Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
4 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 3535749 · MC-1178722
DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD
DBA WARDS TRANSPORT
4 power unitsavg 12.1 yrRegional · 4 statesLIBERAL, KS
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-1178722 ACTIVE
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
4Power units
4 observed · MCS-150
6Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
12.1Avg age (yr)
2006–2016 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-13
Review before loading
Operating, but with flags a broker should weigh before tendering freight.
Active operating authorityInsurance on fileVehicle out-of-service rate above average
Watch · 2
Operating authority55 yr active
since 2020Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo33.333.3 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal00
clean 24 moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersOlder
12.1 yr
Model years 2006–2016 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
5 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2020 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD safe to work with?
Is DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD safe to load? DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD (USDOT 3535749, MC-1178722) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in LIBERAL, KS, operating 4 power units and 5 drivers. Operating authority has been active 5 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 12 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 33.3% (above the 22.26% national average), with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA has not assigned a safety rating. Vektor rates it review before loading (81/100), with the leading concern: driver out-of-service rate well above average. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
DLDAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD 81
01
Safety
12 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 28.6% (24-mo)7 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
28.6% 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
≈0.9 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Within the expected band for a 4-unit fleet — FMCSA has inspected this carrier often enough that the out-of-service and violation signals above are statistically trustworthy.
- Registered power units
- 4
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 7
- Annualized
- ≈4 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.9 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.
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance5 · 3 OOS
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance3 · 2 OOS
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving2
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance2
- 393.78 Windshield wipersVehicle Maintenance2
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance2
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance1
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance1
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance1
- 393.53 Automatic brake adjusters / indicatorsVehicle Maintenance1
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 · 2 insurers · 0 lapsesContinuous
+1 earlier
Canal · 21–25
20212025
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.
2 insurer eras · collapsed from 5 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNITED FINANCIAL CASUALTY COMPANY | Jan 2025 → Jul 2025 | $750k | 1 |
| CANAL INSURANCE CO. | Jan 2021 → Jan 2025 | $750k | 4 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 4
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 4
- Trailers (towed)
- 6
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
2016
Newest model yr
2006
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 4 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusRegional
revealedStates observed44
US statesInspections · 24 mo77
CO busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
LIBERAL, KS
Top corridor
CO ⇄ KS
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 3 trucks also ran under 3 other carriers
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 3887066USDOT 3337496USDOT 3207835Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (8 trucks · 11 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 3706USDOT 3337496USDOT 4289013USDOT 4000892USDOT 3887066USDOT 1900791USDOT 294374USDOT 3207835
Shares a company officer with other carriers
dakota ward — 2 carriers: USDOT 2943741
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)44
Observed (24 mo)44
Shared w/ other carriers88
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 1420 S CLAY AVE, LIBERAL, KS, 67901
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (620) 417-5058
- dwwward23@gmail.com
Registration
- Officer
- Dakota Ward
- USDOT / docket
- 3535749 · MC-1178722
- First registered
- 12/14/2020
- Last MCS-150
- 02/25/2026 · 181,756 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Not rated
- 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
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Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD's USDOT number?
DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD's USDOT number is 3535749, and its motor carrier number is MC-1178722.
Is DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD's safety record?
DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD has a 33.3% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 12 roadside inspections, with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and is not currently rated by FMCSA. Vektor's computed risk score is 81/100 (tier: review).
How big is DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD's fleet?
DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD operates 4 power units and 5 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD based?
DAKOTA LEEWAYNE WARD is based in LIBERAL, KS, with roadside inspections recorded across 4 states.