Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
95 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 272811 · MC-177994
TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC
95 power unitsavg 9.9 yrNational · 26 statesSAVAGE, MN
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-177994 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
95Power units
91 observed · MCS-150
156Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
9.9Avg age (yr)
2004–2024 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-13
High risk
Multiple serious issues on the federal record. Verify directly before any tender.
Established 40 yearsNo active operating authority
Watch · 4
No active operating authorityNo active common, contract, or broker authority is on file for a for-hire carrier.Vehicle out-of-service rate above average27.2% vs the 22.3% national average.Fatal crash on record8 crash(es) involving a fatality are on this carrier's record.Reincarnated carrier — prior authority revokedFMCSA links this carrier to a previously revoked operating authority — the classic chameleon-carrier pattern. Verify it is not evading an enforcement history.
In good standing · 1
Operating authority4040 yr active
since 1986Insurance (BIPD)Unknown
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo27.227.2 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal88
10 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
9.9 yr
Model years 2004–2024 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityFlagged
40 yr unchanged
Linked to a previously revoked authority — verify before tendering.
AI readFull read
Is TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC safe to work with?
Is TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC safe to load? TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC (USDOT 272811, MC-177994) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in SAVAGE, MN, operating 95 power units and 95 drivers. Operating authority has been active 40 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 470 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 27.2% (above the 22.26% national average), with 10 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it high risk (48/100), with the leading concern: no active operating authority. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
TDTRANSPORT DESIGNS INC 48
01
Safety
470 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 27.2% (24-mo)103 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 1.9% (24-mo)209 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
19.0% 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
≈1.1 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Within the expected band for a 95-unit fleet — FMCSA has inspected this carrier often enough that the out-of-service and violation signals above are statistically trustworthy.
- Registered power units
- 95
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 209
- Annualized
- ≈105 / 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 Driving96
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance55 · 52 OOS
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance35 · 11 OOS
- 395.24 ELD — record edits / dataHOS Compliance30
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance29 · 4 OOS
- 395.30 ELD — use / data transferHOS Compliance23
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance18
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance14
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance11 · 6 OOS
- 393.207 Parts & accessories (vehicle condition)Vehicle Maintenance11 · 10 OOS
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- Inactive
- Contract
- Inactive
- Broker
- None
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Not on file
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$1M BIPD · 6 insurers · 1 lapseCoverage lapse
+2 earlier
American · 95–98
Liberty Fire · 98–00
Continental · 00–02
Great West · 10–20
Sentry Select · 20–22
Great West · 22–26
19942026
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.
8 insurer eras · collapsed from 12 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Jul 2022 → Feb 2026 | $1M | 2 |
| SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY | Jul 2020 → Jul 2022 | $1M | 1 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Jul 2010 → Jul 2020 | $1M | 3 |
| LIBERTY MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE CO. | Jul 2002 → Jul 2002 | $1M | 2 |
| CONTINENTAL CASUALTY CO. | Jul 2000 → Jul 2002 | $1M | 1 |
| LIBERTY MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE CO. | Jul 1998 → Jul 2000 | $1M | 1 |
| THE AMERICAN INSURANCE CO. | Aug 1995 → Aug 1998 | $1M | 1 |
| FIRST NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY OF AM | Sep 1994 → Sep 1995 | $1M | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 95
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 91
- Trailers (towed)
- 156
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
2024
Newest model yr
2004
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 observed2525
US statesInspections · 24 mo207207
MN busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
SAVAGE, MN
Top corridor
MN
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Reincarnated carrier — prior authority was revoked
FMCSA links this carrier to a previously revoked authority: USDOT 272811. Reincarnation is a primary chameleon-carrier pattern.
Named as the prior authority of newer carriers
1 carrier list this USDOT as their revoked predecessor: USDOT 272811.
Last 12 months: 13 trucks also ran under 13 other carriers
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 3303954USDOT 3630214USDOT 3582194USDOT 4103460USDOT 3992723USDOT 3897372USDOT 1539823USDOT 4089801Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (53 trucks · 30 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 188932USDOT 2835716USDOT 1759560USDOT 3992723USDOT 2572524USDOT 186725USDOT 4238796USDOT 4317086
Shares a company officer with other carriers
eric valder — 3 carriers: USDOT 493936USDOT 908168
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)9595
Observed (24 mo)9191
Shared w/ other carriers5454
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 4200 EGAN DRIVE, SAVAGE, MN, 55378
- Mailing address
- PO BOX 43, SAVAGE, MN, 55378
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (952) 894-8242
- Cell
- (612) 968-3820
- Fax
- (952) 890-8192
- Web domain
- transportdesigninc.com
Registration
- Officers
- Eric Valder · Brian Slipka
- USDOT / docket
- 272811 · MC-177994
- First registered
- 05/09/1986
- Last MCS-150
- 01/09/2025 · 11,912,367 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 12/29/2009
- D-U-N-S
- 160685624
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
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Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC's USDOT number?
TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC's USDOT number is 272811, and its motor carrier number is MC-177994.
Is TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC's safety record?
TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC has a 27.2% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 470 roadside inspections, with 10 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 48/100 (tier: high_risk).
How big is TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC's fleet?
TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC operates 95 power units and 95 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC based?
TRANSPORT DESIGNS INC is based in SAVAGE, MN, with roadside inspections recorded across 26 states.