Fleet typeIdentity
Small fleet
14 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 1124148 · MC-459020
MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC
DBA MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE
14 power unitsavg 27.5 yrLocal · 1 statesHAMILTON, MT
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-459020 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORY
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
14Power units
2 observed · MCS-150
—Trailers seen
None observed · 24 mo
27.5Avg age (yr)
1998–1999 · vPIC
Click to see how we scored it
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · 2026-06-18
Clear to load
Active authority and a clean federal record. No blocking issues found.
Active operating authorityInsurance on file
Operating authority2323 yr active
since 2003Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo50.050.0 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal00
clean 24 moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersOlder
27.5 yr
Model years 1998–1999 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
23 yr unchanged
Same registration since 2003 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC safe to work with?
Is MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC safe to load? MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC (USDOT 1124148, MC-459020) is an active small-fleet motor carrier based in HAMILTON, MT, operating 14 power units and 7 drivers. Operating authority has been active 23 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 2 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 50.0% (above the 22.26% national average), with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it clear to load (100/100). Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-18.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-18
MMMERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC 100
01
Safety
2 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 50.0% (24-mo)2 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS —% (24-mo)0 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
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
≈0.1 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Few roadside inspections for a 14-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
- 14
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 2
- Annualized
- ≈1 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.1 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.
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance1 · 1 OOS
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance1
- 393.53 Automatic brake adjusters / indicatorsVehicle Maintenance1
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance1
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance1
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- Active
- Contract
- Active
- Broker
- None
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoFiled with FMCSA
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$750k BIPD · 5 insurers · 1 lapseCoverage lapse
+2 earlier
Granite State · 04–10
Wesco · 14–17
Milwaukee · 17–19
Transguard America · 19–21
20022021
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 10 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRANSGUARD INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA INC. | Aug 2019 → Jun 2021 | $750k | 1 |
| MILWAUKEE CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY | Aug 2017 → Aug 2019 | $750k | 1 |
| WESCO INSURANCE COMPANY | Aug 2014 → Aug 2017 | $750k | 1 |
| GRANITE STATE INSURANCE CO. | Jun 2004 → Aug 2010 | $750k | 4 |
| TRANSGUARD INSURANCE COMPANY OF AMERICA INC. | Jun 2003 → Jul 2004 | $750k | 2 |
| AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY | Jun 2002 → Jul 2003 | $750k | 1 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 14
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 2
- Trailers (towed)
- 0
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
1999
Newest model yr
1998
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 1 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusLocal
revealedStates observed11
US statesInspections · 24 mo22
MT busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
HAMILTON, MT
Top corridor
MT
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 (2 trucks · 1 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 70719
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)1414
Observed (24 mo)22
Shared w/ other carriers22
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
- 1410 N 1ST STREET, HAMILTON, MT, 59840
- Mailing address
- 1410 N 1ST ST, HAMILTON, MT, 59840
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (406) 363-4314
- Fax
- (406) 363-9195
Registration
- Officers
- Susie Kraft · Adam Kraft
- USDOT / docket
- 1124148 · MC-459020
- First registered
- 04/30/2003
- Last MCS-150
- 10/23/2025 · 10,000 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 10/10/2024
- Recordable crash rate
- 0.00
- D-U-N-S
- 849317946
Fleet (self-reported · MCS-150)
07
Federal activity
Daily-captured FMCSA licensing & insurance changes — monitored by Vektor
Federal record activity· monitored daily by Vektor
- 2026-07-09Carrier 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
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Frequently asked
What is MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC's USDOT number?
MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC's USDOT number is 1124148, and its motor carrier number is MC-459020.
Is MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-18, MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC's safety record?
MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC has a 50.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 2 roadside inspections, with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 100/100 (tier: clear).
How big is MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC's fleet?
MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC operates 14 power units and 7 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC based?
MERCHANTS MOVING & STORAGE INC is based in HAMILTON, MT, with roadside inspections recorded across 1 state.