DAKOTA CARRIERS INC

DOT# 492947 MC# 255930 Sioux Falls, SD Authorized For-Hire
(605) 338-0002 MATTS@DAKOTACARRIERS.COM 5105 W Foundation Ct, Sioux Falls SD 57107-6482
85 tractors 85 drivers 8.3M mi/yr · ~98k per unit
HazMat
Satisfactory
FRED Score 67.2 / 100
Moderate confidence
34 yrs history · 230 roadside inspections

FMCSA Live Status

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Fleet & equipment

Power units
85
Drivers · CDL
85 · 85
Annual miles
8.3M
Type Own Term Trip Total
Trucks 0 0 0 0
Tractors 74 11 0 85
Trailers 169 1 0 170

Registration

Organization
CORPORATION
FMCSA Rating
Satisfactory (10-07-2026)
Registered
08-04-1992 (34 yrs)
MCS-150 Update
06-12-2026 (Address Change)
FRED Score Date
Nov 08, 2026
Officer
TIM SCHENK
Officer
TIM SCHENK

Cargo

68.4
medium risk
Household Goods Motor Vehicles Machinery/Large Objects Meat Refrigerated Food General Freight Logs/Poles/Beams/Lumber Building Materials Fresh Produce Beverages Paper Products Construction
High-Risk Cargo
Motor Vehicles, Machinery Large, 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 a 70% chance), but the record is too thin to say by how much.

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.

This motor carrier 0.85×
ExcellentStrongSatisf.MarginalPoorCritical
▲ Similar fleets 1.0×
Expected crashes, next 12 months
4.1 vs 4.9 for similar fleets
Likely 1–8 crashes
This motor carrier
4.1
Similar fleets
4.9
Chance of a fatal crash, next 12 months
~11%
About typical for similar fleets.
What's driving the grade
Crash history
betterworse
About typical. 9 crashes on the FMCSA record in 24 months (about 4.5 a year), including 5 with injuries; similar fleets have about 4.9 a year. The grade counts 10 crashes in its 36-month scoring window, recent ones weighted most.
Roadside inspections
betterworse
Better than peers. Out-of-service orders 0.33× and violations 0.33× the rate expected for its inspections. Together they move its crash estimate -17%. It's inspected more often than most fleets its size.

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
    5 crashes with 5 people hurt in 24 months.
    Ask: claim status and driver history for these crashes.
  • Drivers put out of service
    3 out-of-service violations against drivers: 1 other qualification, 1 no valid CDL, 1 hours of service (Dec 2024 – Nov 2025).
    Ask: driver supervision and dispatch practices.
  • Brakes and tires
    Brakes are 9 of 73 violations (12%). Brake or tire defects led to 7 out-of-service orders.
    Ask: the preventive-maintenance schedule and shop records.
  • Falsified logs
    4 false-log violations in 24 months.
    Ask: how hours are audited against ELD and fuel records.
Strengths
  • Vehicle out-of-service rate 8.9% vs 22.3% national; driver 1.3% vs 6.7%.
  • No FMCSA BASIC alerts.
  • 76% of inspections found no violations.
Data flags
  • Dangerous driving: 5
  • Excessive speeding: 10

Track record

FMCSA record, Sep 2024 – Sep 2026 · grade scored on Oct 1, 2023 → Oct 31, 2026
Crashes
9
0 fatalities · 5 injuries · 0 tow-aways
Inspections
230
76% clean (no violations)
Vehicle out-of-service
8.9%
8 of 90
National avg 22.3%
Driver out-of-service
1.3%
3 of 230
National avg 6.7%
Violations
73
11 out-of-service

Inspected more often than interstate fleets of 50–99 trucks in South Dakota (about 104 in 24 months would be typical).

Inspections per quarter With an out-of-service order
Q4 '24: 27 inspections, 3 out of service 27 Q4 '24 Q1 '25: 40 inspections, 1 out of service 40 Q1 '25 Q2 '25: 27 inspections, 1 out of service 27 Q2 '25 Q3 '25: 30 inspections, 0 out of service 30 Q3 '25 Q4 '25: 15 inspections, 1 out of service 15 Q4 '25 Q1 '26: 46 inspections, 2 out of service 46 Q1 '26 Q2 '26: 25 inspections, 0 out of service 25 Q2 '26 Q3 '26: 18 inspections, 3 out of service 18 Q3 '26
Sep 25–30, 2024 isn't charted (too little of that quarter is on file); the 24-month totals include its 2 inspections.
vs 4,136 peer fleets
This motor carrierPeers
Crashes 0.053 0.026
Inspections 2.09 0.97
Violations 0.43 0.57
Critical violations 0.15 0.12

Yearly rates from the last 24 months. Peers: interstate fleets, 50–99 power units, medium-risk cargo.

What they get cited for

73 violations · 24 months
  • Unsafe driving No alert
    26 · 0 OOS
    Speeding 11 · Reckless / lane 10 · Seat belt 3 · Phone use 1 · Other 1
  • Vehicle maintenance No alert
    25 · 8 OOS
    Brakes 9 · Tires 7 · Wheels & hubs 2 · Cargo securement 1 · Lights 1 · 5 more
  • Hours of service No alert
    20 · 1 OOS
    Logbook / ELD paperwork 13 · False log 4 · Over hours limit 3
  • Driver fitness No alert
    2 · 2 OOS
    No valid CDL 1 · Other qualification 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
  • Jun
    26
    2026
    Indiana
    Injury · 1 person hurt
    Wet road, daylight, rain, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
  • May
    27
    2026
    Washington
    Property damage only
    Daylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. Citation issued.
  • Dec
    27
    2025
    Texas
    Property damage only
    Daylight. Citation issued.
  • Oct
    6
    2025
    Florida
    Property damage only
    Dark - lighted, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
  • Oct
    3
    2025
    Nebraska
    Injury · 1 person hurt
    Daylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.
  • Aug
    6
    2025
    Minnesota
    Injury · 1 person hurt
    Daylight. Citation issued.
  • Jun
    18
    2025
    Louisiana
    Injury · 1 person hurt
    Daylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median. Citation issued.
  • Mar
    5
    2025
    South Dakota
    Property damage only
    Ice road, daylight, two-way trafficway divided unprotected median.

1 more in the FMCSA records below.

Insurance filed with FMCSA

FMCSA record through Nov 7, 2026
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Liability (BIPD)
$1,000,000 · Arch Insurance Company
on record since Jan 1, 2026 · FMCSA minimum $1,000,000 · no gap on FMCSA's record since Oct 1993
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

Operating authority active (FMCSA's new registration system, status since Feb 3, 1994)

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
  • South Dakota (HQ) 54
  • Kansas 14
  • Utah 14
  • California 13
  • New Mexico 11
  • Iowa 9
  • Washington 9
  • Minnesota 8

23% of inspections were in its home state.