIRECT FREIGHT
Address8812 GRANDBURY PL, CORDOVA, TN 38016
Phone(901) 596-1711
Company officerJAMES TATE
In business sinceSep 2006
Last FMCSA updateJan 2026
Fleet & authority
Power units (trucks)4
Drivers2 (2 CDL)
Operation classAuthorized For Hire
Carrier operationInterstate
Broker authorityn/a
Carrier authorityn/a
Safety ratingNot rated
Prior revocationYes
MoverAudit risk score: 0/100
Computed from objective federal flags only: broker-only registration, fleet size, complaint volume and severity, hostage-goods reports and past revocations. Lower is safer. This is a summary of public records, not a review.
Complaints vs. other checked movers
Red flags & green flags
!No federal complaints on record in the last 4 years.
!Federal out-of-service order issued Oct 29, 2012 (New Entrant Revoked - Refusal Of Audit/no Contact).
!Operating authority was revoked at least once (see authority history below).
✓Liability insurance on file with FMCSA, no recent cancellations.
✓USDOT registration is active.
✓4 trucks registered with FMCSA.
✓No hostage-goods complaints on record.
✓In business since 2006: a long federal track record.
Roadside safety & insurance
Roadside safety record
Federal out-of-service order issued Oct 29, 2012. Reason on file: New Entrant Revoked - Refusal Of Audit/no Contact. An OOS order means FMCSA ordered this company to stop operating.
Vehicle out-of-service rate, this company vs. national average:
Vehicle inspections1
Driver inspections3
Crashes, last 3 years0
FMCSA safety ratingNot rated
FMCSA safety categories (SMS BASICs), last 24 months:
Driver FitnessBelow cutoff
Controlled Substances/ AlcoholClean
Hours-of-Service ComplianceBelow cutoff
Unsafe DrivingBelow cutoff
Vehicle MaintenanceBelow cutoff
Insurance on file
Liability insuranceOn file
InsurerNorthland Insurance Company
Coverage750
Policy effective sinceMay 2023
Cancellations, 3 yrs0
Stable coverage. Insurance is on file with FMCSA and no cancellations were recorded in the last 3 years.
Source: FMCSA Licensing & Insurance filings, refreshed nightly.
Insurance policy history
May 2020 → May 2023
Progressive Hawaii Insurance Corp (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
May 2019 → May 2020
National Casualty Company (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
May 2018 → May 2019
State Nationalspecialty Insco/national Specia (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
May 2017 → May 2018
United Specialty Insurance Company (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Feb 2017 → Feb 2017
Progressive Hawaii Insurance Corp (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Feb 2017 → May 2017
Progressive Hawaii Insurance Corp (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Jun 2014 → Feb 2017
Great West Casualty Co. (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
May 2014 → Jun 2014
Northland Insurance Company (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Every liability policy this company filed with FMCSA, newest first. Frequent insurer changes or repeated cancellations are worth a direct question; one long-running policy is what stability looks like.
Recent roadside inspections
Dec 23, 2025 Driver-only, TN
1 violation
49 CFR 395.24: HOS (ELD) - ELD Form and Manner (driver)
Sep 10, 2024 Walk-around, MS
Clean, no violations
Aug 15, 2024 Driver-only, MS
Clean, no violations
Last 3 roadside inspections from FMCSA records (up to 3 years). "OOS" means the driver or vehicle was ordered out of service on the spot.
Authority history
May 16, 2019 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
May 15, 2018 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
May 17, 2017 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Jun 12, 2014 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Dec 27, 2006 Revoked
Motor property contract carrier: granted -> revoked
Shared identity check
Clean identity check. This company's address, phone number and officer do not match any other registered mover in our database. No sign of the "chameleon" pattern where a burned company re-registers under a fresh name.
Is James Tate reliable? Our read of the record
On the evidence, James Tate looks like a reliable operator: operating since 2006 with zero federal complaints in the last four years, 4 registered trucks, liability insurance on file without recent cancellations. A record like this is exactly what an honest mover's file tends to look like.
No public record can guarantee your specific move, so keep the basics: written binding estimate, USDOT 1549667 on the paperwork, and reasonable deposit. But nothing in the federal file says walk away.
This assessment is generated from the public federal records shown on this page: registration, fleet, complaints, inspections, insurance and authority filings. It is a summary of records, not a review or an accusation.
Carriers to compare in Tennessee
About James Tate
James Tate, doing business as Direct Freight, is a federally registered mover based in Cordova, Tennessee, registered with FMCSA since September 2006. Federal filings show 4 power units (trucks/tractors) and 2 drivers.
Over the last four years, the federal complaint database shows no complaints against this company. For a mover doing real volume, a clean federal record is a genuinely good sign; for a very small operation it may simply reflect a small number of moves. Combine it with the fleet data above and recent references.
How to read this report
The grade and risk score at the top are calculated by MoverAudit from objective federal flags: whether the company is a broker or a carrier, how many trucks it operates, the volume and severity of complaints, hostage-goods reports, and past authority revocations. They are not official government ratings, and they are not reviews: every input is a public federal record shown on this page.
The complaint categories come from the FMCSA household goods complaint system. A single bad move can generate complaints in several categories at once, so the category sum can exceed the total. Pay the most attention to "Hostage Goods" and "Deceptive Business Practices": those describe intent, not accidents. "Loss and Damage" at low volume is normal friction for a carrier doing thousands of moves; the same number at a tiny company is not.
The fleet numbers matter more than they look. A company advertising nationwide service with zero or one registered truck is not doing that work itself: your move will be handled by someone you have not vetted. Compare the fleet size to the promises in your quote.
If you are considering this company, use this report as a starting point, not a verdict. Get the estimate in writing and check whether it is binding, confirm the USDOT number on their paperwork matches 1549667, and if a different company shows up on moving day, stop and check that company here before a single box goes on the truck.
Questions about JAMES TATE
Is James Tate legit?
James Tate has an active USDOT registration (1549667). It has no federal complaints on record in the last 4 years.
Is James Tate a broker or a carrier?
Federal records do not show interstate household goods authority for this company. Ask them directly who holds the authority for your move.
Where is James Tate based?
8812 Grandbury Pl, Cordova, TN 38016. Phone on file: (901) 596-1711. Registered with FMCSA since September 2006.
Sources: FMCSA Motor Carrier Census (registration, fleet), FMCSA Household Goods Complaint History via NCCDB (complaints, checked Oct 17, 2026). MoverAudit summarizes public federal records; it does not accuse any company of wrongdoing. Verify details at protectyourmove.gov.