CSA
UnknownUSDOT 474284· CARRIER· EIN 81-0465363
⬇ PDF report

KNIFE RIVER

Legal: JTL GROUP INC

4014 HESPER ROAD, BILLINGS, MT, 59106-3352(406) 651-2500mack.long@kniferiver.comMALCOLM D LONG
Vetting snapshot
Authority
Unknown
per SAFER
Insurance
No active filing
not required
Vehicle OOS
25.8%
above 22% national avg
Driver OOS
0%
below 6.7% national avg
Crashes 24mo
3
none fatal
Red flags
None
nothing flagged
94
/ 100

Risk factors

Low riskVioCodes score
3 crashes in the last 24 months

A weighted read of the public FMCSA signals below — authority, insurance, out-of-service, crashes, roadside OOS rates, and carrier connections. A starting point for vetting, not a guarantee.

Roadside inspection performance

Out-of-service rate vs national average. Lower is better.

Vehicle31 inspections · 25.8% OOS · National 22%
Driver60 inspections · 0% OOS · National 6.7%

CSA performance breakdown

FMCSA · Sep 2026

60 inspections · 14 violations (4 OOS) · 13% of inspections had an OOS finding.

60
Inspections
14
Violations
4
OOS violations
10
Distinct codes

Violations by BASIC

click to filter codes

12
total

Most inspected in · top 2 states

  • MT29
  • WY1

Latest FMCSA SMS snapshot. Codes link to the lookup — severity weighting, contest angles, and the DataQs Drafter for each. Click a BASIC to filter the codes.

Recommendations

What’s driving each score, what to do about it, and where it could go.

Vehicle out-of-service rate exceeds the national average

High impact

Vehicle OOS rate is 25% vs the 22% national average. Carriers above the national OOS average draw more enforcement attention (audits, roadside stops) and can see higher insurance premiums.

What to do
  • Review recent inspections with out-of-service violations and fix the root causes with equipment and drivers
  • Run a preventative-maintenance program; periodically inspect tires, brakes and lights
  • Reinforce thorough pre-trip and post-trip inspections; retrain where needed

A high share of violations are occurring in Missoula County, MT

Medium impact

5 of 15 violations in the last 12 months (33%) came from inspections in Missoula County, MT. That can mean tougher enforcement there or simply more of your miles run through it — either way it's worth a look.

What to do
  • Review the inspections from Missoula County, MT to spot recurring issues
  • Brief drivers running that lane; consider rerouting around the toughest enforcement corridors where practical

Other violations are the leading contributor to Unsafe Driving

Low impact

Estimated Unsafe Driving percentile of 0% is under the 60% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.

What’s contributing1 violations (24 mo)
Other1 viol100%
  • 392.2SLTRSState/Local Laws - Truck routing restriction1× · 100%
What to do
  • Review recent inspections with violations in this BASIC and take remedial action with drivers/equipment

Hours-of-Service Compliance needs attention

Low impact

Estimated Hours-of-Service Compliance percentile of 0% is under the 60% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.

What to do
  • Review recent inspections with violations in this BASIC and take remedial action with drivers/equipment

Driver Fitness needs attention

Low impact

Estimated Driver Fitness percentile of 0% is under the 75% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.

What to do
  • Review recent inspections with violations in this BASIC and take remedial action with drivers/equipment

Controlled Substances/Alcohol needs attention

Low impact

Estimated Controlled Substances/Alcohol percentile of 0% is under the 75% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.

What to do
  • Review recent inspections with violations in this BASIC and take remedial action with drivers/equipment

Tires violations are the leading contributor to Vehicle Maintenance

Low impact

Estimated Vehicle Maintenance percentile of 45% is under the 75% line. In decent shape, but here's what's driving it.

What’s contributing21 violations · 9 OOS (24 mo)
Tires4 OOS4 viol45%
  • 393.75A3-TAOLTires - All others, leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS4× · 45%
Brakes2 OOS11 viol34%
  • 393.53B-BAir Brake - CMV manufactured on or after 10/20/1994 has an automatic airbrake adjustment system that fails to compensate for wear4× · 13%
  • 393.45B2-B-AIRAir Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured2× · 9%
  • 393.45D-BAir Brake - Audible air leak at a proper connection3× · 7%
Lighting / lamps1 OOS3 viol16%
  • 393.11A1-LCHLLighting - Lamps improper color, height, location.1× · 10%
  • 393.9A-LTSILighting - Turn signal - Any inoperative on the rearmost vehicle.1× · 4%
  • 393.9A-LILLighting - Identification lamp(s) inoperative1× · 1%
Load securement2 OOS2 viol5%
  • 392.9A2-CCargo - Vehicle components or dunnage not secured2× · 5%
What to do
  • Gauge and thump every tire on the walk-around, including inner duals
  • Replace before tread hits the limit; correct low pressure immediately
  • Prioritize the out-of-service items — they carry the heaviest weight
Projected estimatecould improve up to 32 pts in ~12 mo
nowin 12 months
Current trend 50% followed 100% followed 75% line

Recommendations are generated from the carrier’s public FMCSA roadside-inspection record. Percentiles and projections are VioCodes estimates, not official FMCSA figures. Informational, not legal advice.

90-day safety improvement plan

What this carrier has struggled with most in the last 90 days — where to focus now.

Trending worse
9
Inspections
6
Violations
2
Out-of-service
6
Clean
Where the violations are
Vehicle Maintenance 67%Other 33%
Focus here first
1Vehicle Maintenance
4 violations · 2 OOS · 67% of recent
  • 393.75A3-TAOLTires - All others, leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS · OOS
  • 393.45B2-B-AIRAir Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured
  • 393.53B-BAir Brake - CMV manufactured on or after 10/20/1994 has an automatic airbrake adjustment system that fails to compensate for wear
Do this
  • Gauge/thump every tire on the walk-around, including inner duals
  • Replace before tread hits the limit and correct low pressure immediately
2Other
2 violations · 33% of recent
  • 393.47E×2Brake Out of Adjustment - Roto, Clamp (Short & Long), DD-3, or Bolt
Do this
  • Check brake adjustment and listen for air leaks every pre-trip
  • Fix air-loss and warning-light faults before dispatch; put brakes on the PM schedule
Repeat offenders (same code, multiple times)
🎓
Turn these into driver coaching — and prove it
FleetTrained (my companion project) makes branded, multilingual training videos for these exact violations — your driver watches and gets a completion certificate for the file.

Based on roadside inspections in the last 90 days, ranked by what recurs most. Informational, not legal advice.

Inspection & crash map

live · FMCSA MCMIS

Every inspection and crash on record — hover a point for the summary, click for full detail (codes, severity, CSA points).

89
Inspections
88
Violations
33
Out-of-service
223
CSA points
97
Crashes
2
States
cleanviolOOS

CSA points = violation severity weight × FMCSA time weight (3× in the last 6 months, 2× at 6–12, 1× at 12–24). Points are spread within each state — FMCSA records the inspection state, not an exact location. Source: FMCSA MCMIS.

Equipment

VINs via NHTSA

61 distinct vehicles seen in this carrier’s roadside inspections.

44 incomplete vehicle 8 trailer 7 truck 2 other
2023 KENWORTH T880seen 3×
1NKZXPEX7PJ238576· 0010399 MT
2016 PETERBILT 567seen 3×
1NPCLPEX7GD364673· SA01905 MT
2019 VOLVO TRUCK VHDseen 2×
4V5KG9DH1KN223646· 0008410 MT
2018 PETERBILT 567seen 2×
1NPCLK0X7JD489738· 0008438 MT
2023 KENWORTH T880seen 2×
1NKZXPEX2PJ238582· 0010404 MT
2010 KENWORTH T8 Seriesseen 2×
1NKDX0TX8AJ275535· S13470 MT
2019 KENWORTH T880seen 2×
1NKZXPTX9KJ365387· SA08598 MT
2021 PETERBILT 567
1NPCLPEX7MD720132· SA06428 MT
2016 PETERBILT 567
1NPCLPEX8GD363113· SA01800 MT
2015 KENWORTH T8 Series
1NKDX7TX8FJ437860· SA01520 MT
2019 KENWORTH T880
1NKZXPTX0KJ247888· 0009193 MT
2016 KENWORTH T880
1NKZXPTX3GJ118826· SA01782 MT
2002 KENWORTH T800
1NKDXUEX12R899149· SA00189 MT
2021 PEERLESS Peerless
1PLW04335MWF13550· 451550A MT
2019 KENWORTH T880
1XKZPPEX4KJ365400· PA19521 MT
2011 PEERLESS Peerless
1PLH01413BTH56650· 2U91 WY
2021 PETERBILT 567
1XPCP40X8MD720138· PA25217 MT
2016 PETERBILT 567
1NPCLPEX5GD364669· SA01901 MT
2010 KENWORTH T8 Series
1XKDP40X2AJ273829· P48706 MT
2018 UTILITY TRAILER MANUFACTURER Utility Trailer Manufacturer
1UYFS2485JAS94136· 1TRL24010 WY
2021 PETERBILT 567
1NPCLPEX3MD720130· SA06796 MT
2023 KENWORTH T880
1NKZXPEXXPJ260684· 340677E MT
2003 KENWORTH T800
1NKDXUEX93R899157· SA08565 MT
UNPUBLISHE
1L9PH25234S238622· 300197C MT
1991 GMC C7
1GDP7H1J6MJ500157· 0009834 MT
2006 KENWORTH T8 Series
1NKDXUTX16R108658· S10537 MT
2023 KENWORTH T880
1NKZXPEX2PJ238579· 0010401 MT
2015 KENWORTH T8 Series
1NKDX7TXXFJ437858· SA01518 MT
2021 PETERBILT 567
1NPCLPEX5MD720128· 0009590 MT
2026 KENWORTH T880
1XKZPPEX9TJ201545· 387216E WY

+ 31 more.

Equipment is inferred from VINs recorded on roadside inspections (FMCSA MCMIS), decoded via the NHTSA vPIC API — it reflects vehicles inspected, not a current fleet roster.

Crash record (US, last 24 months)

Total

3

Tow-away

3

Injury

1

Fatal

0

Company profile

FMCSA census

PRIVATE PROPERTY

Power units
397
on file (MCS-150)
Drivers
149
149 hold a CDL
Annual mileage
3.5M mi
reported 2024
Recordable crash rate
per million miles
How far they run · drivers by operating lane
  • Interstate · <100 mi139 drivers
  • Intrastate · 100+ mi10 drivers
Company officer
MALCOLM D LONG
Operation
Interstate · Hazmat
D-U-N-S
810465363
Registered since
1992-03-17
Last MCS-150 update
2025-12-01
Census status
Active

Fleet: 393 trucks · 69 owned tractors · 470 owned trailers.

Source: FMCSA Company Census File (data.transportation.gov). Fleet and driver counts are self-reported on the carrier’s most recent MCS-150 filing.

Connections

carrier graph

This carrier shares VINs, phone numbers or emails with 4 other carriers — review the connections below as part of your vetting.

4
Connected carriers
4
Fleet-transfer links
2
Most shared VINs
1
Strong links
Strong· 1
1
JTL GROUP INC
USDOT 281308Active· CASPER, WY
Strong
EmailPhoneShared VIN · 1
1NPCLP9X6JD458321
Medium· 1
DONALDSON BROS READY MIX INC
USDOT 437462Active· HAMILTON, MT
Medium
Shared VIN · 2
1NKWL29X5DS3123841NKDXUEX87R193819

Shared VINs come from FMCSA roadside-inspection records — a vehicle inspected under more than one carrier, often a fleet transfer or trailer interchange. Other links come from the FMCSA census. Shared identifiers are common and often legitimate — treat these as leads to investigate, not proof of wrongdoing.

Activity history

2 events
  1. 12/01/2025MCS-150 update filed

    3.5M mi reported (2024)

  2. 03/17/1992Registered with FMCSA

    PRIVATE PROPERTY

Merged from FMCSA authority, insurance, out-of-service, and census records.

🚛

Operations

Classification

  • PRIVATE PROPERTY

Area served

  • Interstate

FMCSA safety rating

Rating
Satisfactory
Type
Non-ratable review
Rated
2000-07-05
Last review
2012-01-11
📄

MCS-150 registration

Form date
2025-12-01
Reported mileage
3,526,373 mi (2024)

Got a violation you want to contest?

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Data sourced from public FMCSA records via safer.fmcsa.dot.gov · Latest FMCSA update: Sep 2026 · Page refreshed: Sep 21, 2026, 11:56 AM. VioCodes is not affiliated with FMCSA. To dispute incorrect data, file a DataQs Request for Data Review.