Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
9 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 498685 · MC-280889
BISON GRAIN COMPANY
9 power unitsavg 13.4 yrRegional · 5 statesBISON, SD
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-280889 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
9Power units
6 observed · MCS-150
6Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
13.4Avg age (yr)
1998–2025 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-21
Clear to load
Active authority and a clean federal record. No blocking issues found.
Active operating authorityInsurance on file
Watch · 0
Nothing flagged.
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 34 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 1992.Out-of-service rates below national averageBoth vehicle and driver OOS rates beat the national benchmark across 15 inspections.
Operating authority3333 yr active
since 1992Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo0.00.0 %
▼ 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 peersOlder
13.4 yr
Model years 1998–2025 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
33 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1992 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is BISON GRAIN COMPANY safe to work with?
Is BISON GRAIN COMPANY safe to load? BISON GRAIN COMPANY (USDOT 498685, MC-280889) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in BISON, SD, operating 9 power units and 9 drivers. Operating authority has been active 33 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 15 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 0.0% (below the 22.26% national average), with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it clear to load (100/100). Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-21.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-21
BGBISON GRAIN COMPANY 100
01
Safety
15 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 0.0% (24-mo)6 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)8 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
≈0.4 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Roadside-inspection volume is about what you'd expect for a 9-unit fleet — enough signal to read the safety record, though not a heavy sample.
- Registered power units
- 9
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 8
- Annualized
- ≈4 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.4 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 Maintenance5
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance3 · 1 OOS
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving2
- 393.53 Automatic brake adjusters / indicatorsVehicle Maintenance1
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance1
- 393.78 Windshield wipersVehicle Maintenance1
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance1
- 395.24 ELD — record edits / dataHOS Compliance1
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance1
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance1
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
$5M BIPD · 5 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+1 earlier
Farmland · 96–00
Northland · 00–05
Great West · 05–20
Austin · 20–23
19942023
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.
5 insurer eras · collapsed from 11 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUSTIN MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY | Mar 2020 → Mar 2023 | $5M | 2 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Mar 2005 → Mar 2020 | $5M | 5 |
| NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY | Mar 2000 → Mar 2005 | $5M | 2 |
| FARMLAND MUTUAL INSURANCE CO. | Mar 1996 → Mar 2000 | $5M | 1 |
| TRI-STATE INSURANCE COMPANY OF MINNESOTA | Dec 1994 → Mar 1996 | $5M | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 9
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 6
- Trailers (towed)
- 6
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
2025
Newest model yr
1998
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 5 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusRegional
revealedStates observed55
US statesInspections · 24 mo88
CA busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
BISON, SD
Top corridor
CA ⇄ SD
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@sdplains.com — 61 carriers: USDOT 21207USDOT 44376USDOT 176913USDOT 307716USDOT 335007USDOT 375670USDOT 457252USDOT 557572
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)99
Observed (24 mo)66
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 17855 SD HWY 20, BISON, SD, 57620
- Mailing address
- PO BOX 340, BISON, SD, 57620
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (605) 244-5266
- Fax
- (605) 244-5269
- bgc2@sdplains.com
- Web domain
- sdplains.com
Registration
- Officer
- Christopher Seidel
- USDOT / docket
- 498685 · MC-280889
- First registered
- 09/22/1992
- Last MCS-150
- 06/04/2026 · 627,104 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 03/24/2008
- D-U-N-S
- 24304149
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
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Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is BISON GRAIN COMPANY's USDOT number?
BISON GRAIN COMPANY's USDOT number is 498685, and its motor carrier number is MC-280889.
Is BISON GRAIN COMPANY authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-21, BISON GRAIN COMPANY is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is BISON GRAIN COMPANY's safety record?
BISON GRAIN COMPANY has a 0.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 15 roadside inspections, with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 100/100 (tier: clear).
How big is BISON GRAIN COMPANY's fleet?
BISON GRAIN COMPANY operates 9 power units and 9 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is BISON GRAIN COMPANY based?
BISON GRAIN COMPANY is based in BISON, SD, with roadside inspections recorded across 5 states.