STERN OIL COMPANY INC

DBA: STERN

DOT# 230887 MC# 1203739 Freeman, SD Authorized For-Hire / Private Property
(605) 925-7999 gino.whitledge@stern.co 27923 Us Highway 81 Po Box 218, Freeman SD 57029-6741
45 power units · all owned 33 drivers 2.6M mi/yr · ~59k per unit
HazMat
Satisfactory
FRED Score 72.1 / 100
Low confidence
43 yrs history · 38 roadside inspections

FMCSA Live Status

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Fleet & equipment

Power units
45
Drivers · CDL
33 · 33
Annual miles
2.6M
Type Own Term Trip Total
Trucks 9 0 0 9
Tractors 21 0 0 21
Trailers 14 0 0 14

Registration

Organization
CORPORATION
FMCSA Rating
Satisfactory (04-30-1996) · 30 yr old
Registered
04-28-1983 (43 yrs)
MCS-150 Update
09-09-2026 (Address Change)
FRED Score Date
Nov 08, 2026
Officer
SCOTT STERN
Officer
GINO WHITLEDGE

Cargo

57.8
medium risk
Liquids/Gases General Freight
High-Risk Cargo
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 lower than similar fleets (about an 80% chance), but the record is too thin to say by how much.

Similar fleets: interstate 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 0.79×
ExcellentStrongSatisf.MarginalPoorCritical
▲ Similar fleets 1.0×
Expected crashes, next 12 months
1.0 vs 1.2 for similar fleets
Likely 0–3 crashes
This motor carrier
1.0
Similar fleets
1.2
Chance of a fatal crash, next 12 months
~3%
About typical for similar fleets.
What's driving the grade
Crash history
betterworse
About typical. 2 crashes on the FMCSA record in 24 months (about 1 a year); similar fleets have about 1.2 a year.
Roadside inspections
betterworse
Better than peers. Unsafe-driving and hours-of-service violations 0.45×, violations 0.68× and out-of-service orders 0.70× the rate expected for its inspections. Together they move its crash estimate -14%: roadside results weigh far less than crash history.

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.

  • Hazmat violations
    2 hazmat violations.
Strengths
  • 2 crashes in 24 months. No injuries, no fatalities.
  • Driver out-of-service rate 0.0% vs 6.7% national.
  • No FMCSA BASIC alerts.
Data flags
  • Dangerous driving: 1

Track record

FMCSA record, Sep 2024 – Jul 2026 · grade scored on Oct 1, 2023 → Oct 31, 2026
Crashes
2
0 fatalities · 0 injuries · 0 tow-aways
Inspections
38
63% clean (no violations)
Vehicle out-of-service
26.3%
5 of 19
National avg 22.3%
Driver out-of-service
0.0%
0 of 38
National avg 6.7%
Violations
28
6 out-of-service

Inspected about as often as interstate fleets of 20–49 trucks in South Dakota (about 50 in 24 months would be typical).

Inspections per quarter With an out-of-service order
Q4 '24: 8 inspections, 1 out of service 8 Q4 '24 Q1 '25: 8 inspections, 0 out of service 8 Q1 '25 Q2 '25: 7 inspections, 2 out of service 7 Q2 '25 Q3 '25: 2 inspections, 0 out of service 2 Q3 '25 Q4 '25: 4 inspections, 1 out of service 4 Q4 '25 Q1 '26: 3 inspections, 0 out of service 3 Q1 '26 Q2 '26: 3 inspections, 0 out of service 3 Q2 '26 Q3 '26: 2 inspections, 1 out of service 2 Q3 '26
Sep 25–30, 2024 isn't charted (too little of that quarter is on file); the 24-month totals include its 1 inspection.
vs 10,543 peer fleets
This motor carrierPeers
Crashes 0.022 0.029
Inspections 0.66 1.12
Violations 0.31 0.78
Critical violations 0.07 0.15

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

What they get cited for

28 violations · 24 months
  • Vehicle maintenance No alert
    22 · 6 OOS
    Brakes 6 · Lights 5 · Tires 4 · Cargo securement 1 · Steering & suspension 1 · 5 more
  • Unsafe driving No alert
    2 · 0 OOS
    Reckless / lane 1 · Seat belt 1
  • Hours of service No alert
    1 · 0 OOS
    Logbook / ELD paperwork 1
  • Driver fitness No alert
    1 · 0 OOS
    Medical certificate 1
  • Drugs & alcohol No alert
    0
  • Hazmat
    2 · 0 OOS
Out-of-service violations “No alert” = under FMCSA's BASIC intervention threshold

Violations by quarter

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No violation trend data

Crashes

24 months
2 crashes
  • Nov
    4
    2025
    Nebraska
    Property damage only
    Daylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
  • Feb
    13
    2025
    South Dakota
    Property damage only
    Snow road, daylight, two-way trafficway not divided.

Insurance filed with FMCSA

FMCSA record through Nov 7, 2026
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Liability (BIPD)
primary $1,000,000 + excess $1,000,000 + excess $2,000,000 + excess $1,000,000 · ZURICH AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY
on record since Feb 2, 2021 · FMCSA minimum $5,000,000
Cargo filing
not required by FMCSA (household-goods motor carriers only); the cargo policy is not on FMCSA's record
36 months to Nov 7, 2026
  • One liability insurer throughout
  • No gap in filed liability coverage while liability was required
  • 3 liability filings received late (the last received Sep 30, 2026 for an effective date of Sep 1, 2026); FMCSA had no filing on record in between
Authority
  • FMCSA notice served Sep 30, 2026 (suspension effective Oct 30, 2026); the authority stayed active. FMCSA's new registration system launched May 14, 2026 and has recorded some insurance suspensions and requirement changes in error; confirm with the insurer or motor carrier before acting.
  • FMCSA notice resolved in time: 1

Operating authority active (FMCSA's new registration system, status since Mar 11, 2021)

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

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Inspections by state
  • Nebraska 16
  • South Dakota (HQ) 16
  • Missouri 2
  • Colorado 1
  • Iowa 1
  • North Dakota 1
  • Federal inspectors 1

42% of inspections were in its home state.