INDIANA STEEL CARRIERS INC

DOT# 2017701 MC# 713272 DUNS# 79451359 Valparaiso, IN Authorized For-Hire
(219) 884-2703 mestrada@indianasteelcarriers.com 2558 Kerry Dr, Valparaiso IN 46385
27 tractors 27 drivers 1.2M mi/yr · ~44k per unit
Marginal
FRED Score 30.4 / 100
Moderate confidence
16 yrs history · 32 roadside inspections

FMCSA Live Status

Checking FMCSA…

Fleet & equipment

Power units
27
Drivers · CDL
27 · 27
Annual miles
1.2M
Type Own Term Trip Total
Trucks 0 0 0 0
Tractors 12 15 0 27
Trailers 21 15 0 36

Registration

Registered
04-07-2010 (16 yrs)
MCS-150 Update
10-24-2025
FRED Score Date
Nov 07, 2026
Officer
MIGUEL ESTRADA
Officer
MATTHEW W DEBATS

Cargo

64.2
medium risk
Metal: Sheets/Coils/Rolls Machinery/Large Objects Intermodal Containers Oilfield Equipment General Freight Logs/Poles/Beams/Lumber Building Materials Construction
High-Risk Cargo
Machinery Large, Oilfield Equipment, General Freight

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 probably higher than similar fleets (about an 80% chance), but the record is too thin to say by how much.

Similar fleets: for-hire fleets of 20–49 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 1.56×
ExcellentStrongSatisf.MarginalPoorCritical
▲ Similar fleets 1.0×
Expected crashes, next 12 months
1.9 vs 1.2 for similar fleets
Likely 0–4 crashes
This motor carrier
1.9
Similar fleets
1.2
Chance of a fatal crash, next 12 months
~5%
About 1.6× similar fleets.
What's driving the grade
Crash history
betterworse
Leans worse, not yet proven. 3 crashes on the FMCSA record in 24 months (about 1.5 a year), including 1 with injuries; similar fleets have about 1.2 a year. The grade counts 5 crashes in its 36-month scoring window, recent ones weighted most.
Roadside inspections
betterworse
Much worse than peers. Unsafe-driving and hours-of-service violations 3.56×, violations 1.67× and out-of-service orders 1.40× the rate expected for its inspections. Together they move its crash estimate +23%.

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.

  • Injury crashes
    1 crash with 1 person hurt in 24 months.
    Ask: claim status and driver history for these crashes.
  • Drivers put out of service
    8 out-of-service violations against drivers: 7 hours of service, 1 no valid CDL (Feb 2025 – Jun 2026).
    Ask: driver supervision and dispatch practices.
  • Brakes and lights
    Brakes are 11 of 54 violations (20%). Brake or light defects led to 5 out-of-service orders.
    Ask: the preventive-maintenance schedule and shop records.
  • Driver out-of-service rate
    18.8% of driver inspections end out of service vs 6.7% nationally (6 of 32). Across all its inspections, out-of-service orders run 1.40× what's expected for where and how it's inspected.
  • Falsified logs
    3 false-log violations in 24 months.
    Ask: how hours are audited against ELD and fuel records.
Strengths
  • No FMCSA BASIC alerts.
Data flags
  • High speeding: 9

Track record

FMCSA record, Nov 2024 – Aug 2026 · grade scored on Sep 1, 2023 → Sep 30, 2026
Crashes
3
0 fatalities · 1 injury · 0 tow-aways
Inspections
32
44% clean (no violations)
Vehicle out-of-service
26.7%
4 of 15
National avg 22.3%
Driver out-of-service
18.8%
6 of 32
National avg 6.7%
Violations
54
14 out-of-service
Inspections per quarter With an out-of-service order
Q4 '24: 1 inspections, 1 out of service 1 Q4 '24 Q1 '25: 6 inspections, 1 out of service 6 Q1 '25 Q2 '25: 3 inspections, 0 out of service 3 Q2 '25 Q3 '25: 8 inspections, 1 out of service 8 Q3 '25 Q4 '25: 5 inspections, 1 out of service 5 Q4 '25 Q1 '26: 6 inspections, 2 out of service 6 Q1 '26 Q2 '26: 2 inspections, 2 out of service 2 Q2 '26 Q3 '26: 1 inspections, 0 out of service 1 Q3 '26
vs 11,996 peer fleets
This motor carrierPeers
Crashes 0.074 0.027
Inspections 0.70 1.02
Violations 1.00 0.71
Critical violations 0.19 0.14

Yearly rates from the last 24 months. Peers: 20–49 power units, medium-risk cargo.

What they get cited for

54 violations · 24 months
  • Vehicle maintenance No alert
    32 · 6 OOS
    Brakes 11 · Lights 9 · Cargo securement 2 · Steering & suspension 1 · Tires 1 · 8 more
  • Hours of service No alert
    11 · 7 OOS
    No log 5 · False log 3 · Over hours limit 2 · Logbook / ELD paperwork 1
  • Unsafe driving No alert
    10 · 0 OOS
    Speeding 9 · Seat belt 1
  • Driver fitness No alert
    1 · 1 OOS
    No valid CDL 1
  • Drugs & alcohol No alert
    0
Out-of-service violations “No alert” = under FMCSA's BASIC intervention threshold

Violations by quarter

Tap a category to show or hide it
No violation trend data

Crashes

24 months
  • Apr
    12
    2026
    Texas
    Injury · 1 person hurt
    Wet road, daylight, rain, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
  • Apr
    2
    2026
    Indiana
    Property damage only
    Daylight.
  • Mar
    2
    2026
    Illinois
    Property damage only
    Daylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.

Insurance filed with FMCSA

FMCSA record through Nov 2, 2026
Today · live FMCSA check
Checking FMCSA…
Liability (BIPD)
$750,000 · Hartford Fire Insurance Company
on record since Feb 14, 2026 · FMCSA minimum $750,000 · no gap on FMCSA's record since Feb 2022
Cargo filing
not required by FMCSA (household-goods motor carriers only); the cargo policy is not on FMCSA's record
36 months to Nov 2, 2026
  • 4 liability insurers on FMCSA's record, 3 changes: PENNSYLVANIA MANUFACTURERS INDEMNITY COMPANY → Hartford Fire Insurance Company (Feb 2026); PROFESSIONAL TRANSPORTATION RRG INC → PENNSYLVANIA MANUFACTURERS INDEMNITY COMPANY (Feb 2025); INDEMNITY INSURANCE CO. OF NORTH AMERICA → PROFESSIONAL TRANSPORTATION RRG INC (Feb 2024)
  • 2 cancellation notices filed by insurers; 1 took effect (the last Feb 14, 2025, replaced the same day); 1 replaced before it took effect
  • No gap in filed liability coverage while liability was required
Authority
  • FMCSA notices resolved in time: 2

Operating authority active (FMCSA's new registration system, status since Mar 16, 2022)

Who insures fleets like this →

FMCSA filings only, not a policy audit. Not part of the FRED grade. Wrong or out of date?

Where it happens

Loading map data…
Inspections by state
  • Ohio 7
  • Arkansas 6
  • Indiana (HQ) 5
  • Texas 5
  • Illinois 2
  • Missouri 2
  • Kansas 1
  • Louisiana 1

16% of inspections were in its home state.