Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
94 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 424180 · MC-823273
DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO
94 power unitsavg 7.2 yrLocal · 2 statesMIDLAND, TX
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-823273 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
94Power units
3 observed · MCS-150
3Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
7.2Avg age (yr)
2013–2025 · 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
Operating authority3535 yr active
since 1990Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo66.766.7 %
▲ 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 peersTypical
7.2 yr
Model years 2013–2025 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
35 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1990 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO safe to work with?
Is DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO safe to load? DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO (USDOT 424180, MC-823273) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in MIDLAND, TX, operating 94 power units and 92 drivers. Operating authority has been active 35 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 4 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 66.7% (above 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
DGDAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO 100
01
Safety
4 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 66.7% (24-mo)3 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)3 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
50.0% now
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
≈0.0 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Few roadside inspections for a 94-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
- 94
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 3
- Annualized
- ≈2 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.0 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.
- 393.42 Parts & accessories (vehicle condition)Vehicle Maintenance5
- 391.41 No / expired medical certificateDriver Fitness1
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance1
- 390.21 USDOT number marking on vehicleUnsafe Driving1
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance1 · 1 OOS
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance1
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance1 · 1 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
$1M BIPD · 4 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+2 earlier
National Union · 12–16
St Paul · 16–22
20122024
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.
4 insurer eras · collapsed from 7 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCH INSURANCE COMPANY | Oct 2023 → Dec 2024 | $1M | 2 |
| STARNET INSURANCE COMPANY | Oct 2022 → Nov 2023 | $1M | 2 |
| ST. PAUL FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE CO. | Oct 2016 → Oct 2022 | $1M | 1 |
| NATIONAL UNION FIRE INS. CO. OF PITSBGH. PA | Oct 2012 → Oct 2016 | $1M | 2 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 94
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 3
- Trailers (towed)
- 3
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
2013
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 2 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusLocal
revealedStates observed11
US statesInspections · 24 mo22
CO busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
MIDLAND, TX
Top corridor
CO ⇄ TX
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 1 truck also ran under 1 other carrier
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 2857974Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@dawson3d.com — 4 carriers: USDOT 2194306USDOT 2357510USDOT 2857974
Shares a company officer with other carriers
tony clark — 15 carriers: USDOT 384200USDOT 720115USDOT 1800225USDOT 1859126USDOT 1954658USDOT 1975508USDOT 2467714USDOT 2519707
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)9494
Observed (24 mo)33
Shared w/ other carriers11
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
- 2501 COMMERCE DR, MIDLAND, TX, 79703
- Mailing address
- 508 W WALL SUITE 800, MIDLAND, TX, 79701
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (432) 853-1789
- Fax
- (432) 684-3030
- austin@dawson3d.com
- Web domain
- dawson3d.com
Registration
- Officer
- Tony Clark
- USDOT / docket
- 424180 · MC-823273
- First registered
- 10/15/1990
- Last MCS-150
- 12/04/2025 · 162,500 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 11/23/2009
- D-U-N-S
- —
Fleet (self-reported · MCS-150)
—CDL drivers
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 DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.
Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO's USDOT number?
DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO's USDOT number is 424180, and its motor carrier number is MC-823273.
Is DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO's safety record?
DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO has a 66.7% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 4 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 DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO's fleet?
DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO operates 94 power units and 92 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO based?
DAWSON GEOPHYSICAL CO is based in MIDLAND, TX, with roadside inspections recorded across 2 states.