BEN E KEITH COMPANY
DBA: BEN E KEITH FOODS BEN E KEITH BEVERAGES
FMCSA Live Status
Fleet & equipment
- Power units
- 1,768
- Drivers · CDL
- 2,439 · 2,081
- Annual miles
- 71.4M
| Type | Own | Term | Trip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trucks | 83 | 0 | 0 | 83 |
| Tractors | 1685 | 0 | 0 | 1685 |
| Trailers | 2135 | 0 | 0 | 2135 |
Registration
- Organization
- CORPORATION
- FMCSA Rating
- Satisfactory (12-17-2013) · 12 yr old
- Registered
- 06-01-1974 (52 yrs)
- MCS-150 Update
- 04-16-2026 (Biennial Update)
- FRED Score Date
- Nov 07, 2026
- Officer
- MIKE ROWELL
- Officer
- RACHEL JENKINS
Cargo
- High-Risk Cargo
- Refrigerated Food, Meat
Estimated from the commodity types reported to FMCSA, not from loss history or the true cargo mix.
Expected crash rate is probably higher than similar fleets (about an 80% chance), but the record is too thin to say by how much.
Similar fleets: interstate fleets of 500+ trucks with the same kind of operation, years in business and amount of road activity. Compared using its own crash record and roadside inspections.
Per truck, fleets like this one are expected to crash about 0.6× as often as the median active fleet of 500+ trucks.
Worth a closer look
From the FMCSA record. The grade already counts the safety items; insurance filings and links to other motor carriers are not in it.
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Fatal crashes2 crashes with 2 fatalities in 24 months (most recent Nov 5, 2025).Ask: the accident register and loss runs for these crashes.
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Injury crashes34 crashes with 51 people hurt in 24 months.Ask: claim status and driver history for these crashes.
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Driver qualification2 out-of-service violations against drivers: 2 no valid CDL (Dec 2025).Ask: driver qualification files and hiring standards.
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Lights and brakesLights are 124 of 397 violations (31%). Light or brake defects led to 37 out-of-service orders.Ask: the preventive-maintenance schedule and shop records.
- Vehicle out-of-service rate 10.6% vs 22.3% national; driver 0.2% vs 6.7%.
- No FMCSA BASIC alerts.
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Dangerous driving: 17
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Excessive speeding: 21
Track record
Inspected about as often as interstate fleets of 500+ trucks in Texas (about 1028 in 24 months would be typical).
| This motor carrier | Peers | |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes | 0.025 | 0.022 |
| Inspections | 0.33 | 0.64 |
| Violations | 0.11 | 0.22 |
| Critical violations | 0.01 | 0.05 |
Yearly rates from the last 24 months. Peers: interstate fleets, 500+ power units, medium-risk cargo.
What they get cited for
397 violations · 24 months-
Vehicle maintenance No alert321 · 60 OOSLights 124 · Brakes 78 · Tires 22 · Cargo securement 14 · Wheels & hubs 5 · 78 more
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Unsafe driving No alert59 · 0 OOSReckless / lane 27 · Speeding 25 · Phone use 1 · Seat belt 1 · Other 5
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Hours of service No alert15 · 0 OOSLogbook / ELD paperwork 12 · No log 3
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Driver fitness No alert2 · 2 OOSNo valid CDL 2
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Drugs & alcohol No alert0
Violations by quarter
Tap a category to show or hide itCrashes
24 months-
Aug262026OklahomaProperty damage onlyDark - not lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. Citation issued.
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Jul202026North CarolinaProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Jul132026TexasProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Jul22026TexasProperty damage onlyDaylight. Citation issued.
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Jul22026TexasInjury · 3 people hurtWet road, dark - not lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. Citation issued.
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Jul12026ArkansasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. Citation issued.
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Jun262026TexasProperty damage onlyDark - lighted.
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Jun172026AlabamaProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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May152026TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDark - lighted.
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May42026TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Apr142026TexasInjury · 3 people hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Apr112026TexasInjury · 2 people hurtWater(standing moving) road, dark - lighted, rain, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Jan152026FloridaInjury · 2 people hurtWet road, dark - lighted, rain, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Jan152026TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Nov52025TexasFatal · 1 deathDawn, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Nov32025TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDark - lighted. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Oct212025OklahomaInjury · 2 people hurtDark - not lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Sep252025TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight. Citation issued.
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Sep52025AlabamaInjury · 2 people hurtDawn, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Aug212025TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDark - lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Aug132025FloridaInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Jul312025South CarolinaInjury · 1 person hurtWet road, dark - not lighted, rain, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Jul252025AlabamaInjury · 1 person hurtDark - lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Jul182025TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. Citation issued.
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Jun92025TexasInjury · 1 person hurtWet road, daylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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May92025TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Apr232025TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier.
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Apr42025TexasInjury · 1 person hurtWet road, dark - not lighted, rain, two-way trafficway not divided.
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Mar312025TexasInjury · 2 people hurtDark - lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Mar292025TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway not divided.
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Mar152025FloridaInjury · 3 people hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Mar142025TexasInjury · 6 people hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier. Citation issued.
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Mar102025ArkansasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Feb212025TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight. Citation issued.
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Jan142025New MexicoInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Jan132025AlabamaInjury · 1 person hurtDark - lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Jan122025TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDark - not lighted, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier. Citation issued.
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Dec72024AlabamaInjury · 2 people hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway not divided.
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Nov212024KansasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Oct312024TexasInjury · 1 person hurtWet road, daylight, rain, two-way trafficway not divided. Citation issued.
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Oct12024TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDark - lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Sep252024AlabamaFatal · 1 deathDark - lighted, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier.
85 more in the FMCSA records below.
2 of the 93 crashes were fatal.
34 of the 93 crashes hurt someone but killed no one.
Insurance filed with FMCSA
FMCSA record through May 14, 2026 · no change recorded by FMCSA since- Last on FMCSA's record (May 14, 2026)
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$750,000 · TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICAon record since Mar 25, 2020 · FMCSA minimum $750,000
- Cargo filing
- not required by FMCSA (household-goods motor carriers only); the cargo policy is not on FMCSA's record
- One liability insurer throughout
- No gap in filed liability coverage while liability was required
Operating authority active (FMCSA's L&I record of May 14, 2026, status since Apr 10, 2020)
FMCSA filings only, not a policy audit. Not part of the FRED grade. Wrong or out of date?
Every insurance filing on the FMCSA record
1 filing and 1 authority event since 2020 · FMCSA record through May 14, 2026
Newest first. Insurer names as filed. FMCSA does not publish why a filing was cancelled.
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Apr 10, 2020Operating authority grantedL&I to May 14, 2026
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Mar 25, 2020TRAVELERS PROPERTY CASUALTY CO. OF AMERICALiability · $750,000 · on fileL&I to May 14, 2026
What the terms mean
- Liability filing (BIPD):
- The insurer's certificate (form BMC-91 or 91X) that the motor carrier carries bodily-injury and property-damage liability at or above FMCSA's minimum. A BMC-82 is the same promise made by a surety bond.
- FMCSA minimum:
- $750,000 for general freight in vehicles of 10,001 lb or more; $300,000 under 10,001 lb; $1,000,000 for oil and some hazardous materials; $5,000,000 for bulk hazardous materials (49 CFR 387.9).
- Primary / excess:
- An excess filing sits on top of a primary one; together they make the total filed limit.
- Replaced:
- A new filing took over from this one. Replaced the same day is an ordinary change of insurer or renewal.
- Cancellation notice:
- Form BMC-35 (insurance) or BMC-36 (bond): the insurer tells FMCSA the filing ends in 30 days. The insurer files it whether the insurer or the motor carrier ended the policy; FMCSA does not publish the reason.
- Cancellation processed by FMCSA:
- FMCSA itself ended the filing, for example when the authority was revoked.
- Lapse:
- Time with no liability filing on FMCSA's record while the authority required one. A filing received later can be back-dated, which closes a lapse after the fact.
- Suspended for insurance:
- FMCSA suspended the operating authority because no filing meeting the minimum was on file. FMCSA's records state this reason only since May 14, 2026; before then they show a revocation notice without a cause.
- FMCSA notice resolved in time:
- Before May 14, 2026, FMCSA served a revocation notice when a required filing lapsed and dropped it when the filing was restored. The notice does not say which filing lapsed.
- Suspension notice:
- Since May 14, 2026, FMCSA serves a notice that the authority will be suspended on a date unless the missing filing is restored. The notice does not say which filing.
- Cargo filing:
- Form BMC-34. FMCSA has required it only of household-goods motor carriers and forwarders since 2011, so most motor carriers' cargo policies are not on FMCSA's record.
- Broker bond / trust fund:
- Form BMC-84 (surety bond) or BMC-85 (trust fund): the $75,000 security a broker or freight forwarder must keep on file.
- Self-insurance authority:
- FMCSA lets a few large motor carriers carry their own liability; it appears as a filing by "Self-Insured".
- Risk retention group:
- An insurer owned by its policyholders (often trucking groups). It is not covered by state insurance guaranty funds.
- FMCSA record through:
- The date of the FMCSA file this section was built from. Dockets FMCSA's new system has not yet published are shown from the legacy record, frozen on May 14, 2026.
FMCSA's record of the insurance filed for this motor carrier's operating authority (forms BMC-91/91X liability, BMC-34 cargo, BMC-84/85 broker bond or trust), not the motor carrier's full insurance program. Only for-hire motor carriers with operating authority file with FMCSA; private and intrastate-only motor carriers keep proof of insurance at their place of business, so no filing does not mean no insurance. A filed limit is the amount the insurer certified to FMCSA, which can be below the policy's full limits; cargo and bond filings are shown as on file or not because FMCSA records the federal minimum rather than the policy amount. FMCSA's new registration system (May 14, 2026) publishes a partial set of dockets; a docket not yet in it is shown from the legacy record, frozen on that date, and the live check above is today's reading. Not part of the FRED grade. Wrong or out of date?
Where it happens
- Texas (HQ) 230
- New Mexico 116
- Alabama 89
- North Carolina 63
- Florida 48
- Oklahoma 43
- Louisiana 35
- Mississippi 34
29% of inspections were in its home state.
How this grade is calculated
The model, its inputs, the window it scored and its confidence. For actuaries and anyone checking the work.
Forward 12-Month Risk Outlook
The FRED Score predicts this motor carrier's crash risk over the next 12 months — how often they're likely to crash and how severe those crashes tend to be — versus a typical fleet of its size (1768 power units: 1768 filed, 552 seen roadside in 24 months).
We'd expect a typical fleet of 1768 power units this active to have about 40.1 crashes a year. This motor carrier recorded 143 in its scoring window (Sep 1, 2023 → Aug 31, 2026, about 47.7 a year) — about 1.2× a typical fleet. Factoring in its inspection and violation record inside that window and the credibility of its own experience, the model projects about 47.3 over the next 12 — about 1.2× the typical fleet. When this motor carrier does crash, those crashes tend to be substantially more severe than average — roughly 3.2× the injury/fatal weight of a typical crash.
- 9 inspections with no out-of-service result
FRED multiplies three factors: the class rate a fleet of this size, class and activity is expected to run, a violation relativity from its roadside record, and its own crash experience over 36 months weighted by how much exposure stands behind it. The grade is the band of the resulting relativity to class, then the screens.
FMCSA records
BASIC measures and every inspection, violation and crash, sortable and filterable.
FMCSA BASIC Scores
AB Property| BASIC | Insp w/ Viol | Measure | Alert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | 58 | 0.23 | |
| HOS Compliance | 13 | 0.02 | |
| Driver Fitness | 2 | 0.01 | |
| Controlled Substances | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 180 | 2.47 |
SMS record data is sourced from FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (01-APR-25 – 31-OCT-24) and may cover a different time window than the scoring window used for the FRED grade (Sep 1, 2023 → Sep 30, 2026). Counts here may differ from the grade's in-window counts.