Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
46 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 1954562 · MC-694115
DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC
DBA SKIP MCKEAN PETROLEUM TRANSPORT
46 power unitsavg 10.1 yrRegional · 4 statesBUCKSPORT, ME
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-694115 ACTIVEHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
46Power units
43 observed · MCS-150
48Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
10.1Avg age (yr)
1997–2026 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-07-18
Clear to load
Active authority and a clean federal record. No blocking issues found.
Active operating authorityInsurance on fileFatal crash on record
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 17 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 2009.Out-of-service rates below national averageBoth vehicle and driver OOS rates beat the national benchmark across 132 inspections.
Operating authority1616 yr active
since 2009Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo8.38.3 %
▼ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal11
5 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
10.1 yr
Model years 1997–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
16 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2009 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC safe to work with?
Is DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC safe to load? DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC (USDOT 1954562, MC-694115) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in BUCKSPORT, ME, operating 46 power units and 72 drivers. Operating authority has been active 16 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 132 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 8.3% (below the 22.26% national average), with 5 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA has not assigned a safety rating. Vektor rates it clear to load (88/100), 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
DRDEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC 88
01
Safety
132 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 8.3% (24-mo)84 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)92 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
4.2% now▲ Worsening
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
≈1.0 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Within the expected band for a 46-unit fleet — FMCSA has inspected this carrier often enough that the out-of-service and violation signals above are statistically trustworthy.
- Registered power units
- 46
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 92
- Annualized
- ≈46 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈1.0 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.
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance14 · 1 OOS
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance12 · 4 OOS
- 393.53 Automatic brake adjusters / indicatorsVehicle Maintenance9
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance8 · 2 OOS
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance5 · 3 OOS
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving4
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance3
- 395.22 ELD — provider/registration/malfunctionHOS Compliance2
- 393.95 Emergency equipment (extinguisher, triangles)Vehicle Maintenance2
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance2
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- Active
- Contract
- None
- Broker
- None
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$1M BIPD · 4 insurers · 2 lapsesCoverage lapse
+6 earlier
Hanover · 15–23
20092023
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 18 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNITED STATES FIRE INSURANCE CO. | Nov 2022 → Oct 2023 | $1M | 1 |
| HANOVER INSURANCE CO. | Sep 2015 → Jul 2023 | $1M | 2 |
| HANOVER INSURANCE CO. | Nov 2013 → Nov 2013 | $1M | 2 |
| HDI-GERLING AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY | Sep 2013 → Nov 2013 | $1M | 7 |
| HANOVER INSURANCE CO. | Sep 2012 → Sep 2013 | $1M | 2 |
| HANOVER INSURANCE CO. | Sep 2010 → Sep 2010 | $1M | 2 |
| ONEBEACON AMERICA INSURANCE COMPANY | Sep 2009 → Sep 2010 | $1M | 2 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 46
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 43
- Trailers (towed)
- 48
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 4 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusRegional
revealedStates observed33
US statesInspections · 24 mo9191
ME busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
BUCKSPORT, ME
Top corridor
ME
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 1 truck also ran under 1 other carrier
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 481082Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (5 trucks · 5 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 481082USDOT 4474849USDOT 2388791USDOT 1132584USDOT 164311
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@deadriver.com — 4 carriers: USDOT 164906USDOT 2784261USDOT 3117550
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)4646
Observed (24 mo)4343
Shared w/ other carriers55
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 55 RIVER ROAD, BUCKSPORT, ME, 04416
- Mailing address
- P O BOX 1429, BUCKSPORT, ME, 04416
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (207) 469-6113
- Web domain
- deadriver.com
Registration
- Officers
- Levi Ross · Casey Cramton
- USDOT / docket
- 1954562 · MC-694115
- First registered
- 10/15/2009
- Last MCS-150
- 01/16/2026 · 3,728,566 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Not rated
- Recordable crash rate
- 0.61
- 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 DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.
Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC's USDOT number?
DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC's USDOT number is 1954562, and its motor carrier number is MC-694115.
Is DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-18, DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC's safety record?
DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC has a 8.3% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 132 roadside inspections, with 5 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and is not currently rated by FMCSA. Vektor's computed risk score is 88/100 (tier: clear).
How big is DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC's fleet?
DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC operates 46 power units and 72 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC based?
DEAD RIVER TRANSPORT LLC is based in BUCKSPORT, ME, with roadside inspections recorded across 4 states.