Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
7 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 708640 · MC-327254
DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC
DBA DARK HORSE TRANSPORT
7 power unitsavg 4.3 yrMulti-region · 8 statesBRAYTON, IA
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-327254 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORY
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
7Power units
5 observed · MCS-150
8Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
4.3Avg age (yr)
2018–2026 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-07-12
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
Watch · 2
Operating authority2828 yr active
since 1997Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo28.628.6 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal00
2 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersNewer
4.3 yr
Model years 2018–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
28 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1997 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC safe to work with?
Is DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC safe to load? DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC (USDOT 708640, MC-327254) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in BRAYTON, IA, operating 7 power units and 8 drivers. Operating authority has been active 28 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 2 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it clear to load (87/100). Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-07-12.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-07-12
DHDARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC 87
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)7 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)16 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
25.0% 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
≈1.1 / 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
- 16
- Annualized
- ≈8 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈1.1 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
- 395.24 ELD — record edits / dataHOS Compliance6
- 395.22 ELD — provider/registration/malfunctionHOS Compliance4
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance2
- 395.30 ELD — use / data transferHOS Compliance2
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance2
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance2
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance2 · 2 OOS
- 393.60 Windshield / glazingVehicle Maintenance2
- 393.95 Emergency equipment (extinguisher, triangles)Vehicle 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 · 7 insurers · 1 lapseCoverage lapse
+3 earlier
Great West · 98–01
Great West · 06–12
Northland · 12–14
National · 14–16
Scottsdale · 16–18
Northland · 19–26
19972026
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 20 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY | Apr 2019 → May 2026 | $750k | 6 |
| PROGRESSIVE NORTHERN INSURANCE COMPANY | Oct 2018 → Apr 2019 | $750k | 1 |
| SCOTTSDALE INDEMNITY COMPANY | Oct 2016 → Nov 2018 | $750k | 2 |
| NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY | Oct 2014 → Oct 2016 | $750k | 1 |
| NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY | Oct 2012 → Oct 2014 | $750k | 2 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Sep 2006 → Oct 2012 | $750k | 1 |
| WILSHIRE INSURANCE COMPANY | Sep 2001 → Nov 2001 | $750k | 3 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Jul 1998 → Sep 2001 | $750k | 2 |
| ACCELERATION NATIONAL INSURANCE CO. | Sep 1997 → Jul 1998 | $750k | 2 |
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)
- 5
- Trailers (towed)
- 8
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
2018
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 8 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusMulti-region
revealedStates observed88
US statesInspections · 24 mo1616
IA busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
BRAYTON, IA
Top corridor
IA
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 (7 trucks · 6 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 674683USDOT 3430581USDOT 374341USDOT 2523230USDOT 3414848USDOT 99777
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@metc.net — 30 carriers: USDOT 162448USDOT 196146USDOT 575784USDOT 591883USDOT 671617USDOT 737212USDOT 809357USDOT 840364
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)77
Observed (24 mo)55
Shared w/ other carriers77
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 301 LINCOLN ST, BRAYTON, IA, 50042
- Mailing address
- PO BOX 54, AUDUBON, IA, 50025
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (712) 549-2165
- bms.dht@metc.net
- Web domain
- metc.net
Registration
- Officers
- James W Meese · Bethany Meese
- USDOT / docket
- 708640 · MC-327254
- First registered
- 10/07/1997
- Last MCS-150
- 04/14/2026 · 579,781 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 09/28/2000
- 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 DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.
Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC's USDOT number?
DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC's USDOT number is 708640, and its motor carrier number is MC-327254.
Is DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-12, DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC's safety record?
DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC has a 28.6% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 30 roadside inspections, with 2 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 87/100 (tier: clear).
How big is DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC's fleet?
DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC operates 7 power units and 8 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC based?
DARK HORSE TRANSPORT LLC is based in BRAYTON, IA, with roadside inspections recorded across 8 states.