Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
38 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 438760 · MC-236421
SMOOTH OPERATORS INC
38 power unitsavg 9.9 yrNational · 17 statesDARIEN, WI
CARRIER ACTIVEMC-236421 ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORY
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
38Power units
25 observed · MCS-150
23Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
9.9Avg age (yr)
1997–2026 · 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 · 2
Operating authority3535 yr active
since 1991Insurance (BIPD)On file
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo36.836.8 %
▲ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal11
2 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
9.9 yr
Model years 1997–2026 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
35 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1991 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is SMOOTH OPERATORS INC safe to work with?
Is SMOOTH OPERATORS INC safe to load? SMOOTH OPERATORS INC (USDOT 438760, MC-236421) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in DARIEN, WI, operating 38 power units and 37 drivers. Operating authority has been active 35 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 49 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 36.8% (above the 22.26% national average), with 2 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it review before loading (74/100), 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
SOSMOOTH OPERATORS INC 74
01
Safety
49 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 36.8% (24-mo)19 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 0.0% (24-mo)34 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
42.9% 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 38-unit fleet — enough signal to read the safety record, though not a heavy sample.
- Registered power units
- 38
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 34
- Annualized
- ≈17 / 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.
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving15
- 393.55 Antilock brake system (ABS)Vehicle Maintenance7
- 395.3 Driving beyond hours-of-service limitsHOS Compliance7
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance6 · 1 OOS
- 393.11 Required lamps/reflectors missingVehicle Maintenance4
- 393.45 Brake tubing / hose defectsVehicle Maintenance4 · 2 OOS
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance3
- 395.24 ELD — record edits / dataHOS Compliance3
- 396.3 Inspection / repair / maintenance not performedVehicle Maintenance3 · 1 OOS
- 392.16 Failure to use seat beltUnsafe Driving2
02
Authority & insurance
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
- Common
- None
- Contract
- Active
- Broker
- Inactive
Insurance & bonds
BIPD / liability (required)Filed with FMCSA
CargoNone
Surety bond (BMC-84)None
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
$750k BIPD · 6 insurers · 0 lapsesInsurer churn
+1 earlier
Firstar Bank · 97–05
Lancer · 02–05
Lincoln General · 05–08
State Pennsylvania · 08–10
Great West · 10–20
Sentry Select · 20–23
19932023
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 12 filings
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANY | Mar 2020 → Mar 2023 | $750k | 2 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Mar 2010 → Mar 2020 | $750k | 2 |
| THE INSURANCE CO OF THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA | Mar 2008 → Mar 2010 | $750k | 3 |
| LINCOLN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY | Mar 2005 → Mar 2008 | $750k | 1 |
| LANCER INSURANCE COMPANY | Mar 2002 → Mar 2005 | $750k | 1 |
| FIRSTAR BANK MILWAUKEE, NA | Aug 1997 → Nov 2005 | $750k | 1 |
| GREAT WEST CASUALTY CO. | Jan 1993 → Apr 2002 | $750k | 2 |
03
Equipment & fleet
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
- Registered power units (MCS-150)
- 38
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 25
- Trailers (towed)
- 23
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 17 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusNational
revealedStates observed1717
US statesInspections · 24 mo3434
WI busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
DARIEN, WI
Top corridor
WI
Density
fewermore
05
Network & fraud
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 2 trucks also ran under 2 other carriers
VINs inspected under this carrier were recently inspected under other USDOTs too — the active double-broker / shared-equipment signal: USDOT 2372907USDOT 2331889Some overlap is legitimate (leased or sold equipment); review alongside the other signals.
Show all-time history (7 trucks · 6 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 2372907USDOT 2876952USDOT 2331889USDOT 1009802USDOT 92693USDOT 2087305
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@smoothoperatorsinc.com — 2 carriers: USDOT 1295633
Shares a company officer with other carriers
michael j smiley — 2 carriers: USDOT 1295633
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)3838
Observed (24 mo)2525
Shared w/ other carriers77
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
- W8861 CREEK ROAD, DARIEN, WI, 53114
- Mailing address
- PO BOX 717, DARIEN, WI, 53114
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (262) 724-1188
- Fax
- (262) 724-3332
- Web domain
- smoothoperatorsinc.com
Registration
- Officer
- Michael J Smiley
- USDOT / docket
- 438760 · MC-236421
- First registered
- 03/12/1991
- Last MCS-150
- 10/30/2025 · 2,118,432 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 11/25/2002
- D-U-N-S
- 969905025
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 SMOOTH OPERATORS 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 SMOOTH OPERATORS INC's USDOT number?
SMOOTH OPERATORS INC's USDOT number is 438760, and its motor carrier number is MC-236421.
Is SMOOTH OPERATORS INC authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, SMOOTH OPERATORS INC is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
What is SMOOTH OPERATORS INC's safety record?
SMOOTH OPERATORS INC has a 36.8% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 49 roadside inspections, with 2 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 74/100 (tier: review).
How big is SMOOTH OPERATORS INC's fleet?
SMOOTH OPERATORS INC operates 38 power units and 37 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is SMOOTH OPERATORS INC based?
SMOOTH OPERATORS INC is based in DARIEN, WI, with roadside inspections recorded across 17 states.