Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
70 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 54985 · MC-129808
CHIEF CARRIERS INC
70 power unitsavg 4.9 yrNational · 36 statesGRAND ISLAND, NE
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-129808 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORY
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
70Power units
76 observed · MCS-150
116Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
4.9Avg age (yr)
2006–2026 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-07-18
Review before loading
Operating, but with flags a broker should weigh before tendering freight.
Active operating authorityInsurance on fileVehicle out-of-service rate above average
Watch · 2
Operating authority5252 yr active
since 1974Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo24.324.3 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal11
6 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersNewer
4.9 yr
Model years 2006–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
52 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1974 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is CHIEF CARRIERS INC safe to work with?
Is CHIEF CARRIERS INC safe to load? CHIEF CARRIERS INC (USDOT 54985, MC-129808) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in GRAND ISLAND, NE, operating 70 power units and 70 drivers. Operating authority has been active 52 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 259 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 24.3% (above the 22.26% national average), with 6 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 2026-07-18.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-07-18
CCCHIEF CARRIERS INC 81
01
Safety
259 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 24.3% (24-mo)74 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.6% (24-mo)176 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
8.1% 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 70-unit fleet — FMCSA has inspected this carrier often enough that the out-of-service and violation signals above are statistically trustworthy.
- Registered power units
- 70
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 176
- Annualized
- ≈88 / 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 Driving46
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance16 · 4 OOS
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance15 · 15 OOS
- 395.24 ELD — record edits / dataHOS Compliance5
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance5 · 3 OOS
- 395.30 ELD — use / data transferHOS Compliance3
- 392.9 Failure to secure load / cargo not securedUnsafe Driving3 · 3 OOS
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance3
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance3 · 2 OOS
- 393.110 Cargo securement — number of tiedownsVehicle Maintenance3 · 3 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
$750k BIPD · 5 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+2 earlier
Redland · 93–00
Northland · 00–14
Great West · 14–22
19932024
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 9 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| LIBERTY MUTUAL FIRE INSURANCE CO. | May 2023 → May 2024 | $750k | 1 |
| NATIONAL UNION FIRE INS. CO. OF PITSBGH. PA | May 2022 → May 2023 | $750k | 1 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Jul 2014 → May 2022 | $750k | 2 |
| NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY | Jul 2000 → Aug 2014 | $750k | 4 |
| REDLAND INSURANCE CO. | Jan 1993 → Jul 2000 | $750k | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 70
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 76
- Trailers (towed)
- 116
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
2006
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 36 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusNational
revealedStates observed3535
US statesInspections · 24 mo175175
NE busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
GRAND ISLAND, NE
Top corridor
NE
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 2 trucks also ran under 2 other carriers
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 3948265USDOT 63585Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (14 trucks · 15 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 3008769USDOT 4341776USDOT 3948265USDOT 3112713USDOT 3189020USDOT 2542243USDOT 63585USDOT 2861789
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@chiefind.com — 6 carriers: USDOT 54821USDOT 497185USDOT 762177USDOT 909631USDOT 3752184
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)7070
Observed (24 mo)7676
Shared w/ other carriers1414
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 2405 S NORTH RD, GRAND ISLAND, NE, 68803
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (308) 389-7250
- Web domain
- chiefind.com
Registration
- Officers
- Andrew Winkler · David Ostdiek
- USDOT / docket
- 54985 · MC-129808
- First registered
- 06/01/1974
- Last MCS-150
- 04/21/2026 · 6,785,389 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 12/06/2012
- D-U-N-S
- 612580431
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 CHIEF CARRIERS 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 CHIEF CARRIERS INC's USDOT number?
CHIEF CARRIERS INC's USDOT number is 54985, and its motor carrier number is MC-129808.
Is CHIEF CARRIERS INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-18, CHIEF CARRIERS INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is CHIEF CARRIERS INC's safety record?
CHIEF CARRIERS INC has a 24.3% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 259 roadside inspections, with 6 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 CHIEF CARRIERS INC's fleet?
CHIEF CARRIERS INC operates 70 power units and 70 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is CHIEF CARRIERS INC based?
CHIEF CARRIERS INC is based in GRAND ISLAND, NE, with roadside inspections recorded across 36 states.