Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
124 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 1162977 · MC-468507
UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC
DBA UNIVERSAL
124 power unitsavg 10.8 yrNational · 38 statesWARREN, MI
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-468507 ACTIVEHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
124Power units
416 observed · MCS-150
393Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
10.8Avg age (yr)
1997–2026 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-07-18
Review before loading
Operating, but with flags a broker should weigh before tendering freight.
Active operating authorityInsurance on fileVehicle out-of-service rate above average
Watch · 2
Operating authority2222 yr active
since 2003Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo29.229.2 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal2121
35 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
10.8 yr
Model years 1997–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
22 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2003 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC safe to work with?
Is UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC safe to load? UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC (USDOT 1162977, MC-468507) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in WARREN, MI, operating 124 power units and 116 drivers. Operating authority has been active 22 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 1,458 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 29.2% (above the 22.26% national average), with 35 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA has not assigned a safety rating. Vektor rates it review before loading (81/100), with the leading concern: fatal crash on record. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-07-18.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-07-18
UIUNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC 81
01
Safety
1,458 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 29.2% (24-mo)387 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.8% (24-mo)533 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
18.2% now● Stable
Inspection coverage· expected vs observed · the fraud signal
Inspection coverage
How heavily FMCSA inspects this fleet for its size — it tells you how much to trust the safety signals above. Thin coverage on a young authority is a fraud signal nobody else surfaces.
Under-inspected
Expected
Well-monitored
Heavily inspected
≈2.2 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Among the more heavily-inspected carriers for its size — abundant roadside signal. Coverage isn't the question here; the out-of-service and crash record is.
- Registered power units
- 124
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 534
- Annualized
- ≈267 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈2.2 inspections / unit · yr
Violation themes· decoded · grouped by BASIC
What this carrier actually gets cited for — FMCSA violation codes decoded into plain English, ranked by frequency.
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance445 · 143 OOS
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving409 · 10 OOS
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance194 · 65 OOS
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance128 · 98 OOS
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance122 · 9 OOS
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance113 · 56 OOS
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance72
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance70 · 1 OOS
- 393.53 Automatic brake adjusters / indicatorsVehicle Maintenance59
- 393.95 Emergency equipment (extinguisher, triangles)Vehicle Maintenance52
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- Active
- Contract
- Active
- Broker
- Active
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)Filed with FMCSA
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$1M BIPD · 2 insurers · 2 lapsesCoverage lapse
+1 earlier
Cherokee · 05–13
Cherokee · 13–20
Cherokee · 21–26
20032026
No BIPD policy is currently in force in the filing history. The authority record may still list one on file — request a COI to confirm current coverage.
4 insurer eras · collapsed from 24 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY | Jan 2021 → Jan 2026 | $1M | 7 |
| CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY | Nov 2013 → Jan 2020 | $1M | 8 |
| CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY | Jan 2005 → Jan 2013 | $1M | 8 |
| NATIONAL UNION FIRE INS. CO. OF PITSBGH. PA | Aug 2003 → Jan 2005 | $1M | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 124
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 416
- Trailers (towed)
- 393
Capacity is power units only — trailers are towed equipment and are never summed into a fleet-size figure.
Fleet age· model years · decoded VINs
Average age
2026
Newest model yr
1997
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 38 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusNational
revealedStates observed3737
US statesInspections · 24 mo532532
CA busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
WARREN, MI
Top corridor
CA ⇄ MI
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 6 trucks also ran under 3 other carriers
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 4292328USDOT 568488USDOT 4292338Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (99 trucks · 119 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 690147USDOT 2463089USDOT 3660044USDOT 232734USDOT 3608647USDOT 1592444USDOT 3221080USDOT 3804389
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@universallogistics.com — 27 carriers: USDOT 203223USDOT 223573USDOT 453486USDOT 506498USDOT 614543USDOT 1141719USDOT 1408051USDOT 1712537
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)124124
Observed (24 mo)416416
Shared w/ other carriers100100
Roadside-observed power units materially exceed the registered MCS-150 fleet — confirm the carrier is operating within its filed capacity.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 12755 E 9 MILE, WARREN, MI, 48089
- Mailing address
- 12755 E 9MILE, WARREN, MI, 48089
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (800) 233-9445
- Web domain
- universallogistics.com
Registration
- Officers
- Phillip Canaday · Keri Lowe
- USDOT / docket
- 1162977 · MC-468507
- First registered
- 08/26/2003
- Last MCS-150
- 11/13/2025 · 1,250,688 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Not rated
- Recordable crash rate
- 0.00
- D-U-N-S
- —
Fleet (self-reported · MCS-150)
07
Federal activity
Daily-captured FMCSA licensing & insurance changes — monitored by Vektor
Federal record activity· monitored daily by Vektor
No licensing or insurance changes captured since Vektor began monitoring this carrier (June 2026). Quiet is usually good.
08
Reviews
Verified broker, shipper & driver reviews — moderated
Performance ratings only — never the Vektor risk score
No verified reviews yet
Be the first broker or shipper to rate UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.
Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC's USDOT number?
UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC's USDOT number is 1162977, and its motor carrier number is MC-468507.
Is UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-18, UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC's safety record?
UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC has a 29.2% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 1,458 roadside inspections, with 35 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and is not currently rated by FMCSA. Vektor's computed risk score is 81/100 (tier: review).
How big is UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC's fleet?
UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC operates 124 power units and 116 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC based?
UNIVERSAL INTERMODAL SERVICES INC is based in WARREN, MI, with roadside inspections recorded across 38 states.