Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
5 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 685618 · MC-318649
LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC
5 power unitsavg 14.7 yrLocal · 1 statesWICHITA, KS
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-318649 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
5Power units
3 observed · MCS-150
3Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
14.7Avg age (yr)
2004–2024 · 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 fileVehicle out-of-service rate above average
Operating authority2929 yr active
since 1997Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo33.333.3 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal00
1 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersOlder
14.7 yr
Model years 2004–2024 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
29 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1997 — 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 685618, MC-318649) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in WICHITA, KS, operating 5 power units and 4 drivers. Operating authority has been active 29 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 7 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 33.3% (above the 22.26% national average), with 1 reportable crash 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
LELIGHTNING EXPRESS INC 93
01
Safety
7 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 33.3% (24-mo)3 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)3 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
14.3% now▲ Worsening
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
≈0.3 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Few roadside inspections for a 5-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
- 5
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 3
- Annualized
- ≈2 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.3 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.
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance3
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance2
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving1
- 393.30 Parts & accessories (vehicle condition)Vehicle Maintenance1
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance1
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance1 · 1 OOS
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance1
- 391.41 No / expired medical certificateDriver Fitness1 · 1 OOS
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance1
- 392.16 Failure to use seat beltUnsafe Driving1
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- Active
- Contract
- None
- Broker
- Inactive
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)Filed with FMCSA
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$750k BIPD · 6 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+1 earlier
Continental Western · 97–99
Lincoln General · 99–04
Great West · 04–12
General Wisconsin · 12–17
Secura A · 17–24
19972025
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.
6 insurer eras · collapsed from 8 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY | Apr 2024 → Apr 2025 | $750k | 1 |
| SECURA INSURANCE, A MUTUAL CO. | Apr 2017 → Apr 2024 | $750k | 1 |
| GENERAL CASUALTY COMPANY OF WISCONSIN | Apr 2012 → Apr 2017 | $750k | 1 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Apr 2004 → Apr 2012 | $750k | 2 |
| LINCOLN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY | Apr 1999 → Apr 2004 | $750k | 1 |
| CONTINENTAL WESTERN INSURANCE CO. | Apr 1997 → Apr 1999 | $750k | 2 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 5
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 3
- Trailers (towed)
- 3
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
2004
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 1 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusLocal
revealedStates observed11
US statesInspections · 24 mo33
KS busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
WICHITA, KS
Top corridor
KS
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 (1 truck · 1 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 169439
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)55
Observed (24 mo)33
Shared w/ other carriers11
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
- 5755 SOUTH HOOVER RD #10, WICHITA, KS, 67215
- Mailing address
- PO BOX 12112, WICHITA, KS, 67277-2112
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (316) 399-9002
- Fax
- (316) 942-3939
Registration
- Officer
- Cindy Jester
- USDOT / docket
- 685618 · MC-318649
- First registered
- 04/15/1997
- Last MCS-150
- 08/04/2025 · 121,354 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 08/16/2007
- 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 685618, and its motor carrier number is MC-318649.
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 33.3% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 7 roadside inspections, with 1 reportable crash in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 93/100 (tier: clear).
How big is LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC's fleet?
LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC operates 5 power units and 4 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC based?
LIGHTNING EXPRESS INC is based in WICHITA, KS, with roadside inspections recorded across 1 state.