Fleet typeIdentity
Owner-operator
3 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 977450 · MC-542897
CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING
3 power unitsFORT DODGE, IA
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-542897 ACTIVERATED CONDITIONALHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
3Power units
Self-reported · MCS-150
—Trailers seen
None observed · 24 mo
—Avg age (yr)
Awaiting decode
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-13
Limited record
Not enough federal record to assess. Verify authority and insurance directly.
Established 25 yearsNo active operating authority
Operating authority2424 yr active
since 2001Insurance (BIPD)Unknown
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo—%
▼ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal11
clean 24 moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersDecoding
—
Awaiting VIN decode
Identity stabilityStable
24 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2001 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING safe to work with?
Is CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING safe to load? CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING (USDOT 977450, MC-542897) is an active owner-operator motor carrier based in FORT DODGE, IA, operating 3 power units and 1 driver. Operating authority has been active 24 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 2 roadside inspections, with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Conditional. Vektor rates it unrated (50/100), with the leading concern: no active operating authority. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
CACUSTOM AUTO & TOWING 50
01
Safety
2 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS —% (24-mo)0 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS —% (24-mo)0 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
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 Driving1
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance1
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- None
- Contract
- Inactive
- Broker
- None
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Not on file
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$750k BIPD · 8 insurers · 2 lapsesCoverage lapse
+7 earlier
Plaza · 13–15
20052021
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.
8 insurer eras · collapsed from 24 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| PROGRESSIVE NORTHERN INSURANCE COMPANY | Oct 2021 → Dec 2021 | $750k | 1 |
| AUTO OWNERS INSURANCE COMPANY | Oct 2015 → Nov 2015 | $750k | 3 |
| PLAZA INSURANCE COMPANY | Oct 2013 → Oct 2015 | $750k | 4 |
| CONTINENTAL DIVIDE INSURANCE COMPANY | Jun 2013 → Oct 2013 | $750k | 2 |
| NATIONAL INDEMNITY COMPANY OF MID-AMERICA | Oct 2012 → Jul 2013 | $750k | 8 |
| ALLIED PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY | Oct 2011 → Nov 2012 | $750k | 2 |
| SAGAMORE INSURANCE COMPANY | Oct 2006 → Apr 2007 | $750k | 2 |
| STONINGTON INSURANCE COMPANY | Sep 2005 → Oct 2006 | $750k | 2 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 3
- Observed power (24 mo)
- —
- Trailers (towed)
- —
Capacity is power units only — trailers are towed equipment and are never summed into a fleet-size figure.
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density · 24 mo
Inspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
FORT DODGE, IA
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@frontiernet.net — 3792 carriers: USDOT 2603USDOT 2912USDOT 6180USDOT 22450USDOT 31491USDOT 61440USDOT 65766USDOT 71595
Shares a company officer with other carriers
gary cathcart — 2 carriers: USDOT 1398142
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 536 S 22ND STREET, FORT DODGE, IA, 50501
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (515) 955-3838
- Cell
- (515) 570-4090
- Fax
- (515) 573-3311
- Web domain
- frontiernet.net
Registration
- Officer
- Gary Cathcart
- USDOT / docket
- 977450 · MC-542897
- First registered
- 09/12/2001
- Last MCS-150
- 12/23/2025 · 30,000 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Conditional · 01/06/2012
- Recordable crash rate
- 0.00
- 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 CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.
Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING's USDOT number?
CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING's USDOT number is 977450, and its motor carrier number is MC-542897.
Is CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING's safety record?
CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING has a —% vehicle out-of-service rate across 2 roadside inspections, with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Conditional" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 50/100 (tier: unknown).
How big is CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING's fleet?
CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING operates 3 power units and 1 driver per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING based?
CUSTOM AUTO & TOWING is based in FORT DODGE, IA.