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Carrier profile · USDOT 1488086

DOTSON & SONS

6 power unitsavg 8.7 yrLocal · 1 statesLOWER PEACH TREE, AL
CARRIER ACTIVE
Verified linksFMCSA SAFERCallEmail
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
6Power units
6 observed · MCS-150
3Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
8.7Avg age (yr)
2006–2026 · vPIC
Call dispatch(334) 636-5600Email dispatchdotsonsons@gmail.com

Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-21

Review before loading

Operating, but with flags a broker should weigh before tendering freight.

Established 20 yearsVehicle out-of-service rate well above average
Operating authority20 yr active
since 2006
Insurance (BIPD)Unknown
FMCSA L&I
Vehicle OOS · 24mo71.4%
▲ 22.26% nat'l
Crashes · fatal0
1 in 24mo
Vektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet typeIdentity

Small fleet

6 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.

Fleet age vs peersTypical

8.7 yr

Model years 2006–2026 · peer benchmark computing.

Identity stabilityStable

20 yr unchanged

Same registration since 2006 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.

AI readLocal operator, 20-yr authority, 71% vehicle OOS — review first.Full read

Is DOTSON & SONS safe to work with?

Is DOTSON & SONS safe to load? DOTSON & SONS (USDOT 1488086) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in LOWER PEACH TREE, AL, operating 6 power units and 6 drivers. Operating authority has been active 20 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 15 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 71.4% (above the 22.26% national average), with 1 reportable crash in the last 24 months. FMCSA has not assigned a safety rating. Vektor rates it review before loading (80/100), with the leading concern: vehicle out-of-service rate well above average. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-21.

FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-21
D&DOTSON & SONS 80
01

Safety

15 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks

Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark

Vehicle OOS 71.4% (24-mo)7 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 11.1% (24-mo)9 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%

OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national

60.0% now▲ Worsening

Trailing rate up 31.7 pts across the window — latest above the 22.26% national benchmark.

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.

Expected band
Under-inspected
Expected
Well-monitored
Heavily inspected
≈0.8 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Roadside-inspection volume is about what you'd expect for a 6-unit fleet — enough signal to read the safety record, though not a heavy sample.
Registered power units
6
Inspections · 24 mo
9
Annualized
≈5 / yr
Coverage
≈0.8 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.

  • 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance10
  • 393.116 Parts & accessories (vehicle condition)Vehicle Maintenance6 · 6 OOS
  • 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance4 · 2 OOS
  • 393.60 Windshield / glazingVehicle Maintenance3
  • 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving2
  • 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance2
  • 383.23 Operating without a valid CDLDriver Fitness1 · 1 OOS
  • 396.5 Oil and/or grease leakVehicle Maintenance1
  • 391.41 No / expired medical certificateDriver Fitness1
  • 393.104 Cargo securement — tiedownsVehicle Maintenance1
Explore full safety record — inspections, BASICs, crashes
02

Authority & insurance

Can they legally + adequately haul your load?

Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses

No insurance filing history on record.

Explore full authority & insurance record
03

Equipment & fleet

VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC

Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed

Registered power units (MCS-150)
6
Observed power (24 mo)
6
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

8.7 yr
Average age
2026
Newest model yr
2006
Oldest model yr
40%
VINs decoded
Explore full fleet — VIN roster, equipment mix, age distribution
04

Operations & lanes

Revealed by inspection density across 1 states · 24 mo

Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography

Operating radiusLocal
revealed
States observed1
US states
Inspections · 24 mo9
AL busiest

Inspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo

Home base
LOWER PEACH TREE, AL
4975 NETTLESBORO RD
Top corridor
AL
AL 9
Density
fewermore
Shade = roadside inspections, last 24 mo.
See the full operating map — state density, top lanes
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)6
Observed (24 mo)6

Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.

Explore the carrier network & VIN cross-links
06

Identity & contact

FMCSA census + L&I dossier

Location

Physical address
4975 NETTLESBORO RD, LOWER PEACH TREE, AL, 36751
Operation
Intrastate (Non-Hazmat)

Contact

Phone
(334) 636-5600
Fax
(334) 636-0756
Email
dotsonsons@gmail.com

Registration

Officers
Melvin Dotson · Nettie Dotson
USDOT / docket
1488086
First registered
04/13/2006
Last MCS-150
07/11/2024 · 1 mi (2022)
FMCSA safety rating
Not rated
D-U-N-S
152001285

Fleet (self-reported · MCS-150)

6Power units
6Drivers
6CDL drivers
1Annual mileage
Open the full identity & federal record
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.

Open the full federal-record activity feed
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 DOTSON & SONS. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.

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Open reviews
09

Frequently asked

What is DOTSON & SONS's USDOT number?

DOTSON & SONS's USDOT number is 1488086.

Is DOTSON & SONS authorized to operate?

As of 2026-06-21, DOTSON & SONS is active in the FMCSA register.

What is DOTSON & SONS's safety record?

DOTSON & SONS has a 71.4% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 15 roadside inspections, with 1 reportable crash in the last 24 months, and is not currently rated by FMCSA. Vektor's computed risk score is 80/100 (tier: review).

How big is DOTSON & SONS's fleet?

DOTSON & SONS operates 6 power units and 6 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.

Where is DOTSON & SONS based?

DOTSON & SONS is based in LOWER PEACH TREE, AL, with roadside inspections recorded across 1 state.