Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
182 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 229003
MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING
182 power unitsavg 4 yrMulti-region · 9 statesCEDAR FALLS, IA
CARRIER ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
182Power units
61 observed · MCS-150
66Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
4.0Avg age (yr)
2016–2026 · 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.
Established 43 yearsVehicle out-of-service rate above average
Operating authority4343 yr active
since 1983Insurance (BIPD)Unknown
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo31.031.0 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal33
9 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersNewer
4 yr
Model years 2016–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
43 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1983 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING safe to work with?
Is MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING safe to load? MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING (USDOT 229003) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in CEDAR FALLS, IA, operating 182 power units and 228 drivers. Operating authority has been active 43 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 121 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 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
MBMARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING 81
01
Safety
121 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 1.3% (24-mo)80 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
10.5% 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
≈0.2 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Few roadside inspections for a 182-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
- 182
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 80
- Annualized
- ≈40 / 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 Driving36
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance10 · 3 OOS
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance9 · 6 OOS
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance7 · 1 OOS
- 393.95 Emergency equipment (extinguisher, triangles)Vehicle Maintenance6
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance4 · 1 OOS
- 390.21 USDOT number marking on vehicleUnsafe Driving3
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance3
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance2 · 2 OOS
- 392.16 Failure to use seat beltUnsafe Driving2
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
No insurance filing history on record.
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 182
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 61
- Trailers (towed)
- 66
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
2016
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 9 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusMulti-region
revealedStates observed99
US statesInspections · 24 mo8080
IL busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
CEDAR FALLS, IA
Top corridor
IL ⇄ IA
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 1 truck also ran under 2 other carriers
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 689848USDOT 4421376Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (5 trucks · 6 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 689848USDOT 4421376USDOT 465185USDOT 4026307USDOT 1526292USDOT 36189
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)182182
Observed (24 mo)6161
Shared w/ other carriers55
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
- 406 VIKING ROAD, CEDAR FALLS, IA, 50613-0069
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (319) 266-1775
- Fax
- (319) 273-9733
- Web domain
- martinbros.com
Registration
- Officers
- Brooks Martin · Jeff Martin
- USDOT / docket
- 229003
- First registered
- 02/17/1983
- Last MCS-150
- 03/17/2026 · 14,772,783 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 07/24/1991
- D-U-N-S
- 22044762
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 MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.
Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING's USDOT number?
MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING's USDOT number is 229003.
Is MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING is active in the FMCSA register.
What is MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING's safety record?
MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING has a 31.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 121 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 MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING's fleet?
MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING operates 182 power units and 228 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING based?
MARTIN BROS DISTRIBUTING is based in CEDAR FALLS, IA, with roadside inspections recorded across 9 states.