DAKOTA BUS SERVICE INC
DBA: DAKOTA TRAILWAYS
(605) 642-2353
CKOLAR@DAKOTABUS.COM
631 S 32nd St, Spearfish SD 57783
36
power units
87 drivers
1.3M mi/yr · ~37k per unit
Not graded
FMCSA Live Status
Checking FMCSA…
Fleet & equipment
- Power units
- 36
- Drivers · CDL
- 87 · 87
- Annual miles
- 1.3M
| Type | Own | Term | Trip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trucks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tractors | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trailers | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Registration
- Organization
- CORPORATION
- FMCSA Rating
- Satisfactory (10-21-2026)
- Registered
- 05-26-1982 (44 yrs)
- MCS-150 Update
- 08-07-2025 (Address Change)
- FRED Score Date
- Nov 07, 2026
- Officer
- TRAVIS L LADSON
- Officer
- TRAVIS L LADSON
Cargo
50.0
medium risk
Estimated from the commodity types reported to FMCSA, not from loss history or the true cargo mix.
Not Graded
Not graded: passenger operation. The FRED Score is a property-carrier model; a passenger model is a separate study.
Worth a closer look
From the FMCSA record.
- Nothing on the FMCSA record stands out.
Strengths
- No reportable crashes in 24 months.
- Vehicle out-of-service rate 0.0% vs 22.3% national; driver 0.0% vs 6.7%.
- No FMCSA BASIC alerts.
Track record
FMCSA record, Jun 2025 – Aug 2026
· grade scored on Aug 1, 2025 → Jul 31, 2026
Crashes
0
0 fatalities · 0 injuries · 0 tow-aways
Inspections
13
92% clean (no violations)
Vehicle out-of-service
0.0%
0 of 12
National avg 22.3%
Driver out-of-service
0.0%
0 of 13
National avg 6.7%
Violations
2
0 out-of-service
Inspected less often than interstate fleets of 20–49 trucks in South Dakota (about 40 in 24 months would be typical).
Inspections per quarter
With an out-of-service order
vs 10,543 peer fleets
| This motor carrier | Peers | |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes | 0.000 | 0.029 |
| Inspections | 0.38 | 1.12 |
| Violations | 0.03 | 0.78 |
| Critical violations | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Yearly rates from the last 24 months. Peers: interstate fleets, 20–49 power units, medium-risk cargo.
What they get cited for
2 violations · 24 months-
Vehicle maintenance No alert2 · 0 OOSOther parts 2
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Unsafe driving No alert0
-
Hours of service No alert0
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Driver fitness No alert0
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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 monthsNo reportable crashes on the FMCSA record in the last 24 months.
Insurance filed with FMCSA
FMCSA record through May 14, 2026 · no change recorded by FMCSA sinceToday · live FMCSA check
Checking FMCSA…
- Last on FMCSA's record (May 14, 2026)
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$5,000,000 · RLI INSURANCE COMPANYon record since Sep 30, 2023 · FMCSA minimum $5,000,000 · no gap on FMCSA's record since Jun 1995
- Cargo filing
- not required by FMCSA (household-goods motor carriers only); the cargo policy is not on FMCSA's record
36 months to May 14, 2026
- One liability insurer throughout
- 1 cancellation notice filed by an insurer; 1 took effect (the last Sep 30, 2023, replaced the same day)
- No gap in filed liability coverage while liability was required
Operating authority active (FMCSA's L&I record of May 14, 2026, status since Oct 20, 2023)
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
25 filings and 20 authority events since 1995 · FMCSA record through May 14, 2026
Every insurance filing on the FMCSA record
25 filings and 20 authority events since 1995 · 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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Oct 20, 2023Operating authority reinstatedL&I to May 14, 2026
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Oct 10, 2023Operating authority revoked (cause not stated)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Sep 30, 2023RLI INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · on fileL&I to May 14, 2026
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Mar 2, 2023RLI INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · ended Sep 30, 2023 · cancellation notice took effect7 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Feb 3, 2023FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Feb 9, 2023opened after RLI INSURANCE COMPANY filed a cancellation notice (effective Mar 2, 2023)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Jun 30, 2019RLI INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · ended Mar 2, 2023 · cancellation notice took effect44 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jun 3, 2019FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Jul 1, 2019opened after LANCER INSURANCE COMPANY filed a cancellation notice (effective Jun 30, 2019)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Jun 15, 2018LANCER INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · ended Jun 30, 2019 · cancellation notice took effect12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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May 21, 2018FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Jun 15, 2018opened after LANCER INSURANCE COMPANY filed a cancellation notice (effective Jun 15, 2018)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 5, 2018LANCER INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · ended Jun 15, 2018 · cancellation notice took effect2 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Mar 9, 2018FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Apr 5, 2018opened after LANCER INSURANCE COMPANY filed a cancellation notice (effective Apr 5, 2018)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Dec 15, 2017LANCER INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · ended Apr 5, 2018 · cancellation notice took effect4 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 20, 2017FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Dec 18, 2017opened after LANCER INSURANCE COMPANY filed a cancellation notice (effective Dec 15, 2017)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Jun 9, 2017LANCER INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · ended Dec 15, 2017 · cancellation notice took effect6 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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May 15, 2017FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Jun 9, 2017opened after LANCER INSURANCE COMPANY filed a cancellation notice (effective Jun 9, 2017)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Mar 14, 2017LANCER INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · ended Jun 9, 2017 · cancellation notice took effect3 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Feb 15, 2017FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Mar 14, 2017opened after LANCER INSURANCE COMPANY filed a cancellation notice (effective Mar 14, 2017)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Sep 10, 2016LANCER INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · ended Mar 14, 2017 · cancellation notice took effect6 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 15, 2016FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Aug 17, 2016opened after LANCER INSURANCE COMPANY filed a cancellation notice (effective Sep 10, 2016)L&I to May 14, 2026
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May 10, 2014LANCER INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · ended Sep 10, 2016 · cancellation notice took effect28 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 14, 2014FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Apr 17, 2014opened after LANCER INSURANCE COMPANY filed a cancellation notice (effective May 10, 2014)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Aug 30, 2011LANCER INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · ended May 10, 2014 · cancellation notice took effect32 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Dec 14, 2010LANCER INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · ended Aug 30, 2011 · cancellation notice took effect9 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 17, 2010FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Dec 15, 2010opened after LANCER INSURANCE COMPANY filed a cancellation notice (effective Dec 14, 2010)L&I to May 14, 2026
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May 7, 2010LANCER INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $5,000,000 · ended Dec 14, 2010 · cancellation notice took effect7 months 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
- South Dakota (HQ) 8
- Montana 3
- Minnesota 2
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.
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 PassengerTotal Inspections
13
Driver Insp
13
Driver OOS
0
Vehicle Insp
12
Vehicle OOS
0
| BASIC | Insp w/ Viol | Measure | Percentile | Alert |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | 0 | 0.00 | - | |
| HOS Compliance | 0 | 0.00 | - | |
| Driver Fitness | 0 | 0.00 | - | |
| Controlled Substances | 0 | 0.00 | - | |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 0.22 | - |
SMS record data is sourced from FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (06-OCT-25 – 26-AUG-26) and may cover a different time window than the scoring window used for the FRED grade (Aug 1, 2025 → Jul 31, 2026). Counts here may differ from the grade's in-window counts.