Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
85 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 557151 · MC-273815
FIRSTEXPRESS INC
85 power unitsavg 6.1 yrNational · 19 statesNASHVILLE, TN
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-273815 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
85Power units
104 observed · MCS-150
174Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
6.1Avg age (yr)
1997–2026 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-07-18
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 32 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 1994.Out-of-service rates below national averageBoth vehicle and driver OOS rates beat the national benchmark across 421 inspections.
Operating authority3232 yr active
since 1994Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo17.217.2 %
▼ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal99
10 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
6.1 yr
Model years 1997–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
32 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1994 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is FIRSTEXPRESS INC safe to work with?
Is FIRSTEXPRESS INC safe to load? FIRSTEXPRESS INC (USDOT 557151, MC-273815) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in NASHVILLE, TN, operating 85 power units and 76 drivers. Operating authority has been active 32 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 421 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 17.2% (below the 22.26% national average), with 10 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 2026-07-18.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-07-18
FIFIRSTEXPRESS INC 88
01
Safety
421 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 17.2% (24-mo)151 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 2.3% (24-mo)264 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
14.5% now▲ Worsening
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
≈1.6 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Within the expected band for a 85-unit fleet — FMCSA has inspected this carrier often enough that the out-of-service and violation signals above are statistically trustworthy.
- Registered power units
- 85
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 264
- Annualized
- ≈132 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈1.6 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 Driving46
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance34 · 32 OOS
- 395.30 ELD — use / data transferHOS Compliance9
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance8 · 3 OOS
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance7
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance7
- 395.24 ELD — record edits / dataHOS Compliance6
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance4 · 2 OOS
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance3 · 1 OOS
- 383.23 Operating without a valid CDLDriver Fitness3 · 2 OOS
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
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)Filed with FMCSA
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$1M BIPD · 8 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+4 earlier
Liberty · 95–99
St Paul · 99–02
Great West · 03–10
Great West · 11–17
Protective · 17–21
19942022
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.
9 insurer eras · collapsed from 16 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNITED STATES FIRE INSURANCE CO. | Oct 2021 → Oct 2022 | $1M | 1 |
| PROTECTIVE INSURANCE CO. | Oct 2017 → Oct 2021 | $1M | 1 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Jul 2011 → Oct 2017 | $1M | 2 |
| CONTINENTAL CASUALTY CO. | Jun 2010 → Jul 2011 | $1M | 2 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Apr 2003 → Jun 2010 | $1M | 2 |
| THE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK | Apr 2002 → Apr 2003 | $1M | 1 |
| ST. PAUL FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE CO. | Apr 1999 → Apr 2002 | $1M | 4 |
| LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE CO. | Apr 1995 → Apr 1999 | $1M | 2 |
| NATIONAL AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY | Mar 1994 → May 1995 | $1M | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 85
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 104
- Trailers (towed)
- 174
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 19 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusNational
revealedStates observed1818
US statesInspections · 24 mo263263
TN busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
NASHVILLE, TN
Top corridor
TN
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 6 trucks also ran under 6 other carriers
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 3450522USDOT 2552295USDOT 313891USDOT 3169346USDOT 3555983USDOT 4300712Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (45 trucks · 46 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 3560463USDOT 3911060USDOT 4154835USDOT 4194185USDOT 2253707USDOT 2443160USDOT 3365375USDOT 4213202
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@firstexpress.net — 2 carriers: USDOT 3815522
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)8585
Observed (24 mo)104104
Shared w/ other carriers4646
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 1135 FREIGHTLINER DRIVE, NASHVILLE, TN, 37210
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (615) 244-1425
- Web domain
- firstexpress.net
Registration
- Officer
- James Keith
- USDOT / docket
- 557151 · MC-273815
- First registered
- 04/06/1994
- Last MCS-150
- 04/15/2026 · 8,460,265 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 06/14/2006
- 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
Be the first broker or shipper to rate FIRSTEXPRESS INC. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.
Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is FIRSTEXPRESS INC's USDOT number?
FIRSTEXPRESS INC's USDOT number is 557151, and its motor carrier number is MC-273815.
Is FIRSTEXPRESS INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-07-18, FIRSTEXPRESS INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is FIRSTEXPRESS INC's safety record?
FIRSTEXPRESS INC has a 17.2% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 421 roadside inspections, with 10 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 FIRSTEXPRESS INC's fleet?
FIRSTEXPRESS INC operates 85 power units and 76 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is FIRSTEXPRESS INC based?
FIRSTEXPRESS INC is based in NASHVILLE, TN, with roadside inspections recorded across 19 states.