Carrier profile · USDOT 74482 · MC-141119 · FMCSA profile data as of Aug 16, 2026

Merchants 5 Star Ltd

48 power unitsCOLUMBUS, OH50/100

CARRIER INACTIVEMC-141119 INACTIVERATED SATISFACTORY

Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily

48Power units

Self-reported · MCS-150

—Trailers seen

None observed · 24 mo

—Avg age (yr)

Not yet decoded

Call dispatch(614) 745-1121 Email dispatch[email protected]

Click to see how we scored it

Load decision · FMCSA profile data as of Aug 16, 2026

Limited record

Not enough federal record to assess. Verify authority and insurance directly.

Watch · 4

USDOT registration inactiveThe USDOT record is flagged inactive — the carrier may not be authorized to operate.No active operating authorityNo active common, contract, or broker authority is on file for a for-hire carrier.No inspection history despite active fleetAn established carrier reporting 48 power units has no roadside inspections — a common shell/paper-carrier signal.MCS-150 census data outdatedThe biennial MCS-150 update is 11.8 years old; fleet/mileage figures may be unreliable.

In good standing · 1

Established 52 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 1974.

USDOT registration

yr registered

No active authority

Insurance (BIPD)— unknown

No filing on record

Vehicle OOS · 24-mo—

No inspections · 24 mo

Crashes · fatal

No activity in window

USDOT registration

yr registered

No active authority

Insurance (BIPD)— unknown

No filing on record

Vehicle OOS · 24-mo—

No inspections · 24 mo

Crashes · fatal

No activity in window

Vektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots

Fleet typeIdentity

Asset-based

48 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.

Fleet age vs peersDecoding

—

Not yet decoded

Identity stabilityStable

52 yr unchanged

Same registration since 1974 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.

Safety

Roadside inspections, BASICs & crash history

FMCSA safety data as of Sep 3, 2026

Out-of-service rate· 24-mo cumulative

No roadside inspections on record.

Roadside inspection history· 24 charted calendar months · vehicle / driver level · any-OOS overlay

No roadside inspections on the FMCSA record in this window

Explore full safety record — inspections, BASICs, crashes

Authority & Insurance

Can they legally + adequately haul your load?

FMCSA authority & insurance data as of Aug 16, 2026

Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type

Operating authority

Common: Inactive
Contract: Inactive
Broker: None

Insurance & bonds

BIPD filing (census)Not recorded per census

Cargo filing (census)Not recorded per census

Surety bond (census)Not recorded per census

Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses

$750K BIPD last filed ’15 · 9 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn

United States’93–’99

Valley Forge’99–’02

Cincinnati’06–’09

Maxum’09–’12

beyond this history

1993200220112020now

Shorter eras are too brief to label at this scale — all 9 insurers are named in the list below.

This timeline is the FMCSA filing history, and it ends at the most recent superseded filing — current policy status is not tracked here. Request a certificate of insurance to confirm active coverage before tendering.

All 9 insurer eras · dates, limits, renewals

Insurer	Period	Limit	Renewals
WESTFIELD INSURANCE CO.	Dec 2014 → Aug 2015	$750K	1
MILWAUKEE CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.	Oct 2012 → Dec 2014	$750K	1
MAXUM CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY	Oct 2009 → Oct 2012	$750K	1
THE CINCINNATI INSURANCE CO.	Oct 2006 → Oct 2009	$750K	2
CLARENDON NATIONAL INS. CO.	Oct 2004 → Nov 2006	$750K	3
LINCOLN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY	Oct 2003 → Oct 2004	$750K	2
DIAMOND STATE INSURANCE COMPANY	Oct 2002 → Oct 2003	$750K	1
VALLEY FORGE INSURANCE CO.	Nov 1999 → Oct 2002	$750K	2
UNITED STATES FIRE INSURANCE CO.	Nov 1993 → Nov 1999	$750K	1

Explore full authority & insurance record

Equipment

VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC

FMCSA equipment data as of Sep 10, 2026

Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed

Registered power units (MCS-150): 48
Observed power (24 mo): —
Trailers (towed): —

Capacity is power units only — trailers are towed equipment and are never summed into a fleet-size figure.

Explore full fleet — VIN roster, equipment mix, age distribution

Operations & Lanes

Revealed by inspection density · 24 mo

FMCSA operations & lanes data as of Sep 17, 2026

Inspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo

Home base

COLUMBUS, OH

1306 HARMON AVE

Density

fewermore

Shade = roadside inspections, last 24 mo.

See the full operating map — state density, top lanes

Network & Fraud

Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict

FMCSA network & fraud data as of Sep 3, 2026

Shares a company officer with other carriers

jim pack — 7 carriers: USDOT 285492 USDOT 1542720 USDOT 2273703 USDOT 2725618 USDOT 3131058 USDOT 4331896

Explore the carrier network & VIN cross-links

Identity & Federal

FMCSA census + L&I dossier

FMCSA identity & federal data as of Sep 3, 2026

Location

Physical address: 1306 HARMON AVE, COLUMBUS, OH, 43223
Operation: Interstate

Contact

Phone: (614) 745-1121
Fax: (614) 656-1866
Email: [email protected]
Web domain: merchants5star.com

Registration

Officers: Ben Macdowell · Jim Pack
USDOT / docket: 74482 · MC-141119
First registered: Jun 1, 1974
Last MCS-150: Dec 22, 2014 · 3,501,064 mi (2014)
FMCSA safety rating: Satisfactory · Jan 26, 2007
D-U-N-S: 66839069

Fleet (self-reported · MCS-150)

Power units

Drivers

CDL drivers

3,501,064

Annual mileage

Open the full identity & federal record

Federal activity

Daily-captured FMCSA licensing & insurance changes — monitored by Vektor

FMCSA federal activity data as of Sep 3, 2026

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.

Open the full federal-record activity feed

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 MERCHANTS 5 STAR LTD. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.

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Verification summaryAuthority, insurance, safety and identity facts for MERCHANTS 5 STAR LTD.

MERCHANTS 5 STAR LTD (USDOT 74482) is unrated by Vektor because the carrier's FMCSA record does not contain enough evidence for a safety score. FMCSA profile data as of Aug 16, 2026.

The carrier has no active for-hire operating authority per FMCSA L&I. FMCSA authority data as of Sep 3, 2026.

It has an unknown current BIPD insurance status because no FMCSA L&I active-filing snapshot is available. FMCSA insurance data as of Aug 16, 2026.

The carrier received 0 roadside inspections in the last 24 months — 0 vehicle-level and 0 driver-level, according to FMCSA roadside-inspection data. FMCSA operations data as of Sep 17, 2026.

The carrier has 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months and 3 fatal crashes across the full FMCSA crash record available. FMCSA safety data as of Sep 17, 2026.

It reports 48 power units and 48 drivers in its most recent MCS-150 filing dated Dec 22, 2014. FMCSA identity data as of Sep 3, 2026.

It has an FMCSA safety rating of Satisfactory assigned Jan 26, 2007 in the federal record. FMCSA identity data as of Sep 3, 2026.

Frequently asked

What is MERCHANTS 5 STAR LTD's USDOT number?

MERCHANTS 5 STAR LTD's USDOT number is 74482, and its motor carrier number is MC-141119.

Is MERCHANTS 5 STAR LTD authorized to operate?

FMCSA authority data as of Sep 3, 2026. MERCHANTS 5 STAR LTD is inactive in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.