Carrier profile · USDOT 172169 · MC-205544 · Updated Jun 13, 2026

PAUL MICHELS

DBA MICHELS TRUCKING

5 power unitsavg 10.8 yrRegional · 4 statesHAZLETON, IA94/100

CARRIER ACTIVEMC-205544 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORY

Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily

5Power units

6 observed · MCS-150

6Trailers seen

Decoded · vPIC

10.8Avg age (yr)

2001–2024 · vPIC

Call dispatch(319) 636-2600 Email dispatchPAULMICHELSTRUCKING@YAHOO.COM

Click to see how we scored it

Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · Jun 13, 2026

Clear to load

Active authority and a clean federal record. No blocking issues found.

Active operating authorityInsurance on fileMultiple injury crashes

Watch · 1

Multiple injury crashes7 crashes involving injuries are 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 52 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 1974.Out-of-service rates below national averageBoth vehicle and driver OOS rates beat the national benchmark across 15 inspections.

USDOT registration

yr registered

Active for-hire

Insurance (BIPD)$750K in force

FMCSA L&I

Vehicle OOS · 24-mo0.0%

▼ 22.26% nat'l

Crashes · fatal

1 in 24 mo

USDOT registration

yr registered

Active for-hire

Insurance (BIPD)$750K in force

FMCSA L&I

Vehicle OOS · 24-mo0.0%

▼ 22.26% nat'l

Crashes · fatal

1 in 24 mo

Vektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots

Fleet typeIdentity

Small fleet

5 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.

Fleet age vs peersTypical

10.8 yr

Model years 2001–2024 · peer benchmark unavailable.

Identity stabilityStable

52 yr unchanged

Same registration since 1974 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.

Safety

11 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks

Out-of-service rate· 24-mo cumulative · vs national

Vehicle OOS 0.0%24-mo cumulative

050%nat'l 22.26%

Driver OOS 0.0%24-mo cumulative

030%nat'l 6.67%

Every inspection in the window pooled — 4 vehicle and 10 driver inspections over 24 months.

Vehicle OOS rate· vehicle OOS · vehicle-level inspections · 6-month trailing

0.0% · latest 6-mo window● Steady

Share of vehicle-level roadside inspections in each trailing six-month window that resulted in a vehicle out-of-service order. Holding steady across the window. The national vehicle benchmark uses the same metric and is shown on the chart.

Roadside inspection history· 24 charted calendar months · vehicle / driver level · any-OOS overlay

11 inspections in the charted months · busiest month Dec '24 · 3

Vehicle-levelDriver-levelAny OOS

Monthly FMCSA roadside inspections across the 24 charted calendar months. Bars show level-qualified vehicle and driver populations; one inspection can qualify for both. The line shows inspections with any out-of-service result.

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.

Well-monitored

Under-inspected

Expected

Well-monitored

Heavily inspected

≈1.1 / unit·yr

thin signalabundant signal

Within the expected band for a 5-unit fleet — FMCSA has inspected this carrier often enough that the out-of-service and violation signals above are statistically trustworthy.

Registered power units: 5
Inspections · 24 mo: 11
Annualized: ≈6 / yr
Coverage: ≈1.1 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 Driving11 · 0 OOS
393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance7 · 0 OOS
392.16 Failure to use seat beltUnsafe Driving5 · 0 OOS
393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance4 · 0 OOS
393.75 Tires (defective / underinflated / worn)Vehicle Maintenance2 · 0 OOS
393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance2 · 0 OOS
395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance2 · 0 OOS
393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance1 · 0 OOS
393.24 Parts & accessories (vehicle condition)Vehicle Maintenance1 · 0 OOS
393.78 Windshield wipersVehicle Maintenance1 · 0 OOS

Explore full safety record — inspections, BASICs, crashes

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$750,000 in force

Cargo filing (census)Not recorded per census

Surety bond (census)Not recorded per census

Insurance adequacy· filed BIPD vs the $750K federal floor

$750K in forcegeneral-freight federal minimum

$750K floor

Filed BIPD coverage of $750K meets or exceeds the $750K federal minimum for general freight (49 CFR 387.9). Some commodities (hazmat, larger vehicles) require $1M–$5M — confirm against your load.

Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses

$750K BIPD last filed ’24 · 8 insurers · 2 lapsesCoverage lapse

Continental Western’87–’97

Northland’98–’03

National’08–’15

Midwest Family’18–’22

1987199720072017now

Shorter eras are too brief to label at this scale — all 11 insurers are named in the list below.

BIPD in force — $750,000 · SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY · since Oct 2024

All 11 insurer eras · dates, limits, renewals

Insurer	Period	Limit	Renewals
NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY	Oct 2022 → Oct 2024	$750K	1
MIDWEST FAMILY MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY	Oct 2018 → Oct 2022	$750K	1
ACUITY, A MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY	Oct 2015 → Oct 2018	$750K	1
NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY	Jul 2008 → Oct 2015	$750K	10
FARM BUREAU MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.	Oct 2007 → Oct 2007	$750K	1
NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY	Oct 2006 → Oct 2007	$750K	3
NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY	Oct 2005 → Oct 2005	$750K	5
SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY	Sep 2003 → Oct 2005	$750K	2
NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY	Sep 1998 → Oct 2003	$750K	2
MILWAUKEE MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.	Sep 1997 → Sep 1998	$750K	1
CONTINENTAL WESTERN INSURANCE CO.	Dec 1987 → Sep 1997	$750K	1

Explore full authority & insurance record

Equipment & fleet

VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC

Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed

Registered power units (MCS-150): 5
Observed power (24 mo): 6
Trailers (towed): 6

Capacity is power units only — trailers are towed equipment and are never summed into a fleet-size figure.

Fleet age· model years · decoded VINs

10.8 yr

Average age

2024

Newest model yr

2001

Oldest model yr

41.7%

VINs decoded

Explore full fleet — VIN roster, equipment mix, age distribution

Operations & lanes

Revealed by inspection density across 4 states · 24 mo

Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography

Operating radiusRegional

revealed

States observed

US states

Inspections · 24 mo

IA busiest

Inspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo

Home base

HAZLETON, IA

1230 JACKSON AVE

Top corridor

IA 6 · WI 3 · MN 1

Density

fewermore

Shade = roadside inspections, last 24 mo.

See the full operating map — state density, top lanes

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 1770221Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.

Show all-time history (4 trucks · 3 carriers)

Across all inspections on record: USDOT 3155459 USDOT 1770221 USDOT 1534605

Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units

Registered (MCS-150)

Observed (24 mo)

Shared w/ other carriers

Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.

Explore the carrier network & VIN cross-links

Identity & contact

FMCSA census + L&I dossier

Location

Physical address: 1230 JACKSON AVE, HAZLETON, IA, 50641
Mailing address: P O BOX 27, HAZLETON, IA, 50641-0027
Operation: Interstate

Contact

Phone: (319) 636-2600
Cell: (563) 920-5097
Email: paulmichelstrucking@yahoo.com

Registration

Officers: Paul Michels · Mary Ann Michels
USDOT / docket: 172169 · MC-205544
First registered: Jun 1, 1974
Last MCS-150: Sep 13, 2024 · 320,548 mi (2023)
FMCSA safety rating: Satisfactory · Apr 27, 2007
D-U-N-S: 362279903

Fleet (self-reported · MCS-150)

Power units

Drivers

CDL drivers

320,548

Annual mileage

Open the full identity & federal record

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.

Open the full federal-record activity feed

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 PAUL MICHELS. Reviews cover performance only — on-time delivery, payment speed, communication — and never affect the Vektor risk score.

Leave a review

Open reviews

Verification summaryAuthority, insurance, safety and identity facts for PAUL MICHELS.

PAUL MICHELS (USDOT 172169) has a Vektor safety score of 94/100 and a Clear to load verdict, from the carrier's FMCSA record refreshed Jun 13, 2026.

The carrier holds active common and contract for-hire operating authority per FMCSA L&I as of Jun 13, 2026.

It has an active BIPD insurance filing with a $750,000 limit in force from SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY effective Oct 22, 2024 in FMCSA L&I's current snapshot as of Jun 13, 2026.

Its vehicle out-of-service rate was 0.0% over the last 24 months, versus the 22.26% CVSA national average, from FMCSA roadside-inspection data refreshed Jun 13, 2026.

The carrier received 11 roadside inspections in the last 24 months — 4 vehicle-level and 10 driver-level — across 4 states, according to FMCSA roadside-inspection data refreshed Jun 13, 2026.

The carrier has 1 reportable crash in the last 24 months and 0 fatal crashes across the full FMCSA crash record available as of Jun 13, 2026.

It reports 5 power units and 6 drivers in its most recent MCS-150 filing dated Sep 13, 2024.

It has an FMCSA safety rating of Satisfactory assigned Apr 27, 2007 in the federal record refreshed Jun 13, 2026.

Frequently asked

What is PAUL MICHELS's USDOT number?

PAUL MICHELS's USDOT number is 172169, and its motor carrier number is MC-205544.

Is PAUL MICHELS authorized to operate?

As of Jun 13, 2026, PAUL MICHELS is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.

What is PAUL MICHELS's safety record?

PAUL MICHELS has a 0.0% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 15 roadside inspections, with 1 reportable crash in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 94/100 (tier: clear).