Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
135 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 203754 · MC-153552
STEEL TRANSPORT INC
135 power unitsavg 12.7 yrRegional · 6 statesGARY, IN
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-153552 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORY
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
135Power units
37 observed · MCS-150
37Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
12.7Avg age (yr)
1998–2026 · 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 authority5252 yr active
since 1974Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo31.031.0 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal44
9 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersOlder
12.7 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 STEEL TRANSPORT INC safe to work with?
Is STEEL TRANSPORT INC safe to load? STEEL TRANSPORT INC (USDOT 203754, MC-153552) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in GARY, IN, operating 135 power units and 52 drivers. Operating authority has been active 52 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 76 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 31.0% (above the 22.26% national average), with 9 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. 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
STSTEEL TRANSPORT INC 81
01
Safety
76 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 31.0% (24-mo)29 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)48 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
16.7% 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
≈0.2 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Few roadside inspections for a 135-unit fleet — the out-of-service and violation signals above rest on a small sample, so weight them cautiously. Thin coverage on a young authority is itself a flag.
- Registered power units
- 135
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 48
- Annualized
- ≈24 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.2 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.
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving40
- 395.30 ELD — use / data transferHOS Compliance7
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance6 · 6 OOS
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance5 · 2 OOS
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance4 · 1 OOS
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance4
- 393.104 Cargo securement — tiedownsVehicle Maintenance4
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance3
- 395.22 ELD — provider/registration/malfunctionHOS Compliance3
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance3
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
$750k BIPD · 8 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+5 earlier
Harris Bank · 94–13
Continental Western · 95–00
Rli · 02–10
State Nationalspecialty · 10–12
Rli · 12–17
Carolina · 19–21
19942021
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.
11 insurer eras · collapsed from 22 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAROLINA CASUALTY INSURANCE CO. | Jun 2019 → Apr 2021 | $750k | 1 |
| RLI INSURANCE COMPANY | Jun 2018 → Jun 2019 | $750k | 1 |
| GREAT DIVIDE INSURANCE COMPANY | Jun 2017 → Jun 2018 | $750k | 1 |
| RLI INSURANCE COMPANY | Jun 2012 → Jun 2017 | $750k | 2 |
| STATE NATIONALSPECIALTY INSCO/NATIONAL SPECIA | Jun 2010 → Jun 2012 | $750k | 1 |
| RLI INSURANCE COMPANY | Nov 2002 → Jun 2010 | $750k | 7 |
| CAROLINA CASUALTY INSURANCE CO. | Nov 2001 → Nov 2002 | $750k | 1 |
| UNITED STATES FIDELITY & GUARANTY CO. | Nov 2000 → Nov 2001 | $750k | 4 |
| CONTINENTAL WESTERN INSURANCE CO. | Nov 1995 → Nov 2000 | $750k | 1 |
| ACUITY, A MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY | Nov 1994 → Nov 1995 | $750k | 2 |
| HARRIS BANK HINSDALE, N. A. | Oct 1994 → Feb 2013 | $750k | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 135
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 37
- Trailers (towed)
- 37
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 6 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusRegional
revealedStates observed55
US statesInspections · 24 mo4747
IN busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
GARY, IN
Top corridor
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 4434895Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (13 trucks · 13 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 504403USDOT 1023351USDOT 2534606USDOT 2418668USDOT 104030USDOT 142116USDOT 1278724USDOT 92693
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@steeltransportinc.com — 2 carriers: USDOT 249019
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)135135
Observed (24 mo)3737
Shared w/ other carriers1313
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
- 6701 MELTON ROAD, GARY, IN, 46403
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (219) 939-3000
- Web domain
- steeltransportinc.com
Registration
- Officer
- Kenneth Paulan
- USDOT / docket
- 203754 · MC-153552
- First registered
- 06/01/1974
- Last MCS-150
- 01/21/2025 · 4,269,926 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 12/05/2013
- D-U-N-S
- 37594371
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 STEEL TRANSPORT 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 STEEL TRANSPORT INC's USDOT number?
STEEL TRANSPORT INC's USDOT number is 203754, and its motor carrier number is MC-153552.
Is STEEL TRANSPORT INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-18, STEEL TRANSPORT INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is STEEL TRANSPORT INC's safety record?
STEEL TRANSPORT INC has a 31.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 76 roadside inspections, with 9 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 81/100 (tier: review).
How big is STEEL TRANSPORT INC's fleet?
STEEL TRANSPORT INC operates 135 power units and 52 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is STEEL TRANSPORT INC based?
STEEL TRANSPORT INC is based in GARY, IN, with roadside inspections recorded across 6 states.