KOTACO FUELS INC
DBA: NICHELSON OIL
FMCSA Live Status
Fleet & equipment
- Power units
- 170
- Drivers · CDL
- 133 · 133
- Annual miles
- 6M
| Type | Own | Term | Trip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trucks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tractors | 34 | 72 | 0 | 106 |
| Trailers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Registration
- Organization
- CORPORATION
- FMCSA Rating
- Satisfactory (09-15-2005) · 21 yr old
- Registered
- 06-01-1974 (52 yrs)
- MCS-150 Update
- 05-09-2025 (Biennial Update)
- FRED Score Date
- Nov 07, 2026
- Officer
- SHELLY FLAAGAN
Cargo
Estimated from the commodity types reported to FMCSA, not from loss history or the true cargo mix.
Expected crash rate is probably lower than similar fleets (about a 90% chance), but the record is too thin to say by how much.
Similar fleets: for-hire fleets of 100–199 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 0.5× as often as the median active fleet of 100–199 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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Injury crashes2 crashes with 2 people hurt in 24 months.Ask: claim status and driver history for these crashes.
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Lapse in liability filings60 days without a liability filing on FMCSA's record (Nov 2, 2023 – Jan 1, 2024) while the authority required one. A filing received later can be back-dated and close a lapse. Not in the grade.Ask: what covered the fleet during the gap.
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Brakes and lightsBrakes are 49 of 111 violations (44%). Brake or light defects led to 12 out-of-service orders.Ask: the preventive-maintenance schedule and shop records.
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Hazmat violations15 hazmat violations, 3 out of service.
- Vehicle out-of-service rate 15.3% vs 22.3% national; driver 0.9% vs 6.7%.
- No FMCSA BASIC alerts.
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Dangerous driving: 1
Track record
| This motor carrier | Peers | |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes | 0.012 | 0.021 |
| Inspections | 0.55 | 0.48 |
| Violations | 0.33 | 0.26 |
| Critical violations | 0.04 | 0.04 |
Yearly rates from the last 24 months. Peers: 100–199 power units, minimal-risk cargo.
What they get cited for
111 violations · 24 months-
Vehicle maintenance No alert87 · 16 OOSBrakes 49 · Lights 18 · Tires 5 · Cargo securement 2 · Steering & suspension 1 · 12 more
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Hours of service No alert5 · 1 OOSLogbook / ELD paperwork 2 · False log 1 · No log 1 · Over hours limit 1
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Unsafe driving No alert4 · 0 OOSReckless / lane 1 · Seat belt 1 · Speeding 1 · Other 1
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Driver fitness No alert0
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Drugs & alcohol No alert0
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Hazmat15 · 3 OOS
Violations by quarter
Tap a category to show or hide itCrashes
24 months-
Jul312026ColoradoInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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May292025ColoradoInjury · 1 person hurtWet road, dark - not lighted, rain, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Feb212025NebraskaProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway not divided. Hazmat released.
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Dec32024North DakotaProperty damage onlySnow road, two-way trafficway not divided.
2 of the 4 crashes hurt someone but killed no one.
1 of the 4 crashes released hazardous materials.
Insurance filed with FMCSA
FMCSA record through Nov 2, 2026- Liability (BIPD)
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primary $1,000,000 + excess $5,000,000 (total $6,000,000) · Federated Reserve Insurance Companyon record since Jan 1, 2024 · FMCSA minimum $1,000,000
- Cargo filing
- not required by FMCSA (household-goods motor carriers only); the cargo policy is not on FMCSA's record
- 1 liability insurer on FMCSA's record, 1 change: FEDERATED MUTUAL INSURANCE CO. → Federated Reserve Insurance Company (Jan 2024)
- 60 days without a liability filing (Nov 2, 2023 – Jan 1, 2024) while the authority required one; a later back-dated filing can close a lapse
Operating authority active (FMCSA's new registration system, status since May 19, 2017)
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
6 filings and 7 authority events since 1982 · 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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Jan 1, 2024Federated Reserve Insurance CompanyLiability · $1,000,000 · on fileFMCSA's new system
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Nov 16, 2017FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Dec 14, 2017cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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May 19, 2017Operating authority reinstatedL&I to May 14, 2026
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Mar 22, 2017Operating authority revoked (cause not stated)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Mar 1, 2017Federated Mutual Insurance CompanyLiability (excess) · $5,000,000 over $1,000,000 · on fileFMCSA's new system
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Dec 14, 2005Operating authority reinstatedL&I to May 14, 2026
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Dec 12, 2005Operating authority revoked (cause not stated)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Sep 14, 1998FEDERATED MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.Liability · $1,000,000 · ended Mar 22, 2017 · insurer name change222 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Sep 14, 1998FEDERATED MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.Liability (excess) · $2,000,000 over $1,000,000 · ended Mar 22, 2017 · insurer name change222 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Sep 1, 1998FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Sep 25, 1998cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jun 15, 1987FEDERATED MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.Liability (excess) · $2,000,000 over $500,000 · ended Aug 6, 1998 · cancellation notice took effect134 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jun 15, 1987FEDERATED MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.Liability · $500,000 · ended Aug 6, 1998 · cancellation notice took effect134 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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May 25, 1982Operating authority grantedL&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
- North Dakota (HQ) 49
- Colorado 22
- Nebraska 15
- South Dakota 7
- Wyoming 7
- Montana 4
- Federal inspectors 3
- Minnesota 2
43% 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 (170 power units: 170 filed, 63 seen roadside in 24 months).
We'd expect a typical fleet of 170 power units this active to have about 3.4 crashes a year. This motor carrier recorded 4 in its scoring window (Sep 1, 2023 → Aug 31, 2026, about 1.3 a year) — fewer than a typical fleet. Factoring in its inspection and violation record inside that window and the credibility of its own experience, the model projects about 2.3 over the next 12 — below a 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.
- 1 inspection 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 | 4 | 0.13 | |
| HOS Compliance | 4 | 0.12 | |
| Driver Fitness | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Controlled Substances | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 33 | 3.93 |
SMS record data is sourced from FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (01-APR-26 – 31-MAR-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.