MERCHANTS TRANSPORT OF HICKORY LLC
FMCSA Live Status
Fleet & equipment
- Power units
- 274
- Drivers · CDL
- 347 · 347
- Annual miles
- 25.9M
| Type | Own | Term | Trip | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trucks | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Tractors | 259 | 0 | 0 | 259 |
| Trailers | 942 | 0 | 0 | 942 |
Registration
- Organization
- CORPORATION
- FMCSA Rating
- Satisfactory (12-14-2000) · 25 yr old
- Registered
- 06-01-1974 (52 yrs)
- MCS-150 Update
- 04-03-2026 (Address Change)
- FRED Score Date
- Nov 07, 2026
- Officer
- PETE DHUSE
- Officer
- JOHN ORGAIN
Cargo
- High-Risk Cargo
- General Freight, Household Goods, Refrigerated Food, Meat
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: for-hire fleets of 200–499 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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Injury crashes4 crashes with 4 people hurt in 24 months.Ask: claim status and driver history for these crashes.
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Drivers put out of service2 out-of-service violations against drivers: 2 hours of service (Mar 2026).Ask: driver supervision and dispatch practices.
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Brakes and tiresBrakes are 16 of 92 violations (17%). Brake or tire defects led to 17 out-of-service orders.Ask: the preventive-maintenance schedule and shop records.
- Vehicle out-of-service rate 5.2% vs 22.3% national; driver 0.1% vs 6.7%.
- No FMCSA BASIC alerts.
- 90% of inspections found no violations.
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Dangerous driving: 6
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Excessive speeding: 10
Track record
| This motor carrier | Peers | |
|---|---|---|
| Crashes | 0.036 | 0.022 |
| Inspections | 2.00 | 0.74 |
| Violations | 0.17 | 0.32 |
| Critical violations | 0.04 | 0.07 |
Yearly rates from the last 24 months. Peers: 200–499 power units, medium-risk cargo.
What they get cited for
92 violations · 24 months-
Vehicle maintenance No alert44 · 20 OOSBrakes 16 · Tires 13 · Lights 7 · Cargo securement 2 · Steering & suspension 1 · 5 more
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Unsafe driving No alert30 · 0 OOSReckless / lane 20 · Speeding 10
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Hours of service No alert18 · 2 OOSLogbook / ELD paperwork 10 · No log 5 · Over hours limit 2 · False log 1
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Driver fitness No alert0
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Drugs & alcohol No alert0
Violations by quarter
Tap a category to show or hide itCrashes
24 months-
May112026GeorgiaProperty damage onlyDark - lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. Citation issued.
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May82026North CarolinaInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Apr102026GeorgiaInjury · 1 person hurtDaylight. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Feb282026North CarolinaProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Feb32026North CarolinaProperty damage onlyDaylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Jan222026West VirginiaProperty damage onlyIce road, daylight, blowing sand soil dirt or snow, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Jan32026North CarolinaProperty damage onlyDark - not lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Oct262025FloridaProperty damage onlyWet road, dark - lighted, rain, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
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Jul92025West VirginiaInjury · 1 person hurtDusk, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. FMCSA: not preventable.
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Feb202025North CarolinaInjury · 1 person hurtSnow road, daylight, two-way trafficway not divided. FMCSA: not preventable.
10 more in the FMCSA records below.
4 of the 18 crashes hurt someone but killed no one.
Insurance filed with FMCSA
FMCSA record through Nov 2, 2026- Liability (BIPD)
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$3,000,000 · Safety National Casualty Corporationon record since Jun 29, 2013 · FMCSA minimum $750,000 · no gap on FMCSA's record since Apr 1993
- Cargo filing
- not required by FMCSA (household-goods motor carriers only); the cargo policy is not on FMCSA's record
- Broker or forwarder bond
- $75,000 surety bond (BMC-84) · LM Insurance Corporation since Oct 1, 2013
- One liability insurer throughout
- No gap in filed liability coverage while liability was required
Operating authority active (FMCSA's new registration system, status since Oct 30, 2013)
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
15 filings and 5 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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Oct 1, 2013LM Insurance CorporationBroker bond (BMC-84) · on file · on fileFMCSA's new system
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Aug 7, 2013LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.Broker bond (BMC-84) · ended Oct 1, 2013 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)2 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jul 1, 2013FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Jul 10, 2013cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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Jun 29, 2013Safety National Casualty CorporationLiability · $3,000,000 · on fileFMCSA's new system
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Apr 1, 2012SAFETY NATIONAL CASUALTY CORPORATIONLiability · $3,000,000 · ended Jun 29, 2013 · superseded by the same policy15 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 1, 2011THE TRAVELERS INDEMNITY CO. OF CONNECTICUTLiability · $750,000 · ended Apr 1, 2012 · replaced by another insurer12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 1, 2010DISCOVER PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.Liability · $750,000 · ended Apr 1, 2011 · replaced by another insurer12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 1, 2009DISCOVER PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.Liability · $750,000 · ended Apr 1, 2010 · replaced by the same insurer (renewal)12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 1, 2008NAVIGATORS INSURANCE COMPANYCargo · ended Aug 5, 2013 · insurer name change64 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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May 17, 2007Broker authority reinstatedL&I to May 14, 2026
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May 17, 2007Broker authority grantedL&I to May 14, 2026
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Dec 12, 2006LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.Broker bond (BMC-84) · ended Aug 5, 2013 · insurer name change80 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Dec 12, 2005FIDELITY & DEPOSIT CO. OF MARYLANDBroker bond (BMC-84) · ended Dec 12, 2006 · cancellation notice took effect12 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Nov 8, 2005FMCSA revocation notice for the operating authority, dropped Dec 6, 2005cause not stated in FMCSA's older recordsL&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 1, 2005ZURICH AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANYLiability · $1,000,000 · ended Apr 1, 2009 · replaced by another insurer48 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 1, 2003CONTINENTAL CASUALTY CO.Liability · $2,000,000 · ended Apr 1, 2005 · replaced by another insurer24 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 1, 2002FIREMAN'S FUND INSURANCE CO.Cargo · ended Apr 1, 2008 · replaced by another insurer72 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 1, 1993AMERICAN MOTORISTS INSURANCE CO.Liability · $1,000,000 · ended Apr 1, 2003 · replaced by another insurer120 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Apr 15, 1986EMPLOYERS INSURANCE OF WAUSAU, A MUTUAL CO.Cargo · ended Apr 1, 2002 · replaced by another insurer192 months in forceL&I to May 14, 2026
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Dec 27, 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 Carolina (HQ) 624
- South Carolina 50
- Georgia 27
- Ohio 10
- West Virginia 7
- Tennessee 6
- Maryland 4
- Virginia 4
Mostly inspected in its home state (85%).
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 (274 power units: 274 filed, 266 seen roadside in 24 months).
We'd expect a typical fleet of 274 power units this active to have about 11.4 crashes a year. This motor carrier recorded 30 in its scoring window (Sep 1, 2023 → Aug 31, 2026, about 10.0 a year). Factoring in its inspection and violation record inside that window and the credibility of its own experience, the model projects about 9.0 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.
- 3 inspections 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 | 30 | 0.86 | |
| HOS Compliance | 13 | 0.06 | |
| Driver Fitness | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Controlled Substances | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 35 | 0.81 |
SMS record data is sourced from FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (01-APR-25 – 31-OCT-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.