Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
28 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 289876 · MC-198624
SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC
28 power unitsavg 12.8 yrMulti-region · 11 statesHUGOTON, KS
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-198624 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
28Power units
26 observed · MCS-150
15Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
12.8Avg age (yr)
1997–2026 · 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 fileFatal crash on record
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 39 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 1987.Out-of-service rates below national averageBoth vehicle and driver OOS rates beat the national benchmark across 81 inspections.
Operating authority3939 yr active
since 1987Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo10.210.2 %
▼ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal44
2 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersOlder
12.8 yr
Model years 1997–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
39 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1987 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC safe to work with?
Is SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC safe to load? SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC (USDOT 289876, MC-198624) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in HUGOTON, KS, operating 28 power units and 29 drivers. Operating authority has been active 39 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 81 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 10.2% (below the 22.26% national average), with 2 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it clear to load (88/100), with the leading concern: fatal crash on record. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-07-18.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-07-18
SESOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC 88
01
Safety
81 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 10.2% (24-mo)49 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 1.8% (24-mo)56 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
7.1% 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
≈1.0 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Within the expected band for a 28-unit fleet — FMCSA has inspected this carrier often enough that the out-of-service and violation signals above are statistically trustworthy.
- Registered power units
- 28
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 56
- Annualized
- ≈28 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈1.0 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 Driving18
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance15 · 4 OOS
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance7 · 3 OOS
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance7
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance7 · 6 OOS
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance6
- 393.60 Windshield / glazingVehicle Maintenance6
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance6 · 2 OOS
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance6 · 3 OOS
- 395.24 ELD — record edits / dataHOS Compliance4
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
CargoFiled with FMCSA
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$5M BIPD · 5 insurers · 2 lapsesCoverage lapse
+5 earlier
Lexington · 93–99
Great West · 93–99
Union · 00–07
Axis Surplus · 10–13
19932013
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 16 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| AXIS SURPLUS INSURANCE COMPANY | Jan 2010 → Jan 2013 | $5M | 1 |
| LEXINGTON INSURANCE COMPANY | Jan 2009 → Jan 2010 | $5M | 1 |
| UNION INSURANCE CO. | Jan 2008 → Jan 2009 | $5M | 1 |
| UNION INSURANCE CO. | Jan 2000 → Jan 2007 | $5M | 7 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Aug 1999 → Sep 1999 | $5M | 2 |
| UNION INSURANCE CO. | Jan 1999 → Jan 2000 | $5M | 1 |
| CAROLINA CASUALTY INSURANCE CO. | Nov 1994 → Feb 1996 | $5M | 1 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Nov 1993 → Aug 1999 | $5M | 1 |
| LEXINGTON INSURANCE COMPANY | Nov 1993 → Sep 1999 | $5M | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 28
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 26
- Trailers (towed)
- 15
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
1997
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 11 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusMulti-region
revealedStates observed1111
US statesInspections · 24 mo5656
KS busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
HUGOTON, KS
Top corridor
KS
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 6 trucks also ran under 3 other carriers
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 266598USDOT 636095USDOT 2465051Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (19 trucks · 12 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 185040USDOT 668590USDOT 2465051USDOT 2261239USDOT 3782331USDOT 266598USDOT 3353843USDOT 1592966
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@martintruckinginc.com — 3 carriers: USDOT 266598USDOT 3739098
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)2828
Observed (24 mo)2626
Shared w/ other carriers1919
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 1015 WEST CITY LIMITS, HUGOTON, KS, 67951
- Mailing address
- P O BOX Q, HUGOTON, KS, 67951
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (620) 544-7500
- Web domain
- martintruckinginc.com
Registration
- Officers
- Douglas Martin · Doug Martin
- USDOT / docket
- 289876 · MC-198624
- First registered
- 04/08/1987
- Last MCS-150
- 04/09/2026 · 2,173,013 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 03/22/2005
- D-U-N-S
- 183292507
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 SOUTHWEST EXPRESS 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 SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC's USDOT number?
SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC's USDOT number is 289876, and its motor carrier number is MC-198624.
Is SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-18, SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC's safety record?
SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC has a 10.2% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 81 roadside inspections, with 2 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 88/100 (tier: clear).
How big is SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC's fleet?
SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC operates 28 power units and 29 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC based?
SOUTHWEST EXPRESS INC is based in HUGOTON, KS, with roadside inspections recorded across 11 states.