Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
6 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 2777033 · MC-924660
STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC
6 power unitsavg 14.4 yrMulti-region · 15 statesMONTROSE, CO
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-924660 ACTIVEHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
6Power units
13 observed · MCS-150
9Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
14.4Avg age (yr)
1997–2024 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-07-09
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 authority1111 yr active
since 2015Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo25.025.0 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal00
clean 24 moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersOlder
14.4 yr
Model years 1997–2024 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
11 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2015 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC safe to work with?
Is STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC safe to load? STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC (USDOT 2777033, MC-924660) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in MONTROSE, CO, operating 6 power units and 6 drivers. Operating authority has been active 11 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 41 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 25.0% (above the 22.26% national average), with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA has not assigned a safety rating. Vektor rates it review before loading (81/100), with the leading concern: driver out-of-service rate well above average. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-07-09.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-07-09
SASTERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC 81
01
Safety
41 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 25.0% (24-mo)8 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 14.3% (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
42.9% 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
≈1.8 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Among the more heavily-inspected carriers for its size — abundant roadside signal. Coverage isn't the question here; the out-of-service and crash record is.
- Registered power units
- 6
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 21
- Annualized
- ≈11 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈1.8 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 Driving14
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance4 · 2 OOS
- 395.30 ELD — use / data transferHOS Compliance3
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance3 · 2 OOS
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance3
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance3
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance3 · 3 OOS
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance2 · 1 OOS
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance2
- 393.48 Brakes inoperativeVehicle Maintenance2
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 · 4 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+2 earlier
Artisan Truckers · 15–17
Northland · 17–22
20152023
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.
4 insurer eras · collapsed from 8 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| PROTECTIVE INSURANCE COMPANY | Sep 2022 → Sep 2023 | $1M | 1 |
| NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY | Sep 2017 → Sep 2022 | $1M | 2 |
| ARTISAN & TRUCKERS CASUALTY COMPANY | Sep 2015 → Sep 2017 | $1M | 3 |
| UNITED FINANCIAL CASUALTY COMPANY | Aug 2015 → Aug 2015 | $1M | 2 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 6
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 13
- Trailers (towed)
- 9
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
1997
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 15 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusMulti-region
revealedStates observed1515
US statesInspections · 24 mo2121
IA busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
MONTROSE, CO
Top corridor
IA ⇄ CO
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 2 trucks 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 2116970USDOT 2545275Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (2 trucks · 3 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 1597774USDOT 2545275USDOT 76628
Shares a company officer with other carriers
jon ullrich — 2 carriers: USDOT 745378
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)66
Observed (24 mo)1313
Shared w/ other carriers22
Roadside-observed power units materially exceed the registered MCS-150 fleet — confirm the carrier is operating within its filed capacity.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 12125 5975 RD, MONTROSE, CO, 81403-8185
- Mailing address
- PO BOX 350, FIRESTONE, CO, 80520
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (970) 787-6697
- Web domain
- sterlingautocarriers.com
Registration
- Officers
- Troy Sterkel · Jon Ullrich
- USDOT / docket
- 2777033 · MC-924660
- First registered
- 07/01/2015
- Last MCS-150
- 07/06/2026 · 913,142 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 STERLING AUTO CARRIERS 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 STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC's USDOT number?
STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC's USDOT number is 2777033, and its motor carrier number is MC-924660.
Is STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-09, STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC's safety record?
STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC has a 25.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 41 roadside inspections, with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and is not currently rated by FMCSA. Vektor's computed risk score is 81/100 (tier: review).
How big is STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC's fleet?
STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC operates 6 power units and 6 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC based?
STERLING AUTO CARRIERS INC is based in MONTROSE, CO, with roadside inspections recorded across 15 states.