Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
6 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 3046432 · MC-1195400
JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC
6 power unitsavg 13 yrLocal · 2 statesSLOAN, IA
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-1195400 ACTIVE
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
6Power units
5 observed · MCS-150
5Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
13.0Avg age (yr)
1998–2024 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-13
Clear to load
Active authority and a clean federal record. No blocking issues found.
Active operating authorityInsurance on file
Operating authority88 yr active
since 2017Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo33.333.3 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal00
1 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersOlder
13 yr
Model years 1998–2024 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
8 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2017 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC safe to work with?
Is JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC safe to load? JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC (USDOT 3046432, MC-1195400) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in SLOAN, IA, operating 6 power units and 3 drivers. Operating authority has been active 8 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 7 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 33.3% (above the 22.26% national average), with 1 reportable crash in the last 24 months. FMCSA has not assigned a safety rating. Vektor rates it clear to load (100/100). Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
JEJOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC 100
01
Safety
7 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 33.3% (24-mo)3 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)6 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
14.3% 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
≈0.5 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Roadside-inspection volume is about what you'd expect for a 6-unit fleet — enough signal to read the safety record, though not a heavy sample.
- Registered power units
- 6
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 6
- Annualized
- ≈3 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.5 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.
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance9 · 1 OOS
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance6
- 383.71 Commercial Driver's License (CDL)Driver Fitness2
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving2
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance2
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance1
- 393.48 Brakes inoperativeVehicle Maintenance1
- 393.78 Windshield wipersVehicle Maintenance1
- 392.16 Failure to use seat beltUnsafe Driving1
- 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
No insurance filing history on record.
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)
- 5
- Trailers (towed)
- 5
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
1998
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 2 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusLocal
revealedStates observed22
US statesInspections · 24 mo66
IA busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
SLOAN, IA
Top corridor
IA
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
No shared-VIN flow in the last 12 months
None of this carrier's trucks were inspected under another USDOT in the last 12 months — any shared equipment is historical, not active.
Show all-time history (1 truck · 1 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 204050
Shares a company officer with other carriers
brett johnston — 3 carriers: USDOT 3254370USDOT 4522628
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)66
Observed (24 mo)55
Shared w/ other carriers11
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 10032 BUCKEYE AVE, SLOAN, IA, 51055
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (712) 490-8241
Registration
- Officer
- Brett Johnston
- USDOT / docket
- 3046432 · MC-1195400
- First registered
- 09/08/2017
- Last MCS-150
- 12/23/2025 · 60,000 mi (2024)
- 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 JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.
Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC's USDOT number?
JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC's USDOT number is 3046432, and its motor carrier number is MC-1195400.
Is JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC's safety record?
JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC has a 33.3% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 7 roadside inspections, with 1 reportable crash in the last 24 months, and is not currently rated by FMCSA. Vektor's computed risk score is 100/100 (tier: clear).
How big is JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC's fleet?
JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC operates 6 power units and 3 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC based?
JOHNSTON EXCAVATING LLC is based in SLOAN, IA, with roadside inspections recorded across 2 states.