Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
393 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 474284
JTL GROUP INC
DBA KNIFE RIVER
393 power unitsavg 9.5 yrLocal · 2 statesBILLINGS, MT
CARRIER ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
393Power units
48 observed · MCS-150
9Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
9.5Avg age (yr)
2000–2026 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-13
Review before loading
Operating, but with flags a broker should weigh before tendering freight.
Established 34 yearsVehicle out-of-service rate above average
Operating authority3434 yr active
since 1992Insurance (BIPD)Unknown
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo23.323.3 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal11
3 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
9.5 yr
Model years 2000–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
34 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1992 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is JTL GROUP INC safe to work with?
Is JTL GROUP INC safe to load? JTL GROUP INC (USDOT 474284) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in BILLINGS, MT, operating 393 power units and 149 drivers. Operating authority has been active 34 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 104 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 23.3% (above the 22.26% national average), with 3 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it review before loading (81/100), with the leading concern: fatal crash on record. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
JGJTL GROUP INC 81
01
Safety
104 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 23.3% (24-mo)30 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 1.7% (24-mo)58 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
9.5% 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
≈0.1 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Few roadside inspections for a 393-unit fleet — the out-of-service and violation signals above rest on a small sample, so weight them cautiously. Thin coverage on a young authority is itself a flag.
- Registered power units
- 393
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 58
- Annualized
- ≈29 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.1 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 Maintenance20 · 3 OOS
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance13 · 2 OOS
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance12 · 9 OOS
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving9
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance6 · 6 OOS
- 396.5 Oil and/or grease leakVehicle Maintenance5 · 4 OOS
- 393.100 Cargo securement (general)Vehicle Maintenance4 · 4 OOS
- 393.53 Automatic brake adjusters / indicatorsVehicle Maintenance4
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance4 · 1 OOS
- 393.95 Emergency equipment (extinguisher, triangles)Vehicle Maintenance3
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)
- 393
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 48
- Trailers (towed)
- 9
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
2000
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 mo5858
MT busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
BILLINGS, MT
Top corridor
MT
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 (6 trucks · 4 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 437462USDOT 1628410USDOT 12358USDOT 281308
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@kniferiver.com — 24 carriers: USDOT 4019USDOT 75545USDOT 264823USDOT 271939USDOT 281308USDOT 324020USDOT 561380USDOT 607349
Shares a company officer with other carriers
calvin r dewall — 2 carriers: USDOT 281308
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)393393
Observed (24 mo)4848
Shared w/ other carriers66
Registered capacity materially exceeds what is observed roadside — the MCS-150 may be stale or the fleet under-utilized.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 4014 HESPER ROAD, BILLINGS, MT, 59106-3352
- Mailing address
- POST OFFICE BOX 30238, BILLINGS, MT, 59107-0238
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (406) 651-2500
- Cell
- (406) 208-0707
- Web domain
- kniferiver.com
Registration
- Officers
- Calvin R Dewall · Malcolm D Long
- USDOT / docket
- 474284
- First registered
- 03/17/1992
- Last MCS-150
- 12/01/2025 · 3,526,373 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 07/05/2000
- D-U-N-S
- 810465363
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 JTL GROUP 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 JTL GROUP INC's USDOT number?
JTL GROUP INC's USDOT number is 474284.
Is JTL GROUP INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, JTL GROUP INC is active in the FMCSA register.
What is JTL GROUP INC's safety record?
JTL GROUP INC has a 23.3% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 104 roadside inspections, with 3 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 81/100 (tier: review).
How big is JTL GROUP INC's fleet?
JTL GROUP INC operates 393 power units and 149 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is JTL GROUP INC based?
JTL GROUP INC is based in BILLINGS, MT, with roadside inspections recorded across 2 states.