Asset-based
9,805 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
DBA ESTES
Load decision · FMCSA snapshot · Aug 12, 2026
Clear under the current scoring — review the flagged signal below before loading.
Asset-based
9,805 power units. Brokers price each fleet type apart.
6.7 yr
Model years 1997–2026 · peer benchmark unavailable.
52 yr unchanged
Same registration since 1974 — no chameleon / reincarnation signal.
ESTES EXPRESS LINES (USDOT 121018) has a Vektor safety score of 88/100 and a Clear to load verdict, from the carrier's FMCSA record refreshed Aug 12, 2026.
The carrier holds active common and contract for-hire operating authority per FMCSA L&I as of Aug 12, 2026.
It has an active BIPD insurance filing with a $0 limit in force from LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE CO. effective May 1, 2025 in FMCSA L&I's current snapshot as of Aug 12, 2026.
Its vehicle out-of-service rate was 16.5% over the last 24 months, versus the 22.26% CVSA national average, from FMCSA roadside-inspection data refreshed Aug 12, 2026.
The carrier received 4,548 roadside inspections in the last 24 months — 2,678 vehicle-level and 4,519 driver-level — across 49 states, according to FMCSA roadside-inspection data refreshed Aug 12, 2026.
The carrier has 587 reportable crashes in the last 24 months and 204 fatal crashes across the full FMCSA crash record available as of Aug 12, 2026.
It reports 9,805 power units and 8,821 drivers in its most recent MCS-150 filing dated Jul 29, 2025.
It has an FMCSA safety rating of Satisfactory assigned Jan 29, 2001 in the federal record refreshed Aug 12, 2026.
ESTES EXPRESS LINES's USDOT number is 121018, and its motor carrier number is MC-97275.
As of Aug 12, 2026, ESTES EXPRESS LINES is active in the FMCSA register with common, contract, broker operating authority on file.
ESTES EXPRESS LINES has a 16.5% vehicle out-of-service rate (national average 22.26%) across 7,811 roadside inspections, with 587 reportable crashes in the last 24 months, and an FMCSA "Satisfactory" safety rating. Vektor's computed risk score is 88/100 (tier: clear).
ESTES EXPRESS LINES operates 9,805 power units and 8,821 drivers per its most recent MCS-150 filing.
ESTES EXPRESS LINES is based in RICHMOND, VA, with roadside inspections recorded across 49 states.
Comparable carriers operating in Virginia
Other FMCSA-registered carriers near this one in the directory, by USDOT number.
4,548 inspections · 24 mo · vs national benchmarks
Out-of-service rate· 24-mo cumulative · vs national
Vehicle OOS rate· vehicle OOS · vehicle-level inspections · 6-month trailing
Roadside inspection history· 24 charted calendar months · vehicle / driver level · any-OOS overlay
4,386 inspections in the charted months · busiest month May '25 · 237
Inspection coverage· expected vs observed · the fraud signal
How heavily FMCSA inspects this fleet for its size — it tells you how much to trust the safety signals above. Thin coverage on a young authority is a fraud signal nobody else surfaces.
Violation themes· decoded · grouped by BASIC
What this carrier actually gets cited for — FMCSA violation codes decoded into plain English, ranked by frequency.
Can they legally + adequately haul your load?
Operating authority· 49 CFR · per type
Operating authority
Insurance & bonds
Insurance adequacy· filed BIPD vs the $750K federal floor
Insurance continuity· insurer · policy · lapses
Shorter eras are too brief to label at this scale — all 9 insurers are named in the list below.
BIPD in force — $0 · LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE CO. · since May 2025
| Insurer | Period | Limit | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| FIDELITY & DEPOSIT CO. OF MARYLAND | May 2023 → May 2025 | $5M | 1 |
| UNITED STATES FIRE INSURANCE CO. | May 2020 → May 2023 | $5M | 3 |
| NATIONAL UNION FIRE INS. CO. OF PITSBGH. PA | Apr 2016 → May 2020 | $5M | 11 |
| NATIONAL UNION FIRE INS. CO. OF PITSBGH. PA | May 2011 → May 2015 | $5M | 9 |
| ZURICH AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY | May 2002 → May 2011 | $5M | 7 |
| UNITED STATES FIDELITY & GUARANTY CO. | May 2000 → May 2002 | $5M | 1 |
| ACE AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY | May 1995 → May 2002 | $5M | 2 |
| FEDERAL INSURANCE CO. | May 1994 → May 1995 | $5M | 1 |
| THE INSURANCE COMPANY OF NORTH AMERICA | May 1993 → May 1995 | $5M | 1 |
VIN-decoded · NHTSA vPIC
Capacity· power units = haulable capacity; trailers are towed
Capacity is power units only — trailers are towed equipment and are never summed into a fleet-size figure.
Fleet age· model years · decoded VINs
Revealed by inspection density across 49 states · 24 mo
Operating footprint· revealed by roadside-inspection geography
Inspection density by state· each tile = a state · shade = inspections, last 24 mo
Affiliated entities & reincarnation signals · for review, not a verdict
Last 12 months: 95 trucks also ran under 27 other carriers
Shares a registration email domain with other carriers
Capacity consistency· registered vs roadside-observed power units
Registered capacity materially exceeds what is observed roadside — the MCS-150 may be stale or the fleet under-utilized.
FMCSA census + L&I dossier
Location
Contact
Registration
Fleet (self-reported · MCS-150)
Daily-captured FMCSA licensing & insurance changes — monitored by Vektor
Federal record activity· monitored daily by Vektor
No licensing or insurance changes captured since Vektor began monitoring this carrier (June 2026). Quiet is usually good.
Verified broker, shipper & driver reviews — moderated
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