Fleet typeIdentity
Owner-operator
2 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 3976663 · MC-804394
LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC
2 power unitsavg 6.8 yrMulti-region · 8 statesAURORA, CO
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-804394 ACTIVE
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
2Power units
4 observed · MCS-150
—Trailers seen
None observed · 24 mo
6.8Avg age (yr)
2014–2024 · 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 fileDriver out-of-service rate well above average
Operating authority33 yr active
since 2022Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo12.512.5 %
▼ 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 peersTypical
6.8 yr
Model years 2014–2024 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
3 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2022 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC safe to work with?
Is LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC safe to load? LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC (USDOT 3976663, MC-804394) is an active owner-operator motor carrier based in AURORA, CO, operating 2 power units and 2 drivers. Operating authority has been active 3 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 14 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 12.5% (below 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 (88/100), with the leading concern: driver out-of-service rate well above average. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
LELIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC 88
01
Safety
14 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 12.5% (24-mo)8 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 54.5% (24-mo)11 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
44.4% 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
≈2.8 / 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
- 2
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 11
- Annualized
- ≈6 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈2.8 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.
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance12 · 3 OOS
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance7 · 5 OOS
- 393.60 Windshield / glazingVehicle Maintenance7
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving5
- 390.21 USDOT number marking on vehicleUnsafe Driving5
- 391.11 Driver not qualifiedDriver Fitness5 · 4 OOS
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance3
- 391.41 No / expired medical certificateDriver Fitness3 · 1 OOS
- 383.95 Commercial Driver's License (CDL)Driver Fitness1 · 1 OOS
- 396.9 Inspection of motor vehicles in operationVehicle Maintenance1
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- None
- 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 · 5 insurers · 1 lapseCoverage lapse
+5 earlier
Northland · 14–16
National Transportation · 24–26
20132026
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.
7 insurer eras · collapsed from 21 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION INSURANCE CO RRG, LLC | Sep 2024 → Apr 2026 | $750k | 5 |
| SHELTER GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY | Feb 2024 → Oct 2024 | $750k | 3 |
| PROTECTIVE INSURANCE CO. | May 2023 → Feb 2024 | $750k | 2 |
| ARTISAN & TRUCKERS CASUALTY COMPANY | Feb 2023 → May 2023 | $750k | 2 |
| ARTISAN & TRUCKERS CASUALTY COMPANY | Feb 2016 → May 2016 | $750k | 7 |
| NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY | Feb 2014 → Feb 2016 | $750k | 1 |
| ARTISAN & TRUCKERS CASUALTY COMPANY | Feb 2013 → Feb 2014 | $750k | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 2
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 4
- 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
2014
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 8 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusMulti-region
revealedStates observed88
US statesInspections · 24 mo1111
CA busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
AURORA, CO
Top corridor
CA ⇄ CO
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 1 truck also ran under 1 other carrier
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 3677563Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (3 trucks · 4 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 3677563USDOT 3853686USDOT 4324829USDOT 4180020
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)22
Observed (24 mo)44
Shared w/ other carriers33
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
- 1336 S JOPLIN ST, AURORA, CO, 80017
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (720) 601-2006
Registration
- Officer
- Cristina Valle Rivera
- USDOT / docket
- 3976663 · MC-804394
- First registered
- 10/27/2022
- Last MCS-150
- 10/29/2025 · 70,000 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Not rated
- Recordable crash rate
- 0.00
- D-U-N-S
- —
Fleet (self-reported · MCS-150)
—CDL drivers
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 LIGHTNING EXPRESS 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 LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC's USDOT number?
LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC's USDOT number is 3976663, and its motor carrier number is MC-804394.
Is LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC's safety record?
LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC has a 12.5% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 14 roadside inspections, with 1 reportable crash in the last 24 months, and is not currently rated by FMCSA. Vektor's computed risk score is 88/100 (tier: clear).
How big is LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC's fleet?
LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC operates 2 power units and 2 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC based?
LIGHTNING EXPRESS LLC is based in AURORA, CO, with roadside inspections recorded across 8 states.