Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
100 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 89586 · MC-164923
HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC
100 power unitsavg 6.4 yrNational · 20 statesELLISVILLE, MS
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-164923 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORY
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
100Power units
50 observed · MCS-150
52Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
6.4Avg age (yr)
1997–2024 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-13
Review before loading
Operating, but with flags a broker should weigh before tendering freight.
Active operating authorityInsurance on fileVehicle out-of-service rate well above average
Watch · 3
Operating authority5252 yr active
since 1974Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo46.346.3 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal1010
3 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
6.4 yr
Model years 1997–2024 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
52 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1974 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC safe to work with?
Is HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC safe to load? HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC (USDOT 89586, MC-164923) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in ELLISVILLE, MS, operating 100 power units and 69 drivers. Operating authority has been active 52 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 146 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 46.3% (above the 22.26% national average), with 3 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it review before loading (70/100), with the leading concern: vehicle out-of-service rate well above average. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
HTHOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC 70
01
Safety
146 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 46.3% (24-mo)54 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 1.1% (24-mo)89 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
47.4% 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
≈0.4 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Roadside-inspection volume is about what you'd expect for a 100-unit fleet — enough signal to read the safety record, though not a heavy sample.
- Registered power units
- 100
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 89
- Annualized
- ≈45 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.4 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.
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance27
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving22
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance19 · 18 OOS
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance16 · 6 OOS
- 393.104 Cargo securement — tiedownsVehicle Maintenance13 · 2 OOS
- 393.53 Automatic brake adjusters / indicatorsVehicle Maintenance12
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance12 · 9 OOS
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance9 · 4 OOS
- 396.5 Oil and/or grease leakVehicle Maintenance8 · 5 OOS
- 395.24 ELD — record edits / dataHOS Compliance8
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 · 6 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+3 earlier
Legion · 95–01
Cherokee · 03–17
Great West · 17–19
Cherokee · 19–25
19942025
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.
7 insurer eras · collapsed from 14 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY | Mar 2019 → Mar 2025 | $1M | 5 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Mar 2017 → Apr 2019 | $1M | 2 |
| CHEROKEE INSURANCE COMPANY | Mar 2003 → Mar 2017 | $1M | 2 |
| AMERICAN CASUALTY COMPANY OF READING | Mar 2002 → Mar 2003 | $1M | 2 |
| TRANSCONTINENTAL INSURANCE CO. | Mar 2001 → Mar 2002 | $1M | 1 |
| LEGION INSURANCE COMPANY | May 1995 → Mar 2001 | $1M | 1 |
| MIC PROPERTY & CASUALTY INS CORP. | Jun 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)
- 100
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 50
- Trailers (towed)
- 52
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
2024
Newest model yr
1997
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 20 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusNational
revealedStates observed2020
US statesInspections · 24 mo8989
MS busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
ELLISVILLE, MS
Top corridor
MS
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 (8 trucks · 1 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 1303562
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@howard-ind.com — 2 carriers: USDOT 1303562
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)100100
Observed (24 mo)5050
Shared w/ other carriers88
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
- 107 NEHI ROAD, ELLISVILLE, MS, 39437-2041
- Mailing address
- P O BOX 586, LAUREL, MS, 39441-0586
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (601) 477-2080
- Cell
- (601) 498-6202
- Fax
- (601) 477-2085
- Web domain
- howard-ind.com
Registration
- Officers
- Suzanne Skipper · Steve Howard
- USDOT / docket
- 89586 · MC-164923
- First registered
- 06/01/1974
- Last MCS-150
- 05/02/2024 · 4,612,274 mi (2023)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 04/19/2000
- D-U-N-S
- 872881800
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 HOWARD TRANSPORTATION 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 HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC's USDOT number?
HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC's USDOT number is 89586, and its motor carrier number is MC-164923.
Is HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC's safety record?
HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC has a 46.3% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 146 roadside inspections, with 3 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 70/100 (tier: review).
How big is HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC's fleet?
HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC operates 100 power units and 69 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC based?
HOWARD TRANSPORTATION INC is based in ELLISVILLE, MS, with roadside inspections recorded across 20 states.