Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
18 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 3659644
GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC
DBA LETTERMENS PROPANE
18 power unitsavg 9.4 yrRegional · 6 statesBONNER SPRINGS, KS
CARRIER ACTIVEHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
18Power units
14 observed · MCS-150
—Trailers seen
None observed · 24 mo
9.4Avg age (yr)
2000–2024 · 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.
Established 5 yearsOut-of-service rates below national average
Watch · 0
Nothing flagged.
Operating authority55 yr active
since 2021Insurance (BIPD)Unknown
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo5.95.9 %
▼ 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
9.4 yr
Model years 2000–2024 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
5 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2021 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC safe to work with?
Is GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC safe to load? GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC (USDOT 3659644) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in BONNER SPRINGS, KS, operating 18 power units and 28 drivers. Operating authority has been active 5 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 27 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 5.9% (below the 22.26% national average), with 0 reportable crashes 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
GBGOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC 100
01
Safety
27 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 5.9% (24-mo)17 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)15 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
0.0% 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 18-unit fleet — enough signal to read the safety record, though not a heavy sample.
- Registered power units
- 18
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 18
- Annualized
- ≈9 / 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.
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance4
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance3 · 3 OOS
- 390.21 USDOT number marking on vehicleUnsafe Driving3
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving3
- 392.9 Failure to secure load / cargo not securedUnsafe Driving3 · 1 OOS
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance3
- 393.53 Automatic brake adjusters / indicatorsVehicle Maintenance3
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance3
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance2
- 393.60 Windshield / glazingVehicle Maintenance1
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
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)
- 18
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 14
- Trailers (towed)
- 0
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
2000
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 6 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusRegional
revealedStates observed66
US statesInspections · 24 mo1818
WA busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
BONNER SPRINGS, KS
Top corridor
WA ⇄ KS
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 2723423
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@lettermensenergy.com — 8 carriers: USDOT 2405299USDOT 2554074USDOT 3242204USDOT 3753095USDOT 3818474USDOT 3965412USDOT 4327609
Shares a company officer with other carriers
steve wambold — 10 carriers: USDOT 1572842USDOT 2254846USDOT 2254857USDOT 2254862USDOT 2320675USDOT 2323706USDOT 2554074USDOT 3242204
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)1818
Observed (24 mo)1414
Shared w/ other carriers11
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 15132 161 STREET, BONNER SPRINGS, KS, 66012
- Mailing address
- 955 E BROADWAY AVE, MOSES LAKE, WA, 98837
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (417) 630-8710
- Web domain
- lettermensenergy.com
Registration
- Officers
- Steve Wambold · Bill Ruisinger
- USDOT / docket
- 3659644
- First registered
- 06/17/2021
- Last MCS-150
- 05/12/2026 · 464,000 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 GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE 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 GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC's USDOT number?
GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC's USDOT number is 3659644.
Is GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC is active in the FMCSA register.
What is GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC's safety record?
GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC has a 5.9% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 27 roadside inspections, with 0 reportable crashes 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 GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC's fleet?
GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC operates 18 power units and 28 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC based?
GOLDEN BEARS PROPANE LLC is based in BONNER SPRINGS, KS, with roadside inspections recorded across 6 states.