Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
8 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 682375 · MC-317776
DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC
8 power unitsavg 14.3 yrRegional · 4 statesKNOXVILLE, TN
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-317776 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORY
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
8Power units
6 observed · MCS-150
8Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
14.3Avg age (yr)
2004–2025 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-13
Clear to load
Active authority and a clean federal record. No blocking issues found.
Active operating authorityInsurance on file
Watch · 0
Nothing flagged.
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 29 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 1997.Out-of-service rates below national averageBoth vehicle and driver OOS rates beat the national benchmark across 28 inspections.
Operating authority2929 yr active
since 1997Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo0.00.0 %
▼ 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
14.3 yr
Model years 2004–2025 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
29 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1997 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC safe to work with?
Is DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC safe to load? DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC (USDOT 682375, MC-317776) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in KNOXVILLE, TN, operating 8 power units and 5 drivers. Operating authority has been active 29 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 28 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 0.0% (below the 22.26% national average), with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it clear to load (100/100). Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
DSDARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC 100
01
Safety
28 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 0.0% (24-mo)3 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 6.3% (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
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
≈1.0 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Within the expected band for a 8-unit fleet — FMCSA has inspected this carrier often enough that the out-of-service and violation signals above are statistically trustworthy.
- Registered power units
- 8
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 16
- Annualized
- ≈8 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈1.0 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 Driving5
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance3
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance2 · 2 OOS
- 393.100 Cargo securement (general)Vehicle Maintenance1 · 1 OOS
- 393.104 Cargo securement — tiedownsVehicle Maintenance1
- 383.51 Commercial Driver's License (CDL)Driver Fitness1 · 1 OOS
- 396.5 Oil and/or grease leakVehicle Maintenance1
- 390.21 USDOT number marking on vehicleUnsafe Driving1
- 392.16 Failure to use seat beltUnsafe Driving1
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- None
- Contract
- Active
- Broker
- Inactive
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$1M BIPD · 6 insurers · 1 lapseCoverage lapse
+3 earlier
Old Republic · 99–03
Great West · 03–08
Northland · 08–10
Great West · 10–19
19972020
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.
7 insurer eras · collapsed from 14 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| PROGRESSIVE HAWAII INSURANCE CORP | Jul 2019 → Jul 2020 | $1M | 1 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Jul 2010 → Jul 2019 | $1M | 2 |
| NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY | Jul 2008 → Jul 2010 | $1M | 2 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Jul 2003 → Jul 2008 | $1M | 1 |
| CAROLINA CASUALTY INSURANCE CO. | Jul 2002 → Jul 2003 | $1M | 1 |
| OLD REPUBLIC INSURANCE COMPANY | Jun 1999 → Jul 2003 | $1M | 1 |
| EMPIRE FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE CO. | Feb 1997 → Jul 1997 | $1M | 6 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 8
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 6
- 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
2025
Newest model yr
2004
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 mo1616
KY busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
KNOXVILLE, TN
Top corridor
KY ⇄ TN
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
No shared-identity links detected — no reincarnation flag, shared trucks, registration domain, or officer overlap with other carriers.
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)88
Observed (24 mo)66
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 5620 INDUSTRY LANE, KNOXVILLE, TN, 37921
- Mailing address
- PO BOX 51703, KNOXVILLE, TN, 37950
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (865) 588-5809
- Cell
- (865) 389-8642
- Fax
- (865) 588-7437
- kirkschaad@gmail.com
Registration
- Officer
- Kirk Schaad
- USDOT / docket
- 682375 · MC-317776
- First registered
- 03/25/1997
- Last MCS-150
- 04/13/2026 · 322,585 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 08/31/2010
- 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 DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC's USDOT number?
DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC's USDOT number is 682375, and its motor carrier number is MC-317776.
Is DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC's safety record?
DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC has a 0.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 28 roadside inspections, with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 100/100 (tier: clear).
How big is DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC's fleet?
DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC operates 8 power units and 5 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC based?
DARK STAR TRANSPORTATION CO LLC is based in KNOXVILLE, TN, with roadside inspections recorded across 4 states.