Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
14 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 278700 · MC-161291
BIG SKY TRUCKING INC
14 power unitsavg 9 yrNational · 17 statesHELENA, MT
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-161291 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
14Power units
16 observed · MCS-150
18Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
9.0Avg age (yr)
1999–2025 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-07-01
Clear to load
Active authority and a clean federal record. No blocking issues found.
Active operating authorityInsurance on file
Watch · 0
Nothing flagged.
In good standing · 4
Active operating authorityActive for-hire authority is on file with FMCSA.Insurance on fileBIPD (liability) insurance is on file with FMCSA.Established 40 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 1986.Out-of-service rates below national averageBoth vehicle and driver OOS rates beat the national benchmark across 111 inspections.
Operating authority3939 yr active
since 1986Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo17.917.9 %
▼ 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 peersTypical
9 yr
Model years 1999–2025 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
39 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1986 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is BIG SKY TRUCKING INC safe to work with?
Is BIG SKY TRUCKING INC safe to load? BIG SKY TRUCKING INC (USDOT 278700, MC-161291) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in HELENA, MT, operating 14 power units and 15 drivers. Operating authority has been active 39 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 111 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 17.9% (below the 22.26% national average), with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it clear to load (100/100). Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-07-01.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-07-01
BSBIG SKY TRUCKING INC 100
01
Safety
111 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 17.9% (24-mo)28 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 3.7% (24-mo)81 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● 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
≈2.9 / 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
- 14
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 81
- Annualized
- ≈41 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈2.9 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
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance15 · 2 OOS
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance8 · 2 OOS
- 395.24 ELD — record edits / dataHOS Compliance7
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance5
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance4
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance4 · 4 OOS
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance3
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance3
- 396.5 Oil and/or grease leakVehicle Maintenance2 · 1 OOS
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
$750k BIPD · 3 insurers · 1 lapseCoverage lapse
+3 earlier
Great West · 88–04
Great West · 05–15
Great West · 16–25
19882025
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.
6 insurer eras · collapsed from 13 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Jun 2016 → Jun 2025 | $750k | 1 |
| NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY | Jun 2015 → Jun 2016 | $750k | 2 |
| SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY | Jun 2005 → May 2005 | $750k | 2 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | May 2005 → Jun 2015 | $750k | 1 |
| SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY | May 2004 → May 2005 | $750k | 4 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | May 1988 → May 2004 | $750k | 3 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 14
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 16
- Trailers (towed)
- 18
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
1999
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 17 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusNational
revealedStates observed1616
US statesInspections · 24 mo8080
SD busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
HELENA, MT
Top corridor
SD ⇄ MT
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 4 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 1091879USDOT 125563USDOT 2557164USDOT 1143320Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (10 trucks · 9 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 279780USDOT 328687USDOT 4196338USDOT 1143320USDOT 2155575USDOT 1091879USDOT 527669USDOT 292412
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@bigskytrucking.com — 2 carriers: USDOT 4418162
Shares a company officer with other carriers
randall stewart — 4 carriers: USDOT 1964473USDOT 3454671USDOT 4418162
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)1414
Observed (24 mo)1616
Shared w/ other carriers1010
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 3178 E LYNDALE AVE, HELENA, MT, 59601
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (406) 443-0200
- Fax
- (406) 449-4286
- Web domain
- bigskytrucking.com
Registration
- Officer
- Randall Stewart
- USDOT / docket
- 278700 · MC-161291
- First registered
- 09/09/1986
- Last MCS-150
- 05/07/2026 · 1,673,214 mi (2020)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 06/17/2004
- 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
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Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is BIG SKY TRUCKING INC's USDOT number?
BIG SKY TRUCKING INC's USDOT number is 278700, and its motor carrier number is MC-161291.
Is BIG SKY TRUCKING INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-01, BIG SKY TRUCKING INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is BIG SKY TRUCKING INC's safety record?
BIG SKY TRUCKING INC has a 17.9% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 111 roadside inspections, with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 100/100 (tier: clear).
How big is BIG SKY TRUCKING INC's fleet?
BIG SKY TRUCKING INC operates 14 power units and 15 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is BIG SKY TRUCKING INC based?
BIG SKY TRUCKING INC is based in HELENA, MT, with roadside inspections recorded across 17 states.