Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
15 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 178102 · MC-172677
PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO
15 power unitsavg 6.7 yrRegional · 3 statesMITCHELL, SD
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-172677 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORY
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
15Power units
7 observed · MCS-150
10Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
6.7Avg age (yr)
1998–2026 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-13
Clear to load
Active authority and a clean federal record. No blocking issues found.
Active operating authorityInsurance on file
Watch · 0
Nothing flagged.
In good standing · 4
Active operating authorityActive for-hire authority is on file with FMCSA.Insurance on fileBIPD (liability) insurance is on file with FMCSA.Established 52 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 1974.Out-of-service rates below national averageBoth vehicle and driver OOS rates beat the national benchmark across 26 inspections.
Operating authority5252 yr active
since 1974Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo0.00.0 %
▼ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal00
1 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
6.7 yr
Model years 1998–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
52 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1974 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO safe to work with?
Is PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO safe to load? PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO (USDOT 178102, MC-172677) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in MITCHELL, SD, operating 15 power units and 18 drivers. Operating authority has been active 52 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 26 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 0.0% (below the 22.26% national average), with 1 reportable crash in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it clear to load (100/100). Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
PDPORTER DISTRIBUTING CO 100
01
Safety
26 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 0.0% (24-mo)5 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)14 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
0.0% now▼ Improving
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
≈0.5 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Roadside-inspection volume is about what you'd expect for a 15-unit fleet — enough signal to read the safety record, though not a heavy sample.
- Registered power units
- 15
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 14
- Annualized
- ≈7 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.5 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.
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving8
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance2
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance2
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance2
- 395.24 ELD — record edits / dataHOS Compliance2
- 390.21 USDOT number marking on vehicleUnsafe Driving1
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance1
- 393.43 Parts & accessories (vehicle condition)Vehicle Maintenance1 · 1 OOS
- 393.51 Brake warning devicesVehicle Maintenance1 · 1 OOS
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance1
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- Inactive
- Contract
- Active
- Broker
- None
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$750k BIPD · 7 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+1 earlier
Continental Western · 96–99
Fidelity Guaranty · 99–01
Cincinnati · 01–05
Nationwide Comp · 05–08
Regent · 08–13
Donegal · 13–15
19922015
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.
7 insurer eras · collapsed from 11 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| DONEGAL MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY | Nov 2013 → Nov 2015 | $750k | 3 |
| REGENT INSURANCE COMPANY | Nov 2008 → Nov 2013 | $750k | 1 |
| NATIONWIDE MUTUAL INSURANCE COMP | Nov 2005 → Dec 2008 | $750k | 2 |
| THE CINCINNATI INSURANCE CO. | Nov 2001 → Nov 2005 | $750k | 1 |
| FIDELITY AND GUARANTY INSURANCE COMPANY | Nov 1999 → Sep 2001 | $750k | 2 |
| CONTINENTAL WESTERN INSURANCE CO. | Nov 1996 → Dec 1999 | $750k | 1 |
| GLOBE INDEMNITY CO. | Nov 1992 → Nov 1996 | $750k | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 15
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 7
- Trailers (towed)
- 10
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
1998
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 3 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusRegional
revealedStates observed33
US statesInspections · 24 mo1414
SD busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
MITCHELL, SD
Top corridor
SD
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
No shared-VIN flow in the last 12 months
None of this carrier's trucks were inspected under another USDOT in the last 12 months — any shared equipment is historical, not active.
Show all-time history (3 trucks · 2 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 3401653USDOT 42798
Shares a company officer with other carriers
james l porter — 2 carriers: USDOT 2523132
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)1515
Observed (24 mo)77
Shared w/ other carriers33
Registered capacity materially exceeds what is observed roadside — the MCS-150 may be stale or the fleet under-utilized.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 212 S LANGDON ST, MITCHELL, SD, 57301
- Mailing address
- PO BOX 187, MITCHELL, SD, 57301
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (605) 996-7465
- troy@porterbeer.com
- Web domain
- porterbeer.com
Registration
- Officer
- James L Porter
- USDOT / docket
- 178102 · MC-172677
- First registered
- 06/01/1974
- Last MCS-150
- 02/25/2026 · 570,000 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 01/12/1996
- 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
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Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO's USDOT number?
PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO's USDOT number is 178102, and its motor carrier number is MC-172677.
Is PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO's safety record?
PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO has a 0.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 26 roadside inspections, with 1 reportable crash in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 100/100 (tier: clear).
How big is PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO's fleet?
PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO operates 15 power units and 18 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO based?
PORTER DISTRIBUTING CO is based in MITCHELL, SD, with roadside inspections recorded across 3 states.