Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
30 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 540837 · MC-269258
HAMMER EXPRESS INC
30 power unitsavg 17.4 yrRegional · 6 statesSHOREWOOD, IL
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-269258 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
30Power units
16 observed · MCS-150
21Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
17.4Avg age (yr)
1997–2026 · 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 fileVehicle out-of-service rate above average
Operating authority3232 yr active
since 1993Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo28.628.6 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal33
clean 24 moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersOlder
17.4 yr
Model years 1997–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
32 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1993 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is HAMMER EXPRESS INC safe to work with?
Is HAMMER EXPRESS INC safe to load? HAMMER EXPRESS INC (USDOT 540837, MC-269258) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in SHOREWOOD, IL, operating 30 power units and 30 drivers. Operating authority has been active 32 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 30 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 28.6% (above the 22.26% national average), with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it clear to load (93/100). Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
HEHAMMER EXPRESS INC 93
01
Safety
30 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 28.6% (24-mo)14 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)24 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
20.0% 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 30-unit fleet — enough signal to read the safety record, though not a heavy sample.
- Registered power units
- 30
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 24
- Annualized
- ≈12 / 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.
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving12
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance12 · 2 OOS
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance10 · 2 OOS
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance6 · 4 OOS
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance6
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance5
- 393.53 Automatic brake adjusters / indicatorsVehicle Maintenance4
- 396.5 Oil and/or grease leakVehicle Maintenance3
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance3
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance2 · 2 OOS
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- Active
- Contract
- Active
- Broker
- None
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$1M BIPD · 8 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+3 earlier
Transcontinental · 01–03
Great West · 03–07
Lincoln General · 07–09
Argonaut-midwest · 09–14
National · 14–21
Berkley · 21–25
19942025
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.
9 insurer eras · collapsed from 22 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| BERKLEY CASUALTY COMPANY | Apr 2021 → Apr 2025 | $1M | 1 |
| NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY | Apr 2014 → Apr 2021 | $1M | 6 |
| ARGONAUT-MIDWEST INSURANCE COMPANY | Apr 2009 → Apr 2014 | $1M | 5 |
| LINCOLN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY | Sep 2007 → Apr 2009 | $1M | 1 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Sep 2003 → Nov 2007 | $1M | 2 |
| TRANSCONTINENTAL INSURANCE CO. | Sep 2001 → Sep 2003 | $1M | 3 |
| XL SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY | Sep 1998 → Sep 2001 | $1M | 1 |
| NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY | Sep 1996 → Sep 1998 | $1M | 2 |
| CREDIT GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY | Apr 1994 → Nov 1996 | $1M | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 30
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 16
- Trailers (towed)
- 21
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
1997
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 mo2424
IL busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
SHOREWOOD, IL
Top corridor
IL
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 (5 trucks · 7 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 186375USDOT 2909817USDOT 3573507USDOT 3597606USDOT 3564419USDOT 611357USDOT 3953049
Shares a company officer with other carriers
janet cervantes — 3 carriers: USDOT 3274984USDOT 3966001
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)3030
Observed (24 mo)1616
Shared w/ other carriers55
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
- 300 AMENDODGE DR, SHOREWOOD, IL, 60404-9363
- Mailing address
- 9100 W PLAINFIELD RD BLD1 2ND, BROOKFIELD, IL, 60513
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (708) 485-0530
- Fax
- (708) 485-1032
- Web domain
- hammerexpress.com
Registration
- Officers
- Janet Cervantes · Patrick Barrett
- USDOT / docket
- 540837 · MC-269258
- First registered
- 10/27/1993
- Last MCS-150
- 04/22/2026 · 707,210 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 08/28/2008
- 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 HAMMER 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 HAMMER EXPRESS INC's USDOT number?
HAMMER EXPRESS INC's USDOT number is 540837, and its motor carrier number is MC-269258.
Is HAMMER EXPRESS INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, HAMMER EXPRESS INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is HAMMER EXPRESS INC's safety record?
HAMMER EXPRESS INC has a 28.6% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 30 roadside inspections, with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 93/100 (tier: clear).
How big is HAMMER EXPRESS INC's fleet?
HAMMER EXPRESS INC operates 30 power units and 30 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is HAMMER EXPRESS INC based?
HAMMER EXPRESS INC is based in SHOREWOOD, IL, with roadside inspections recorded across 6 states.