Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
107 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 75545
NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC
DBA KNIFE RIVER MATERIALS
107 power unitsavg 9.4 yrRegional · 3 statesBEMIDJI, MN
CARRIER ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORYHAZMAT
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
107Power units
20 observed · MCS-150
14Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
9.4Avg age (yr)
1999–2026 · 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.
Established 52 yearsVehicle out-of-service rate well above average
Operating authority5252 yr active
since 1974Insurance (BIPD)Unknown
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 peersTypical
9.4 yr
Model years 1999–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
52 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1974 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC safe to work with?
Is NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC safe to load? NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC (USDOT 75545) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in BEMIDJI, MN, operating 107 power units and 107 drivers. Operating authority has been active 52 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 46 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 (86/100), 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
NMNORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC 86
01
Safety
46 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 50.0% (24-mo)16 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 3.3% (24-mo)30 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
38.5% 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
≈0.1 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Few roadside inspections for a 107-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
- 107
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 30
- Annualized
- ≈15 / 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.
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving27
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance15 · 6 OOS
- 393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance4 · 4 OOS
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance4
- 392.16 Failure to use seat beltUnsafe Driving3
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance3
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance3
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance2 · 2 OOS
- 393.78 Windshield wipersVehicle Maintenance2
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance2
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
No insurance filing history on record.
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 107
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 20
- Trailers (towed)
- 14
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
1999
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 3 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusRegional
revealedStates observed33
US statesInspections · 24 mo3030
MN busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
BEMIDJI, MN
Top corridor
MN
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 1 truck also ran under 1 other carrier
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 1089044Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (3 trucks · 2 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 1089044USDOT 119773
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@kniferiver.com — 24 carriers: USDOT 4019USDOT 264823USDOT 271939USDOT 281308USDOT 324020USDOT 474284USDOT 561380USDOT 607349
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)107107
Observed (24 mo)2020
Shared w/ other carriers33
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
- 4101 BEMIDJI AVENUE N, BEMIDJI, MN, 56601
- Mailing address
- PO BOX 40, BEMIDJI, MN, 56619
- Operation
- Interstate· Hazmat
Contact
- Phone
- (218) 751-5413
- Cell
- (218) 766-9780
- Fax
- (218) 441-4791
- Web domain
- kniferiver.com
Registration
- Officers
- Jeremy Ganske · Kevin Stroeing
- USDOT / docket
- 75545
- First registered
- 06/01/1974
- Last MCS-150
- 04/27/2026 · 1,715,094 mi (2025)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 11/20/2008
- D-U-N-S
- 623226354
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 NORTHSTAR MATERIALS 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 NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC's USDOT number?
NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC's USDOT number is 75545.
Is NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC is active in the FMCSA register.
What is NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC's safety record?
NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC has a 50.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 46 roadside inspections, with 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 86/100 (tier: clear).
How big is NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC's fleet?
NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC operates 107 power units and 107 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC based?
NORTHSTAR MATERIALS INC is based in BEMIDJI, MN, with roadside inspections recorded across 3 states.