Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
1,178 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 44064 · MC-164259
EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC
DBA EMPIRE TRANSPORT
1,178 power unitsavg 6.9 yrMulti-region · 8 statesMESA, AZ
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-164259 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
1,178Power units
102 observed · MCS-150
105Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
6.9Avg age (yr)
1997–2025 · 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 fileFatal crash on record
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 52 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 1974.Out-of-service rates below national averageBoth vehicle and driver OOS rates beat the national benchmark across 585 inspections.
Operating authority5252 yr active
since 1974Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo8.88.8 %
▼ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal66
9 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
6.9 yr
Model years 1997–2025 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
52 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1974 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC safe to work with?
Is EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC safe to load? EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC (USDOT 44064, MC-164259) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in MESA, AZ, operating 1,178 power units and 1,175 drivers. Operating authority has been active 52 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 585 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 8.8% (below the 22.26% national average), with 9 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it clear to load (88/100), with the leading concern: fatal crash on record. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
ESEMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC 88
01
Safety
585 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 8.8% (24-mo)193 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.8% (24-mo)390 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
2.8% now● Stable
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
≈0.2 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Few roadside inspections for a 1,178-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
- 1,178
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 391
- Annualized
- ≈196 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.2 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 Driving57
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance13 · 5 OOS
- 390.21 USDOT number marking on vehicleUnsafe Driving9
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance9 · 1 OOS
- 393.60 Windshield / glazingVehicle Maintenance9
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance8
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance7 · 6 OOS
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance4 · 1 OOS
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance4 · 3 OOS
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance4
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- Active
- Contract
- Active
- Broker
- Active
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoFiled with FMCSA
Surety bond (BMC-84)Filed with FMCSA
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$1M BIPD · 5 insurers · 2 lapsesCoverage lapse
+2 earlier
Sentry Select · 92–09
Travelers Property · 09–14
Liberty · 14–20
Ace American · 20–24
19922024
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.
6 insurer eras · collapsed from 19 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACE AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY | Jul 2020 → Apr 2024 | $1M | 2 |
| LIBERTY INSURANCE CORPORATION | Jul 2014 → Aug 2020 | $1M | 2 |
| TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICA | Jul 2009 → Jul 2014 | $1M | 2 |
| TRAVELERS CASUALTY & SURETY CO. OF AMERICA | Dec 2008 → Dec 2008 | $1M | 2 |
| TRAVELERS CASUALTY & SURETY CO. OF AMERICA | Dec 2008 → Jul 2008 | $1M | 2 |
| SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY | Jul 1992 → Jul 2009 | $1M | 9 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 1,178
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 102
- Trailers (towed)
- 105
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
1997
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 8 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusRegional
revealedStates observed77
US statesInspections · 24 mo390390
AZ busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
MESA, AZ
Top corridor
AZ
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
No shared-VIN flow in the last 12 months
None of this carrier's trucks were inspected under another USDOT in the last 12 months — any shared equipment is historical, not active.
Show all-time history (12 trucks · 11 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 692947USDOT 3779392USDOT 1886865USDOT 361802USDOT 667929USDOT 3319683USDOT 693784USDOT 3144572
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)1,1781,178
Observed (24 mo)102102
Shared w/ other carriers1212
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
- 1725 S COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE, MESA, AZ, 85210
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (480) 633-4000
- Fax
- (480) 633-5287
- dot@empire-cat.com
- Web domain
- empire-cat.com
Registration
- Officers
- Christopher Zaharis · Michael Kruse
- USDOT / docket
- 44064 · MC-164259
- First registered
- 06/01/1974
- Last MCS-150
- 01/07/2026 · 21,522,677 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 03/14/1983
- D-U-N-S
- 13475020
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 EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC's USDOT number?
EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC's USDOT number is 44064, and its motor carrier number is MC-164259.
Is EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC's safety record?
EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC has a 8.8% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 585 roadside inspections, with 9 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 88/100 (tier: clear).
How big is EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC's fleet?
EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC operates 1,178 power units and 1,175 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC based?
EMPIRE SOUTHWEST LLC is based in MESA, AZ, with roadside inspections recorded across 8 states.