CARSTENSEN CONTRACTING INC
FMCSA Live Status
Fleet & equipment
- Power units
- 87
- Drivers · CDL
- 65 · 64
- Annual miles
- 380k unreliable
| Type | Own | Term | Trip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trucks | 56 | 0 | 0 | 56 |
| Tractors | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Trailers | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
Registration
- Organization
- CORPORATION
- FMCSA Rating
- Satisfactory (06-15-1992) · 34 yr old
- Registered
- 07-18-1991 (35 yrs)
- MCS-150 Update
- 11-05-2026 (Biennial Update)
- FRED Score Date
- Nov 08, 2026
- Officer
- DAVE JONES
- Officer
- BRAD CARSTENSEN
Cargo
- High-Risk Cargo
- Motor Vehicles, Machinery Large, 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.
Its risk relativity (0.51× similar fleets) would put it in Excellent; this rule holds it at Strong:
- Held one band lower (interim): the filed fleet isn't corroborated roadside — see Exposure Unverified below
The downside is never capped.
The expected crashes behind this grade assume the filed fleet of 87 power units is real, but the roadside record corroborates little of it — 9 units seen in 24 months, 0.07 inspections per filed unit-year. The grade's relativity to class is unchanged; its confidence tier is cut to reflect the unverified exposure, and until the fleet is confirmed an Excellent grade shows as Strong and a Strong as Satisfactory. Verify the fleet size before relying on the crash expectation.
MCS-150 annual mileage appears too low for fleet size given observed activity. The per-100k-mile rate benchmarks on this page are excluded; the FRED grade does not use mileage (crash exposure is power-unit-years, violation exposure is inspection counts).
Expected crash rate is about half that of similar fleets.
Similar fleets: interstate fleets of 50–99 trucks with the same kind of operation, years in business and amount of road activity. Compared using its own crash record and roadside inspections.
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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Hazmat violations4 hazmat violations.
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Filed fleet not seen on the roadOnly 9 of the 87 filed power units were seen at a roadside inspection in 24 months (12 inspections in all). The crash expectation behind the grade assumes all 87 are running. Its grade is held one band lower until the fleet is confirmed.Ask: how many trucks are actually operating, with the vehicle schedule (the MCS-150 was last updated Nov 2026).
- No reportable crashes in 24 months.
- Driver out-of-service rate 0.0% vs 6.7% national.
- No FMCSA BASIC alerts.
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Unreliable reported mileageThe motor carrier's self-reported annual mileage (MCS-150) looks implausible, so exposure- and mileage-based figures may be distorted.
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Estimated mileageNo usable mileage was reported, so exposure was estimated from similar motor carriers. Mileage-based metrics here are approximate.
Track record
Inspected less often than interstate fleets of 50–99 trucks in South Dakota (about 106 in 24 months would be typical).
| This motor carrier | Peers | |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes | 0.000 | 0.026 |
| Inspections | 0.12 | 0.97 |
| Violations | 0.10 | 0.57 |
| Critical violations | 0.01 | 0.12 |
Yearly rates from the last 24 months. Peers: interstate fleets, 50–99 power units, medium-risk cargo.
What they get cited for
17 violations · 24 months-
Vehicle maintenance No alert11 · 4 OOSBrakes 4 · Lights 3 · Tires 2 · Wheels & hubs 1 · Other parts 1
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Unsafe driving No alert1 · 0 OOSOther 1
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Hours of service No alert1 · 0 OOSLogbook / ELD paperwork 1
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Driver fitness No alert0
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Drugs & alcohol No alert0
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Hazmat4 · 0 OOS
Violations by quarter
Tap a category to show or hide itCrashes
24 monthsNo reportable crashes on the FMCSA record in the last 24 months.
Insurance filed with FMCSA
FMCSA record through Nov 7, 2026- Liability (BIPD)
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$750,000 · Travelers Indemnity Co of Connecticuton record since Sep 28, 2020 · FMCSA minimum $1,000,000 · no gap on FMCSA's record since Mar 1997
- Cargo filing
- not required by FMCSA (household-goods motor carriers only); the cargo policy is not on FMCSA's record
- One liability insurer throughout
- No gap in filed liability coverage while liability was required
Operating authority inactive (FMCSA's new registration system, status since Oct 27, 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
5 filings and 5 authority events since 1997 · FMCSA record through Nov 7, 2026
Newest first. Insurer names as filed. FMCSA does not publish why a filing was cancelled.
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Oct 27, 2026Operating authority suspended by FMCSA (cause not stated)FMCSA's new system
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Sep 28, 2020Travelers Indemnity Co of ConnecticutLiability · $750,000 · on fileFMCSA's new system
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Sep 21, 2020FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Oct 6, 2020opened after WESTERN NATIONAL MUTUAL INSURANCE CO. filed a cancellation notice (effective Oct 18, 2020)L&I to May 14, 2026
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May 2, 2005FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped May 11, 2005opened after BITCO GENERAL INSURANCE CORPORATION filed a cancellation notice (effective May 27, 2005)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 1, 2005WESTERN NATIONAL MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.Liability · $1,000,000 · ended Sep 28, 2020 · replaced by another insurera cancellation notice effective Oct 18, 2020 came after the replacement; 186 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 5, 2004FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Apr 16, 2004opened after TRANSPORTATION INSURANCE CO. filed a cancellation notice (effective May 1, 2004)L&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 1, 2004BITCO GENERAL INSURANCE CORPORATIONLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Apr 1, 2005 · replaced by another insurera cancellation notice effective May 27, 2005 came after the replacement; 12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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May 20, 1997TRANSPORTATION INSURANCE CO.Liability · $1,000,000 · ended Apr 1, 2004 · replaced by another insurera cancellation notice effective May 1, 2004 came after the replacement; 82 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 30, 1997Operating authority grantedL&I to May 14, 2026
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Mar 27, 1997GENERAL CASUALTY COMPANY OF WISCONSINLiability · $1,000,000 · ended May 20, 1997 · replaced by another insurer2 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
- South Dakota (HQ) 5
- North Dakota 4
- Nebraska 2
- Iowa 1
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 (87 power units: 87 filed, 9 seen roadside in 24 months).
We'd expect a typical fleet of 87 power units this active to have about 1.6 crashes a year — but only 9 of the 87 filed units were seen roadside in 24 months (0.07 inspections per filed unit-year), so this expectation assumes the filed fleet is real. This motor carrier recorded 1 in its scoring window (Oct 1, 2023 → Sep 30, 2026, about 0.3 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 0.8 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 3.3× the injury/fatal weight of a typical crash.
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.
- Capped one band (interim): the filed fleet isn't corroborated roadside — under a quarter of it seen in 24 months and under 0.25 inspections per filed truck a year — so Excellent shows as Strong and Strong as Satisfactory until the fleet is confirmed
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 | 1 | 0.05 | |
| HOS Compliance | 1 | 0.47 | |
| Driver Fitness | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Controlled Substances | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 3 | 5.30 |
SMS record data is sourced from FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (03-JUN-25 – 25-MAR-25) and may cover a different time window than the scoring window used for the FRED grade (Oct 1, 2023 → Oct 31, 2026). Counts here may differ from the grade's in-window counts.