Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
10 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 2155076 · MC-749207
GAINES EXPRESS LLC
10 power unitsavg 6.2 yrRegional · 4 statesHICKORY, NC
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-749207 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
10Power units
15 observed · MCS-150
12Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
6.2Avg age (yr)
2014–2023 · 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 fileVehicle out-of-service rate well above average
Operating authority1515 yr active
since 2011Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo46.246.2 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal11
clean 24 moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
6.2 yr
Model years 2014–2023 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
15 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2011 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is GAINES EXPRESS LLC safe to work with?
Is GAINES EXPRESS LLC safe to load? GAINES EXPRESS LLC (USDOT 2155076, MC-749207) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in HICKORY, NC, operating 10 power units and 45 drivers. Operating authority has been active 15 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 93 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 46.2% (above the 22.26% national average), with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it clear to load (86/100), with the leading concern: vehicle out-of-service rate well above average. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
GEGAINES EXPRESS LLC 86
01
Safety
93 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 46.2% (24-mo)13 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 4.8% (24-mo)21 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
50.0% 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
≈1.1 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Within the expected band for a 10-unit fleet — FMCSA has inspected this carrier often enough that the out-of-service and violation signals above are statistically trustworthy.
- Registered power units
- 10
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 21
- Annualized
- ≈11 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈1.1 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 Driving24
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance15 · 13 OOS
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance10
- 395.22 ELD — provider/registration/malfunctionHOS Compliance7
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance7
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance5 · 3 OOS
- 392.16 Failure to use seat beltUnsafe Driving5
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance5 · 4 OOS
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance4
- 393.53 Automatic brake adjusters / indicatorsVehicle Maintenance4
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- Active
- Contract
- Active
- Broker
- None
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$1M BIPD · 9 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+8 earlier
Northland · 11–13
Stonewood · 16–18
Integon · 21–23
20112026
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 24 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| PROGRESSIVE SOUTHEASTERN INSURANCE COMPANY | Jan 2025 → Jan 2026 | $1M | 4 |
| STONEWOOD INSURANCE COMPANY | Aug 2023 → Jan 2025 | $1M | 2 |
| INTEGON INDEMNITY CORPORATION | Jan 2021 → Aug 2023 | $1M | 3 |
| CAROLINA CASUALTY INSURANCE CO. | Jan 2020 → Jan 2021 | $1M | 4 |
| INTEGON INDEMNITY CORPORATION | Feb 2019 → Jan 2020 | $1M | 3 |
| NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY | Sep 2018 → Feb 2019 | $1M | 1 |
| STONEWOOD INSURANCE COMPANY | Sep 2016 → Sep 2018 | $1M | 2 |
| WILSHIRE INSURANCE COMPANY | Sep 2015 → Sep 2016 | $1M | 2 |
| NEW YORK MARINE & GENERAL INS. CO. | Aug 2014 → Sep 2015 | $1M | 1 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Jul 2013 → Aug 2014 | $1M | 1 |
| NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY | Jul 2011 → Jul 2013 | $1M | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 10
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 15
- Trailers (towed)
- 12
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
2023
Newest model yr
2014
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 observed44
US statesInspections · 24 mo2121
NC busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
HICKORY, NC
Top corridor
NC
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 (49 trucks · 22 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 3891113USDOT 4256654USDOT 2356666USDOT 4152235USDOT 4507691USDOT 600140USDOT 3401149USDOT 1243338
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@gainesexpress.com — 3 carriers: USDOT 2940882USDOT 3548681
Shares a company officer with other carriers
corey gaines — 4 carriers: USDOT 2913883USDOT 3841275USDOT 4532934
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)1010
Observed (24 mo)1515
Shared w/ other carriers4949
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 200 1ST AVE NW STE 202, HICKORY, NC, 28601
- Mailing address
- PO BOX 2607, HICKORY, NC, 28603
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (828) 358-3366
- Cell
- (828) 302-2258
- Fax
- (980) 223-3022
- Web domain
- gainesexpress.com
Registration
- Officer
- Corey Gaines
- USDOT / docket
- 2155076 · MC-749207
- First registered
- 05/18/2011
- Last MCS-150
- 08/13/2025 · 3,100,000 mi (2022)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 12/04/2019
- 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 GAINES EXPRESS 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 GAINES EXPRESS LLC's USDOT number?
GAINES EXPRESS LLC's USDOT number is 2155076, and its motor carrier number is MC-749207.
Is GAINES EXPRESS LLC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, GAINES EXPRESS LLC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is GAINES EXPRESS LLC's safety record?
GAINES EXPRESS LLC has a 46.2% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 93 roadside inspections, with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 86/100 (tier: clear).
How big is GAINES EXPRESS LLC's fleet?
GAINES EXPRESS LLC operates 10 power units and 45 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is GAINES EXPRESS LLC based?
GAINES EXPRESS LLC is based in HICKORY, NC, with roadside inspections recorded across 4 states.