J. S. HELWIG & SON, L.L.C.
(888) 771-3331
dkellen@jshelwig.com
222 Metro Drive, Terrell TX 75160
434
tractors · all owned
376 drivers
42.5M mi/yr · ~98k per unit
HazMat
Marginal
FRED Score 34.4 / 100
High confidence
52 yrs history · 812 roadside inspections
FMCSA Live Status
Checking FMCSA…
Fleet & equipment
- Power units
- 434
- Drivers · CDL
- 376 · 376
- Annual miles
- 42.5M
| Type | Own | Term | Trip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trucks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tractors | 433 | 0 | 0 | 433 |
| Trailers | 751 | 0 | 0 | 751 |
Registration
- Organization
- CORPORATION
- FMCSA Rating
- Satisfactory (12-08-2010) · 15 yr old
- Registered
- 06-01-1974 (52 yrs)
- MCS-150 Update
- 03-31-2026 (Biennial Update)
- FRED Score Date
- Nov 07, 2026
- Officer
- JAMES STANLEY HELWIG JR.
Cargo
60.6
medium risk
Meat
Refrigerated Food
General Freight
Fresh Produce
Beverages
Chemicals
- High-Risk Cargo
- General Freight, Refrigerated Food, Meat
Note: "General Freight" is a catch-all; the actual cargo mix and its risk may differ.
Estimated from the commodity types reported to FMCSA, not from loss history or the true cargo mix.
Expected crash rate is about 46% higher than similar fleets.
Similar fleets: for-hire fleets of 200–499 trucks with the same kind of operation, years in business and amount of road activity. Compared using its own crash record and roadside inspections.
This motor carrier 1.46×
ExcellentStrongSatisf.SatisfactoryMarginalPoorCritical
▲ Similar fleets 1.0×
Expected crashes, next 12 months
20.6 vs 14.2 for similar fleets
Likely 12–30 crashes
This motor carrier
20.6
Similar fleets
14.2
Chance of a fatal crash, next 12 months
~45%
About 1.5× similar fleets.
What's driving the grade
Crash history
betterworse
Worse than peers. 45 crashes on the FMCSA record in 24 months (about 22 a year), including 16 with injuries; similar fleets have about 14 a year. The grade counts 71 crashes in its 36-month scoring window, recent ones weighted most.
Roadside inspections
betterworse
Better than peers. Violations 0.41× and out-of-service orders 0.66× the rate expected for its inspections. Together they move its crash estimate -8%: roadside results weigh far less than crash history. It's inspected more often than most fleets its size.
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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Injury crashes16 crashes with 17 people hurt in 24 months.Ask: claim status and driver history for these crashes.
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Drivers put out of service11 out-of-service violations against drivers: 6 no valid CDL, 3 medical certificate, 2 hours of service (Jan 2025 – Jun 2026).Ask: driver supervision and dispatch practices.
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Tires and brakesTires are 76 of 362 violations (21%). Tire or brake defects led to 80 out-of-service orders.Ask: the preventive-maintenance schedule and shop records.
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Unsafe drivingCited 17 for speeding 15+ mph over or in a work zone and 1 for phone use.Ask: telematics, speed governance and phone policy.
Strengths
- Driver out-of-service rate 1.4% vs 6.7% national.
- No FMCSA BASIC alerts.
Data flags
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Dangerous driving: 42
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Excessive speeding: 48
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Substance violations: 1
Track record
FMCSA record, Sep 2024 – Sep 2026
· grade scored on Sep 1, 2023 → Sep 30, 2026
Crashes
45
0 fatalities · 17 injuries · 0 tow-aways
Inspections
812
69% clean (no violations)
Vehicle out-of-service
20.4%
73 of 358
National avg 22.3%
Driver out-of-service
1.4%
11 of 812
National avg 6.7%
Violations
362
95 out-of-service
Inspections per quarter
With an out-of-service order
Sep 25–30, 2024 isn't charted (too little of that quarter is on file); the 24-month totals include its 5 inspections.
vs 1,008 peer fleets
| This motor carrier | Peers | |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes | 0.046 | 0.022 |
| Inspections | 1.40 | 0.74 |
| Violations | 0.42 | 0.32 |
| Critical violations | 0.15 | 0.07 |
Yearly rates from the last 24 months. Peers: 200–499 power units, medium-risk cargo.
What they get cited for
362 violations · 24 months-
Vehicle maintenance No alert186 · 84 OOSTires 76 · Brakes 67 · Lights 17 · Steering & suspension 5 · Cargo securement 2 · 19 more
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Unsafe driving No alert124 · 0 OOSReckless / lane 49 · Speeding 49 · Seat belt 2 · Phone use 1 · Other 23
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Hours of service No alert43 · 2 OOSLogbook / ELD paperwork 21 · Over hours limit 12 · No log 8 · False log 2
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Driver fitness No alert9 · 9 OOSNo valid CDL 6 · Medical certificate 3
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Drugs & alcohol No alert0
Out-of-service violations
“No alert” = under FMCSA's BASIC intervention threshold
Violations by quarter
Tap a category to show or hide itNo violation trend data
Crashes
24 months-
Aug232026IndianaInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, one-way trafficway not divided.
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Aug182026ArkansasProperty damage onlyDark - not lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Aug162026ArkansasProperty damage onlyDark - not lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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May72026KansasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Apr232026OhioProperty damage onlyDaylight, one-way trafficway not divided.
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Apr22026TexasProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Mar292026OhioProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. Citation issued.
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Mar112026OklahomaProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. Citation issued.
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Feb202026VirginiaInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Feb142026TexasInjury · 1 person hurtWet road, dark - lighted, severe crosswinds, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Jan112026OhioInjury · 1 person hurtSnow road, daylight, snow, one-way trafficway not divided. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Sep132025ArkansasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Jun132025IndianaInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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May62025LouisianaInjury · 2 people hurtWet road, dark - lighted, rain, one-way trafficway not divided. FMCSA: not preventable.
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May52025OklahomaInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier. Citation issued. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Jan212025NebraskaInjury · 1 person hurtDark - not lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Jan52025KansasInjury · 1 person hurtIce road, daylight, snow. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Jan42025NebraskaInjury · 1 person hurtIce road, dark - not lighted, sleet hail, two-way trafficway not divided.
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Nov182024South CarolinaInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway not divided.
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Nov42024ArkansasInjury · 1 person hurtDark - lighted, two-way trafficway not divided.
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Nov22024TexasInjury · 1 person hurtWet road, daylight, rain, two-way trafficway divided positive barrier.
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Sep302024TexasInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway not divided. Citation issued.
37 more in the FMCSA records below.
16 of the 45 crashes hurt someone but killed no one.
Insurance filed with FMCSA
FMCSA record through Nov 2, 2026Today · live FMCSA check
Checking FMCSA…
- Liability (BIPD)
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$1,000,000 · Great West Casualty Coon record since Nov 1, 2024 · FMCSA minimum $1,000,000 · no gap on FMCSA's record since Nov 2012
- Cargo filing
- not required by FMCSA (household-goods motor carriers only); the cargo policy is not on FMCSA's record
- Broker or forwarder bond
- required · none on file
36 months to Nov 2, 2026
- 2 liability insurers on FMCSA's record, 1 change: UNITED STATES FIRE INSURANCE CO. → Great West Casualty Co (Nov 2024)
- No gap in filed liability coverage while liability was required
Operating authority active (FMCSA's new registration system, status since Jun 9, 2026)
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
35 filings and 12 authority events since 1981 · FMCSA record through Nov 2, 2026
Every insurance filing on the FMCSA record
35 filings and 12 authority events since 1981 · FMCSA record through Nov 2, 2026
Newest first. Insurer names as filed. FMCSA does not publish why a filing was cancelled.
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Nov 1, 2024Great West Casualty CoLiability · $1,000,000 · on fileFMCSA's new system
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Nov 1, 2023UNITED STATES FIRE INSURANCE CO.Liability · $1,000,000 · ended Nov 1, 2024 · replaced by another insurer12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 1, 2022UNITED STATES FIRE INSURANCE CO.Liability · $1,000,000 · ended Nov 1, 2023 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 17, 2021UNITED STATES FIRE INSURANCE CO.Liability · $1,000,000 · ended Nov 1, 2022 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)11 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 1, 2021UNITED STATES FIRE INSURANCE CO.Liability bond (BMC-82) · ended Nov 17, 2021 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)a cancellation notice effective Dec 18, 2021 came after the replacement; 1 month in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 1, 2020EVEREST NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $750,000 · ended Nov 1, 2021 · replaced by another insurer12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 1, 2019EVEREST NATIONAL INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $750,000 · ended Nov 1, 2020 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 1, 2012HUDSON INSURANCE COMPANYLiability bond (BMC-82) · $1,000,000 · ended Nov 1, 2019 · replaced by another insurera cancellation notice effective Nov 30, 2019 came after the replacement; 84 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 1, 2011COMPANION PROPERTY & CASUALTY INS. CO.Liability · $750,000 · ended Nov 27, 2011 · cancellation notice took effect1 month in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 1, 2010NORTH RIVER INSURANCE CO.Cargo · ended Jun 26, 2018 · cancellation notice took effect92 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 1, 2010IMPERIUM INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $750,000 · ended Nov 1, 2011 · replaced by another insurer12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Dec 31, 2009MAX SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANYCargo · ended Nov 1, 2010 · replaced by another insurer10 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Feb 10, 2009NORTH RIVER INSURANCE CO.Cargo · ended Dec 31, 2009 · replaced by another insurer11 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 15, 2009SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Nov 1, 2010 · replaced by another insurer22 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jan 1, 2009NORTH RIVER INSURANCE CO.Cargo · ended Feb 10, 2009 · superseded by the same policya cancellation notice effective Jan 1, 2010 came after the replacement; 1 month in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Sep 13, 2007SURETEC INSURANCE COMPANYBroker bond (BMC-84) · ended Sep 12, 2011 · cancellation notice took effect48 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 21, 2007Operating authority reinstatedL&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 17, 2007FEDERAL INSURANCE CO.Cargo · ended Jan 1, 2009 · replaced by another insurer17 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 17, 2007SENTRY SELECT INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $750,000 · ended Jan 15, 2009 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)17 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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May 2, 2005Operating authority revoked (cause not stated)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Mar 14, 2005Broker authority revoked (cause not stated)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Feb 25, 2005CONTINENTAL CASUALTY CO.Cargo · ended Mar 23, 2005 · cancellation notice took effect1 month in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Feb 25, 2005CONTINENTAL CASUALTY CO.Cargo · ended Apr 23, 2005 · cancellation notice took effect2 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Feb 25, 2005CONTINENTAL CASUALTY CO.Liability · $1,000,000 · ended Apr 23, 2005 · cancellation notice took effect2 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Feb 17, 2005WESTERN SURETY CO.Broker bond (BMC-84) · ended Mar 9, 2005 · cancellation notice took effect1 month in forceL&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
Loading map data…
Inspections by state
- Texas (HQ) 112
- Kansas 89
- Tennessee 86
- Arkansas 54
- Illinois 50
- Indiana 44
- Oklahoma 37
- Nebraska 34
14% 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.
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 (434 power units: 434 filed, 377 seen roadside in 24 months).
Crash Outlook vs Peer Fleet
crashes per year · same scale
Average peer fleet
14.2
Actual, per year in window
23.7
Projected, next 12 mo
20.6
0
14
28
We'd expect a typical fleet of 434 power units this active to have about 14.2 crashes a year. This motor carrier recorded 71 in its scoring window (Sep 1, 2023 → Aug 31, 2026, about 23.7 a year) — about 1.7× a typical fleet. Factoring in its inspection and violation record inside that window and the credibility of its own experience, the model projects about 20.6 over the next 12 — about 1.5× 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.
Fatal-crash risk: about 45% chance in the next 12 months
Modeled fatal-crash rate is roughly 1.5× that of similar fleets (likelihood of at least one fatal crash, from its exposure and safety profile).
Track Record Used
Crashes Sep 1, 2023 → Aug 31, 2026 · inspections Oct 1, 2024 → Sep 30, 2026 · data as of Oct 29, 2026
Inside that window:
805 inspections
and 71 crashes.
The FMCSA record tables now hold 807 inspections and 45 crashes in that window — the SMS data moved after this grade was computed.
Outside the scoring window
on the FMCSA record · not in this grade
Aged out — crashes before Sep 1, 2023, inspections before Oct 1, 2024
- 5 inspections with no out-of-service result
Confidence: High · Z = 0.91
Marginal — 1.46x its class rate (cuts: Excellent <0.60, Strong <0.76, Satisfactory <1.06, Marginal <1.57, Poor <2.11). Class rate 0.033 crashes per power-unit-year for a 434-unit for-hire fleet (pu200_499). Violations 0.92x (driver behaviour 1.14x, out-of-service 0.66x, all violations 0.41x; 805 inspections). Experience 1.59x: 33.0 decayed crashes against 20.0 expected over 36 months (credibility 0.91, a 1.88). 80% range 1.10–1.83x. Last change: no change since the last run.
No change since the previous weekly run.
What Drives This Score
1.00× = this motor carrier's class rate
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.
Class rate
3.3 crashes per 100 power-unit-years
434 power units · 14.17 expected crashes a year
Violation relativity
0.92×
805 inspections in window
Crash experience
1.59×
33.0 decayed crashes vs 20.0 expected · credibility 0.91
Driver behaviour
Out-of-service rate
All violations
0×1× class2×+
Each sub-relativity is shrunk toward its cohort rate when the record is thin (Bühlmann credibility), so a short record reads close to 1.00×.
Relativity to class 1.46× (80% range 1.10–1.83×)
· band Marginal
· cuts: Excellent <0.60, Strong <0.76, Satisfactory <1.06, Marginal <1.57, Poor <2.11, Critical above
FMCSA records
BASIC measures and every inspection, violation and crash, sortable and filterable.
FMCSA records
BASIC measures and every inspection, violation and crash, sortable and filterable.
FMCSA BASIC Scores
AB PropertyTotal Inspections
812
Driver Insp
812
Driver OOS
11
Vehicle Insp
358
Vehicle OOS
73
| BASIC | Insp w/ Viol | Measure | Alert |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | 111 | 2.16 | |
| HOS Compliance | 36 | 0.20 | |
| Driver Fitness | 8 | 0.08 | |
| Controlled Substances | 1 | 0.00 | |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 120 | 3.20 |
SMS record data is sourced from FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (01-APR-25 – 31-OCT-25) 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.