Fleet typeIdentity
Asset-based
59 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
Carrier profile · USDOT 288471
WALTER E NELSON CO
59 power unitsavg 6.9 yrRegional · 5 statesPORTLAND, OR
CARRIER ACTIVERATED SATISFACTORY
Observed fleet · trailing 24 mo daily
59Power units
46 observed · MCS-150
7Trailers seen
Decoded · vPIC
6.9Avg age (yr)
1998–2025 · 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 39 yearsOut-of-service rates below national averageFatal crash on record
Operating authority3939 yr active
since 1987Insurance (BIPD)Unknown
FMCSA L&IVehicle OOS · 24mo7.47.4 %
▼ 22.26% nat'lCrashes · fatal22
4 in 24moVektor intelligence · beyond the federal recordProprietary signals computed from VIN-decoded inspections & daily FMCSA snapshots
Fleet age vs peersTypical
6.9 yr
Model years 1998–2025 · peer benchmark computing.
Identity stabilityStable
39 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1987 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
AI readFull read
Is WALTER E NELSON CO safe to work with?
Is WALTER E NELSON CO safe to load? WALTER E NELSON CO (USDOT 288471) is an active asset-based motor carrier based in PORTLAND, OR, operating 59 power units and 90 drivers. Operating authority has been active 39 years (past the 24-month broker-confidence threshold). Across 159 roadside inspections, its vehicle out-of-service rate is 7.3% (below the 22.26% national average), with 4 reportable crashes in the last 24 months. FMCSA rates it Satisfactory. Vektor rates it clear to load (88/100), with the leading concern: fatal crash on record. Source: FMCSA SAFER/MCMIS, last updated 2026-06-13.
FMCSA fields + Vektor analysis · updated 2026-06-13
WEWALTER E NELSON CO 88
01
Safety
159 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· trailing 24 months vs national benchmark
Vehicle OOS 7.3% (24-mo)68 veh insp · 24-mo · nat'l 22.26%
050%nat'l 22.26%
Driver OOS 5.3% (24-mo)95 drv insp · 24-mo · nat'l 6.67%
030%nat'l 6.67%
OOS trajectory· trailing 6-mo vehicle-OOS rate vs national
5.0% now▼ Improving
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
≈0.8 / unit·yr
thin signalabundant signal
Within the expected band for a 59-unit fleet — FMCSA has inspected this carrier often enough that the out-of-service and violation signals above are statistically trustworthy.
- Registered power units
- 59
- Inspections · 24 mo
- 95
- Annualized
- ≈48 / yr
- Coverage
- ≈0.8 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.
- 393.9 Inoperative required lampsVehicle Maintenance21
- 392.2 State/local traffic law violation (speeding, etc.)Unsafe Driving21
- 396.17 Periodic (annual) inspectionVehicle Maintenance18
- 391.41 No / expired medical certificateDriver Fitness7 · 1 OOS
- 383.23 Operating without a valid CDLDriver Fitness6 · 6 OOS
- 395.8 Record of duty status (log / ELD) not current or missingHOS Compliance5 · 3 OOS
- 393.95 Emergency equipment (extinguisher, triangles)Vehicle Maintenance5
- 172.202 Other violationOther3
- 393.47 Brake actuators / linings / componentsVehicle Maintenance3
- 390.21 USDOT number marking on vehicleUnsafe Driving3
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)
- 59
- Observed power (24 mo)
- 46
- Trailers (towed)
- 7
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
2025
Newest model yr
1998
Oldest model yr
VINs decoded
04
Operations & lanes
Revealed by inspection density across 5 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Operating radiusRegional
revealedStates observed55
US statesInspections · 24 mo9595
WA busiestInspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Home base
PORTLAND, OR
Top corridor
WA ⇄ OR
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 · 4 carriers)
Across all inspections on record: USDOT 580753USDOT 2515845USDOT 4421202USDOT 59571
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
@walterenelson.com — 3 carriers: USDOT 1291417USDOT 1372468
Shares a company officer with other carriers
michael nelson — 53 carriers: USDOT 187916USDOT 491906USDOT 882322USDOT 1025484USDOT 1240241USDOT 1243439USDOT 1288229USDOT 1304416
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered (MCS-150)5959
Observed (24 mo)4646
Shared w/ other carriers22
Registered and roadside-observed capacity are broadly consistent.
06
Identity & contact
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
- Physical address
- 5937 N CUTTER CIRCLE, PORTLAND, OR, 97217
- Operation
- Interstate
Contact
- Phone
- (503) 285-3037
- Fax
- (503) 285-4373
- Web domain
- walterenelson.com
Registration
- Officers
- Michael Nelson · Michael Nelson
- USDOT / docket
- 288471
- First registered
- 03/11/1987
- Last MCS-150
- 01/14/2025 · 860,000 mi (2024)
- FMCSA safety rating
- Satisfactory · 03/10/2023
- D-U-N-S
- 27742691
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
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Leave a review09
Frequently asked
What is WALTER E NELSON CO's USDOT number?
WALTER E NELSON CO's USDOT number is 288471.
Is WALTER E NELSON CO authorized to operate?
As of 2026-06-13, WALTER E NELSON CO is active in the FMCSA register.
What is WALTER E NELSON CO's safety record?
WALTER E NELSON CO has a 7.3% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 159 roadside inspections, with 4 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 88/100 (tier: clear).
How big is WALTER E NELSON CO's fleet?
WALTER E NELSON CO operates 59 power units and 90 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
Where is WALTER E NELSON CO based?
WALTER E NELSON CO is based in PORTLAND, OR, with roadside inspections recorded across 5 states.