Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
258 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 78889 · MC-350289
THE MERCHANTS COMPANY
DBA MERCHANTS FOODSERVICE
258 power unitsavg 4.9 yrMulti-region · 8 statesHATTIESBURG, MS
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-350289 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
258Power units
105 observed · MCS-150
97Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
4.9Avg age (yr)
2006–2026 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-07-18
Clear to load
Active authority and a clean federal record. No blocking issues found.
Active operating authorityInsurance on fileFatal crash on record
In good standing · 4
Active operating authorityActive for-hire authority is on file with FMCSA.Insurance on fileBIPD (liability) insurance is on file with FMCSA.Established 52 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 1974.Out-of-service rates below national averageBoth vehicle and driver OOS rates beat the national benchmark across 248 inspections.
Operating authority5252 yr active
since 1974Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo15.415.4 %
▼ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal55
14 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 THE MERCHANTS COMPANY safe to work with?
Is THE MERCHANTS COMPANY safe to load? THE MERCHANTS COMPANY (USDOT 78889, MC-350289) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in HATTIESBURG, MS, operating 258 power units and 276 drivers. Operating authority has been active 52 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 248 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 15.4% (below the 22.26% national average), with 14 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it clear to load (88/100), 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
TMTHE MERCHANTS COMPANY 88
01
Safety
248 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 15.4% (24-mo)65 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 2.1% (24-mo)146 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
0.0% 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
≈0.3 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Few roadside inspections for a 258-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
- 258
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 146
- Annualized
- ≈73 / 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 Maintenance36 · 13 OOS
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving34
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance19 · 3 OOS
- 393.95 Emergency equipment (extinguisher, triangles)Vehicle Maintenance15
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance7
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance5
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance5
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance5
- 393.78 Windshield wipersVehicle Maintenance5
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance4 · 2 OOS
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- Active
- Contract
- None
- Broker
- None
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$750k BIPD · 9 insurers · 1 lapseCoverage lapse
+3 earlier
Great West · 04–10
Wausau · 09–12
State National · 13–15
Zurich American · 15–17
Travelers Property · 17–20
Sentry Select · 20–22
19982022
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 16 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY | Dec 2020 → Aug 2022 | $750k | 1 |
| TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICA | Dec 2017 → Dec 2020 | $750k | 1 |
| ZURICH AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY | Dec 2015 → Dec 2017 | $750k | 1 |
| STATE NATIONAL INSURANCE CO., INC. | Dec 2013 → Dec 2015 | $750k | 1 |
| COMPANION PROPERTY & CASUALTY INS. CO. | Dec 2011 → Dec 2011 | $750k | 4 |
| WAUSAU UNDERWRITERS INSURANCE COMPANY | Dec 2009 → Jan 2012 | $750k | 2 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Aug 2004 → Jan 2010 | $750k | 4 |
| FIREMAN'S FUND INSURANCE CO. | Oct 1999 → Aug 2004 | $750k | 1 |
| AUDUBON INSURANCE COMPANY | Sep 1998 → Nov 1999 | $750k | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 258
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 105
- Trailers (towed)
- 97
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 8 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusMulti-region
revealedStates observed88
US statesInspections · 24 mo146146
SC busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
HATTIESBURG, MS
Top corridor
SC ⇄ MS
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 10 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 270150USDOT 4418177Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (16 trucks · 7 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 2255283USDOT 4418177USDOT 1007833USDOT 3252803USDOT 270150USDOT 255166USDOT 876160
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@pfgc.com — 16 carriers: USDOT 35568USDOT 122458USDOT 123180USDOT 133440USDOT 202771USDOT 270150USDOT 333153USDOT 430138
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)258258
Observed (24 mo)105105
Shared w/ other carriers1616
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
- 1100 EDWARDS ST, HATTIESBURG, MS, 39401
- Mailing address
- P O BOX 1351, HATTIESBURG, MS, 39403-1351
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (601) 583-4351
- jeff.jerger@pfgc.com
- Web domain
- pfgc.com
Registration
- Officer
- Brent King
- USDOT / docket
- 78889 · MC-350289
- First registered
- 06/01/1974
- Last MCS-150
- 10/28/2025 · 12,704,175 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 05/29/2002
- D-U-N-S
- 8184749
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 THE MERCHANTS COMPANY. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.
Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is THE MERCHANTS COMPANY's USDOT number?
THE MERCHANTS COMPANY's USDOT number is 78889, and its motor carrier number is MC-350289.
Is THE MERCHANTS COMPANY authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-18, THE MERCHANTS COMPANY is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is THE MERCHANTS COMPANY's safety record?
THE MERCHANTS COMPANY has a 15.4% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 248 roadside inspections, with 14 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 88/100 (tier: clear).
How big is THE MERCHANTS COMPANY's fleet?
THE MERCHANTS COMPANY operates 258 power units and 276 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is THE MERCHANTS COMPANY based?
THE MERCHANTS COMPANY is based in HATTIESBURG, MS, with roadside inspections recorded across 8 states.