Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
7 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 526091 · MC-208662
LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC
7 power unitsavg 7.8 yrMulti-region · 12 statesHAM LAKE, MN
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-208662 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORY
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
7Power units
9 observed · MCS-150
10Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
7.8Avg age (yr)
1997–2024 · 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
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 33 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 1993.Out-of-service rates below national averageBoth vehicle and driver OOS rates beat the national benchmark across 31 inspections.
Operating authority3333 yr active
since 1993Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo0.00.0 %
▼ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal11
clean 24 moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
7.8 yr
Model years 1997–2024 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
33 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1993 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC safe to work with?
Is LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC safe to load? LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC (USDOT 526091, MC-208662) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in HAM LAKE, MN, operating 7 power units and 7 drivers. Operating authority has been active 33 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 31 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 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
LELIGHTNING EXPRESS INC 100
01
Safety
31 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 0.0% (24-mo)5 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)18 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
≈1.3 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Within the expected band for a 7-unit fleet — FMCSA has inspected this carrier often enough that the out-of-service and violation signals above are statistically trustworthy.
- Registered power units
- 7
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 18
- Annualized
- ≈9 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈1.3 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.
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving17
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance10 · 9 OOS
- 393.203 Parts & accessories (vehicle condition)Vehicle Maintenance6
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance6 · 4 OOS
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance5
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance5
- 393.207 Parts & accessories (vehicle condition)Vehicle Maintenance4 · 4 OOS
- 395.24 ELD — record edits / dataHOS Compliance2
- 393.48 Brakes inoperativeVehicle Maintenance2 · 1 OOS
- 393.78 Windshield wipersVehicle 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 · 9 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+5 earlier
Great West · 04–08
Integon National · 08–10
Maiden Reinsurance · 10–13
State National · 13–16
Aegis Security · 16–22
Sentry Select · 22–25
19932025
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.
11 insurer eras · collapsed from 18 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNITED FINANCIAL CASUALTY COMPANY | Nov 2025 → Dec 2025 | $750k | 1 |
| SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY | Nov 2022 → Nov 2025 | $750k | 2 |
| AEGIS SECURITY INSURANCE COMPANY | Nov 2016 → Nov 2022 | $750k | 1 |
| STATE NATIONAL INSURANCE CO., INC. | Nov 2013 → Nov 2016 | $750k | 1 |
| MAIDEN REINSURANCE COMPANY | Nov 2010 → Nov 2013 | $750k | 1 |
| INTEGON NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY | Nov 2008 → Nov 2010 | $750k | 2 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Nov 2004 → Nov 2008 | $750k | 2 |
| INTEGON NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANY | May 2002 → Dec 2004 | $750k | 2 |
| MGA INSURANCE COMPANY, INC. | Nov 2000 → May 2002 | $750k | 2 |
| REDLAND INSURANCE CO. | Nov 1995 → Nov 2000 | $750k | 3 |
| SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY | Dec 1993 → Nov 1995 | $750k | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 7
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 9
- Trailers (towed)
- 10
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
1997
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 12 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusMulti-region
revealedStates observed1212
US statesInspections · 24 mo1818
TN busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
HAM LAKE, MN
Top corridor
TN ⇄ MN
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 (3 trucks · 3 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 1233181USDOT 609443USDOT 2533429
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)77
Observed (24 mo)99
Shared w/ other carriers33
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 14139 LINCOLN STREET NE, HAM LAKE, MN, 55304
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (763) 754-3434
- Web domain
- lightning-express.com
Registration
- Officers
- Robert Dickenson · Renee K Dickenson
- USDOT / docket
- 526091 · MC-208662
- First registered
- 06/03/1993
- Last MCS-150
- 04/11/2025 · 766,210 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 08/05/2010
- 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 LIGHTNING EXPRESS 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 LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC's USDOT number?
LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC's USDOT number is 526091, and its motor carrier number is MC-208662.
Is LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC's safety record?
LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC has a 0.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 31 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 LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC's fleet?
LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC operates 7 power units and 7 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC based?
LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC is based in HAM LAKE, MN, with roadside inspections recorded across 12 states.