Carrier profile · USDOT 97174 · MC-19550 · Updated Jun 13, 2026

The Charlotte Observer Publishing Company

12 power unitsCHARLOTTE, NC48/100

CARRIER INACTIVEMC-19550 INACTIVE

Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily

12Power units

Self-reported · MCS-150

—Trailers seen

None observed · 24 mo

—Avg age (yr)

Not yet decoded

Call dispatch(704) 358-5197 Email dispatchtdarr@charlotteobserver.com

Click to see how we scored it

Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · Jun 13, 2026

High risk

Multiple serious issues on the federal record. Verify directly before any tender.

Watch · 3

USDOT registration inactiveThe USDOT record is flagged inactive — the carrier may not be authorized to operate.No active operating authorityNo active common, contract, or broker authority is on file for a for-hire carrier.No inspection history despite active fleetAn established carrier reporting 12 power units has no roadside inspections — a common shell/paper-carrier signal.

In good standing · 2

Insurance on fileBIPD (liability) insurance is on file with FMCSA.Established 52 yearsOperating authority has been on file since 1974.

USDOT registration

yr registered

No active authority

Insurance (BIPD)$1M in force

FMCSA L&I

Vehicle OOS · 24-mo—

No inspections · 24 mo

Crashes · fatal

No activity in window

USDOT registration

yr registered

No active authority

Insurance (BIPD)$1M in force

FMCSA L&I

Vehicle OOS · 24-mo—

No inspections · 24 mo

Crashes · fatal

No activity in window

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

Fleet typeIdentity

Asset-based

12 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.

Fleet age vs peersDecoding

—

Not yet decoded

Identity stabilityStable

52 yr unchanged

Same registration since 1974 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.

Safety

Roadside inspections, BASICs & crash history

Out-of-service rate· 24-mo cumulative

No roadside inspections on record.

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

No roadside inspections on the FMCSA record in this window

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: Inactive
Contract: Inactive
Broker: None

Insurance & bonds

BIPD / liability$1,000,000 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

$1M in forcegeneral-freight federal minimum

$750K floor

Filed BIPD coverage of $1M 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

$1M BIPD last filed ’13 · 2 insurers · 2 lapsesCoverage lapse

Travelers’83–’03

Travelers Property’13–now

1983199420052016now

Shorter eras are too brief to label at this scale — all 4 insurers are named in the list below.

BIPD in force — $1,000,000 · TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICA · since Dec 2017

All 4 insurer eras · dates, limits, renewals

Insurer	Period	Limit	Renewals
TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICA	Dec 2013 → Dec 2013	$1M	1
TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICA	Dec 2012 → Dec 2012	$1M	4
TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICA	Dec 2002 → Aug 2006	$1M	1
TRAVELERS INDEMNITY COMPANY	Nov 1983 → Jan 2003	$1M	2

Explore full authority & insurance record

Equipment

VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC

Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed

Registered power units (MCS-150): 12
Observed power (24 mo): —
Trailers (towed): —

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

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

Operations & Lanes

Revealed by inspection density · 24 mo

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

Home base

CHARLOTTE, NC

3100 YORKMONT RD

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

Shares a registration email domain with other carriers

@charlotteobserver.com — 2 carriers: USDOT 4226274

Shares a company officer with other carriers

timothy darr — 2 carriers: USDOT 4226274

Explore the carrier network & VIN cross-links

Identity & Federal

FMCSA census + L&I dossier

Location

Physical address: 3100 YORKMONT RD, CHARLOTTE, NC, 28208
Operation: Interstate

Contact

Phone: (704) 358-5197
Email: tdarr@charlotteobserver.com
Web domain: charlotteobserver.com

Registration

Officer: Timothy Darr
USDOT / docket: 97174 · MC-19550
First registered: Jun 1, 1974
Last MCS-150: Jun 18, 2025 · 1 mi (2024)
FMCSA safety rating: Not rated
D-U-N-S: 3155280

Fleet (self-reported · MCS-150)

Power units

Drivers

CDL drivers

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 THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER PUBLISHING COMPANY. 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 THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER PUBLISHING COMPANY.

THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER PUBLISHING COMPANY (USDOT 97174) has a Vektor safety score of 48/100 and a High risk verdict, from the carrier's FMCSA record refreshed Jun 13, 2026.

The carrier has no active for-hire operating authority per FMCSA L&I as of Jun 13, 2026.

It has an active BIPD insurance filing with a $1,000,000 limit in force from TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICA effective Dec 31, 2017 in FMCSA L&I's current snapshot as of Jun 13, 2026.

The carrier received 0 roadside inspections in the last 24 months — 0 vehicle-level and 0 driver-level, according to FMCSA roadside-inspection data refreshed Jun 13, 2026.

The carrier has 0 reportable crashes in the last 24 months and 3 fatal crashes across the full FMCSA crash record available as of Jun 13, 2026.

It reports 12 power units and 22 drivers in its most recent MCS-150 filing dated Jun 18, 2025.

It has no FMCSA-assigned safety rating in the federal record refreshed Jun 13, 2026.

Frequently asked

What is THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER PUBLISHING COMPANY's USDOT number?

THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER PUBLISHING COMPANY's USDOT number is 97174, and its motor carrier number is MC-19550.

Is THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER PUBLISHING COMPANY authorized to operate?

As of Jun 13, 2026, THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER PUBLISHING COMPANY is inactive in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.