Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
27 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 2017701 · MC-713272
INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC
27 power unitsavg 13.8 yrMulti-region · 11 statesVALPARAISO, IN
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-713272 ACTIVE
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
27Power units
16 observed · MCS-150
21Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
13.8Avg age (yr)
1997–2026 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-13
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 authority1616 yr active
since 2010Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo25.025.0 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal00
3 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersOlder
13.8 yr
Model years 1997–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
16 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2010 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC safe to work with?
Is INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC safe to load? INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC (USDOT 2017701, MC-713272) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in VALPARAISO, IN, operating 27 power units and 27 drivers. Operating authority has been active 16 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 36 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 25.0% (above the 22.26% national average), with 3 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: driver out-of-service rate well above average. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
ISINDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC 81
01
Safety
36 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 25.0% (24-mo)16 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 18.8% (24-mo)32 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
38.5% 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
≈0.6 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Roadside-inspection volume is about what you'd expect for a 27-unit fleet — enough signal to read the safety record, though not a heavy sample.
- Registered power units
- 27
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 32
- Annualized
- ≈16 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.6 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 Driving20
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance13 · 4 OOS
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance6 · 1 OOS
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance5
- 395.30 ELD — use / data transferHOS Compliance5
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance5 · 1 OOS
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance4 · 1 OOS
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance3
- 393.53 Automatic brake adjusters / indicatorsVehicle Maintenance2
- 393.95 Emergency equipment (extinguisher, triangles)Vehicle 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
$750k BIPD · 5 insurers · 1 lapseCoverage lapse
+4 earlier
Lancer · 10–15
20102026
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.
5 insurer eras · collapsed from 10 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| PENNSYLVANIA MANUFACTURERS INDEMNITY COMPANY | Feb 2025 → Feb 2026 | $750k | 1 |
| PROFESSIONAL TRANSPORTATION RRG INC | Feb 2024 → Feb 2025 | $750k | 1 |
| INDEMNITY INSURANCE CO. OF NORTH AMERICA | Feb 2023 → Feb 2024 | $750k | 2 |
| PROGRESSIVE SOUTHEASTERN INSURANCE COMPANY | Feb 2022 → Feb 2023 | $750k | 1 |
| LANCER INSURANCE COMPANY | May 2010 → Jun 2015 | $750k | 5 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 27
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 16
- Trailers (towed)
- 21
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 11 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusMulti-region
revealedStates observed1111
US statesInspections · 24 mo3232
OH busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
VALPARAISO, IN
Top corridor
OH ⇄ IN
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 1548787Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (11 trucks · 8 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 159317USDOT 1548787USDOT 2361921USDOT 204961USDOT 2120650USDOT 3110322USDOT 795982USDOT 459728
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@indianasteelcarriers.com — 3 carriers: USDOT 3984364USDOT 4205972
Shares a company officer with other carriers
miguel estrada — 10 carriers: USDOT 1935741USDOT 2397440USDOT 3441800USDOT 3451564USDOT 3730632USDOT 3984364USDOT 4205972USDOT 4222543
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)2727
Observed (24 mo)1616
Shared w/ other carriers1111
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
- 2558 KERRY DR, VALPARAISO, IN, 46385
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (219) 884-2703
- Cell
- (219) 712-5792
- Web domain
- indianasteelcarriers.com
Registration
- Officers
- Miguel Estrada · Matthew W Debats
- USDOT / docket
- 2017701 · MC-713272
- First registered
- 04/07/2010
- Last MCS-150
- 10/24/2025 · 1,194,352 mi (2023)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Not rated
- Recordable crash rate
- 0.00
- D-U-N-S
- 79451359
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 INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS 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 INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC's USDOT number?
INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC's USDOT number is 2017701, and its motor carrier number is MC-713272.
Is INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC's safety record?
INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC has a 25.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 36 roadside inspections, with 3 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 INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC's fleet?
INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC operates 27 power units and 27 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC based?
INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC is based in VALPARAISO, IN, with roadside inspections recorded across 11 states.