Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
20 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 2564775 · MC-895452
FIRST WAY INC
20 power unitsavg 4.4 yrNational · 26 statesPALATINE, IL
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-895452 ACTIVE
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
20Power units
19 observed · MCS-150
20Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
4.4Avg age (yr)
2001–2025 · 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 fileDriver out-of-service rate above average
Watch · 2
Operating authority1111 yr active
since 2014Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo20.720.7 %
▼ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal00
4 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersNewer
4.4 yr
Model years 2001–2025 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
11 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2014 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is FIRST WAY INC safe to work with?
Is FIRST WAY INC safe to load? FIRST WAY INC (USDOT 2564775, MC-895452) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in PALATINE, IL, operating 20 power units and 20 drivers. Operating authority has been active 11 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 67 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 20.7% (below the 22.26% national average), with 4 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA has not assigned a safety rating. Vektor rates it clear to load (88/100). Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-07-18.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-07-18
FWFIRST WAY INC 88
01
Safety
67 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 20.7% (24-mo)29 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 8.0% (24-mo)50 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
28.6% now● Stable
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
≈1.3 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Within the expected band for a 20-unit fleet — FMCSA has inspected this carrier often enough that the out-of-service and violation signals above are statistically trustworthy.
- Registered power units
- 20
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 50
- Annualized
- ≈25 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈1.3 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 Driving16
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance6
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance4 · 4 OOS
- 395.30 ELD — use / data transferHOS Compliance3
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance3 · 2 OOS
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance2 · 1 OOS
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance2 · 1 OOS
- 393.207 Parts & accessories (vehicle condition)Vehicle Maintenance2 · 2 OOS
- 393.209 Parts & accessories (vehicle condition)Vehicle Maintenance1
- 393.95 Emergency equipment (extinguisher, triangles)Vehicle Maintenance1
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 · 7 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+7 earlier
Artisan Truckers · 15–17
National Union · 22–25
20152025
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.
9 insurer eras · collapsed from 24 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARTISAN & TRUCKERS CASUALTY COMPANY | May 2025 → May 2025 | $750k | 1 |
| NATIONAL UNION FIRE INS. CO. OF PITSBGH. PA | May 2022 → Jun 2025 | $750k | 4 |
| STATE NATIONALSPECIALTY INSCO/NATIONAL SPECIA | May 2021 → May 2022 | $750k | 1 |
| KNIGHTBROOK INSURANCE COMPANY | May 2020 → May 2021 | $750k | 5 |
| STATE NATIONAL INSURANCE CO., INC. | Oct 2019 → May 2020 | $750k | 2 |
| NATIONAL LIABILITY & FIRE INS CO. | Oct 2018 → Oct 2019 | $750k | 3 |
| ARTISAN & TRUCKERS CASUALTY COMPANY | Jan 2018 → Oct 2018 | $750k | 2 |
| SPIRIT COMMERCIAL AUTO RR GROUP, INC | Jan 2017 → Jan 2018 | $750k | 2 |
| ARTISAN & TRUCKERS CASUALTY COMPANY | Jan 2015 → Jan 2017 | $750k | 4 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 20
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 19
- Trailers (towed)
- 20
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
2025
Newest model yr
2001
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 26 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusNational
revealedStates observed2626
US statesInspections · 24 mo5050
TX busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
PALATINE, IL
Top corridor
TX ⇄ IL
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 5 trucks also ran under 4 other carriers
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 3174505USDOT 4177145USDOT 4051728USDOT 4173235Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (20 trucks · 15 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 3156610USDOT 3679926USDOT 4315024USDOT 2905723USDOT 3174505USDOT 4177145USDOT 1733137USDOT 4101287
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)2020
Observed (24 mo)1919
Shared w/ other carriers2020
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 302 S HICKS RD SUITE# 14, PALATINE, IL, 60067
- Mailing address
- 7604 BROFIELD AVE, WINDERMERE, FL, 34786
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (224) 900-0795
- Web domain
- firstwayinc.com
Registration
- Officer
- Iulian Cosiuc
- USDOT / docket
- 2564775 · MC-895452
- First registered
- 12/12/2014
- Last MCS-150
- 03/05/2026 · 1,758,586 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Not rated
- Recordable crash rate
- 0.00
- 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 FIRST WAY 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 FIRST WAY INC's USDOT number?
FIRST WAY INC's USDOT number is 2564775, and its motor carrier number is MC-895452.
Is FIRST WAY INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-18, FIRST WAY INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is FIRST WAY INC's safety record?
FIRST WAY INC has a 20.7% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 67 roadside inspections, with 4 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 FIRST WAY INC's fleet?
FIRST WAY INC operates 20 power units and 20 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is FIRST WAY INC based?
FIRST WAY INC is based in PALATINE, IL, with roadside inspections recorded across 26 states.