Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
35 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 3141234 · MC-106268
EXPLORE TRADING LLC
35 power unitsavg 9.8 yrLocal · 2 statesMIDLAND, TX
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-106268 ACTIVE
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
35Power units
84 observed · MCS-150
75Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
9.8Avg age (yr)
1997–2026 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-07-18
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 authority88 yr active
since 2018Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo31.431.4 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal11
5 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
9.8 yr
Model years 1997–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
8 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2018 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is EXPLORE TRADING LLC safe to work with?
Is EXPLORE TRADING LLC safe to load? EXPLORE TRADING LLC (USDOT 3141234, MC-106268) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in MIDLAND, TX, operating 35 power units and 35 drivers. Operating authority has been active 8 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 206 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 31.4% (above the 22.26% national average), with 5 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: fatal crash on record. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-07-18.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-07-18
ETEXPLORE TRADING LLC 81
01
Safety
206 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 31.4% (24-mo)118 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 5.7% (24-mo)122 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
40.0% 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
≈1.7 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Among the more heavily-inspected carriers for its size — abundant roadside signal. Coverage isn't the question here; the out-of-service and crash record is.
- Registered power units
- 35
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 122
- Annualized
- ≈61 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈1.7 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.
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance146 · 9 OOS
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving86
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance53 · 24 OOS
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance52
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance43 · 7 OOS
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance42 · 16 OOS
- 393.78 Windshield wipersVehicle Maintenance30
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance29 · 1 OOS
- 396.5 Oil and/or grease leakVehicle Maintenance20
- 393.100 Cargo securement (general)Vehicle Maintenance20 · 16 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
$750k BIPD · 4 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+2 earlier
Prime · 19–23
Transverse Specialty · 23–25
20182025
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 22 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| MS TRANSVERSE SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY | Jan 2025 → Sep 2025 | $750k | 3 |
| TRANSVERSE SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY | Jun 2023 → Jan 2025 | $750k | 2 |
| PRIME INSURANCE COMPANY | Jun 2019 → Jun 2023 | $750k | 13 |
| HALLMARK COUNTY MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY | Jun 2018 → May 2019 | $750k | 4 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 35
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 84
- Trailers (towed)
- 75
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
2026
Newest model yr
1997
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 observed22
US statesInspections · 24 mo122122
TX busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
MIDLAND, TX
Top corridor
TX
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 24 trucks also ran under 24 other carriers
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 3122501USDOT 4239183USDOT 4568642USDOT 3050045USDOT 4494519USDOT 2518602USDOT 4372958USDOT 2367351Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (100 trucks · 102 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 1041459USDOT 1194542USDOT 2442770USDOT 3537190USDOT 2872634USDOT 3781181USDOT 3802724USDOT 2871129
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@exploregroup.us — 5 carriers: USDOT 3112085USDOT 3185707USDOT 4284690USDOT 4284704
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)3535
Observed (24 mo)8484
Shared w/ other carriers100100
Roadside-observed power units materially exceed the registered MCS-150 fleet — confirm the carrier is operating within its filed capacity.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 4103 FM 715, MIDLAND, TX, 79706-6731
- Mailing address
- 5555 SAN FELIPE ST STE 850, HOUSTON, TX, 77056
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (361) 449-7169
- Cell
- (361) 449-7169
- Web domain
- exploregroup.us
Registration
- Officers
- Samuel Bertron · Erik Strehle
- USDOT / docket
- 3141234 · MC-106268
- First registered
- 05/25/2018
- Last MCS-150
- 04/28/2025 · 5,026,593 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Not rated
- Recordable crash rate
- 0.00
- D-U-N-S
- 86541387
Fleet (self-reported · MCS-150)
07
Federal activity
Daily-captured FMCSA licensing & insurance changes — monitored by Vektor
Federal record activity· monitored daily by Vektor
- 2026-07-09Authority history changeMotor Carrier of Property (Except Household Goods)
- 2026-07-09Carrier record changeActive · Motor Carrier of Property (Except Household Goods)
- 2026-06-26Carrier record changeInactive · Motor Carrier of Property (Except Household Goods)
- 2026-06-25Carrier record changeInactive · Motor Carrier of Property (Except Household Goods)
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 EXPLORE TRADING LLC. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.
Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is EXPLORE TRADING LLC's USDOT number?
EXPLORE TRADING LLC's USDOT number is 3141234, and its motor carrier number is MC-106268.
Is EXPLORE TRADING LLC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-18, EXPLORE TRADING LLC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is EXPLORE TRADING LLC's safety record?
EXPLORE TRADING LLC has a 31.4% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 206 roadside inspections, with 5 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 EXPLORE TRADING LLC's fleet?
EXPLORE TRADING LLC operates 35 power units and 35 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is EXPLORE TRADING LLC based?
EXPLORE TRADING LLC is based in MIDLAND, TX, with roadside inspections recorded across 2 states.