VCVioCodes
Carrier Vetting Report
Generated Nov 6, 2026
viocodes.yuriance.net
MERCHANTS TRANSPORT OF HICKORY LLC
USDOT 48104 · MC162035 · EIN 56-0588855 · AUTHORIZED FOR Property
5005 ALEX LEE BLVD, HICKORY, NC, 28601
(828) 725-4259 · PETE DHUSE
85
Low risk
Risk factors
20 crashes in the last 24 months
Snapshot
Operating authority
Active
Liability insurance
$3M on file
Safety rating
Satisfactory
Power units / drivers
274 / 347
Inspections / CSA pts (24mo)
742 / 725
Crashes (24 mo)
20
Authority & insurance
Common
Active
Contract
None
Broker
Active
Safety National Casualty Corporation — $3M BIPD · policy CAS4045852 · eff 06/29/2013
Federal BMC-91X filing; actual commercial limits (per COI) may be higher.
Roadside inspection performance
Vehicle OOS rate5.2% · nat 22%
Driver OOS rate0.1% · nat 6.7%
CSA breakdown — violations by BASIC
Vehicle Maintenance402 pts
Unsafe Driving265 pts
Hours-of-Service Compliance58 pts
Other57 pts
Not in SMS1 pts
Top cited violations (by CSA points)
| Code | BASIC | Count | OOS | CSA pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 392.2-SLLS4 | Unsafe Driving | 3 | 80 | |
| 393.75A3-TAOL | Vehicle Maintenance | 3 | 3 | 70 |
| 392.2-SLLLR | Unsafe Driving | 10 | 51 | |
| 393.9A-LSLIWR | Vehicle Maintenance | 2 | 2 | 48 |
| 393.75A3-ATIS | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| 396.3A1-TAOCV | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| 393.75A2-TAOTLM | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| 393.75A3-TALS | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| 393.9TS | Vehicle Maintenance | 3 | 1 | 28 |
| 392.2-SLLS3 | Unsafe Driving | 2 | 28 |
Most inspected states
NC632
SC48
GA27
OH10
TN7
WV7
MD4
VA3
Next monthly SMS run — projection
| BASIC | Official (Oct 2026) | Projected | Est. %ile | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | 0.86 | 0.84 | ≈7–14% | ▼ better |
| Hours-of-Service Compliance | 0.06 | 0.06 | ≈21–28% | steady |
| Driver Fitness | 0.00 | 0.00 | ≈0–0% | steady |
| Controlled Substances/Alcohol | 0.00 | 0.00 | ≈0–0% | steady |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 0.81 | 0.82 | ≈6–10% | steady |
Latest inspection 2026-11-04 · 18 new since the Oct 2026 run. “Projected” recomputes the SMS formula on today’s record — an estimate, not an official FMCSA figure. “Est. %ile” is a VioCodes estimate of how the carrier ranks against its peers (FMCSA marks the percentile itself “Not Public”), shown as a likely range.
Recommendations — what's driving each score
A high share of violations are occurring in Iredell County, NC · medium impact
• Review the inspections from Iredell County, NC to spot recurring issues
• Brief drivers running that lane; consider rerouting around the toughest enforcement corridors where practical
Speeding violations are the leading contributor to Unsafe Driving · low impact
Speeding 57% · Following / lane / reckless 42% · Other 1%
• Coach the drivers with speeding violations directly — Unsafe Driving points are weighted heavily
• Set and enforce a governed road speed; review telematics/dashcam speed events weekly
Projected: could improve up to 6 pts in ~12 months if worked down.
Following / lane / reckless violations are the leading contributor to Hours-of-Service Compliance · low impact
Following / lane / reckless 36% · Log / ELD device 36% · Hours exceeded 10% (1 OOS)
• Defensive-driving refresher on following distance and lane discipline
• Prioritize the out-of-service items — they carry the heaviest weight
Projected: could improve up to 12 pts in ~12 months if worked down.
Driver Fitness needs attention · low impact
• Review recent inspections with violations in this BASIC and take remedial action with drivers/equipment
Controlled Substances/Alcohol needs attention · low impact
• 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
Tires 47% (7 OOS) · Lighting / lamps 26% (3 OOS) · Brakes 25% (3 OOS)
• Gauge and thump every tire on the walk-around, including inner duals
• Replace before tread hits the limit; correct low pressure immediately
Projected: could improve up to 4 pts in ~12 months if worked down.
Generated from the public inspection record. Percentiles/projections are VioCodes estimates, not official FMCSA figures.
90-day safety improvement plan
Last 90 days: 81 inspections, 21 violations, 6 OOS, 65 clean · trending worse.
1. Vehicle Maintenance12 viol · 6 OOS · 57%
393.75A3-TAOL ×2, 393.55E-B ×2, 393.75A3-ATIS
✓ Gauge/thump every tire on the walk-around, including inner duals
✓ Replace before tread hits the limit and correct low pressure immediately
≈ 70 clean inspections would cut this BASIC ~25% (to 0.608).
2. Other5 viol · 24%
392.2-SLLS1 ×2, 392.2-SLLEWA3, 392.2-SLLEWA1
✓ Coach speed and following distance — Unsafe Driving points are weighted heavily
✓ Hands off the phone; always belt up
3. Unsafe Driving4 viol · 19%
392.2-SLLS4, 392.2-SLLML, 392.2-SLLS2
✓ Coach speed and following distance — Unsafe Driving points are weighted heavily
✓ Hands off the phone; always belt up
≈ 148 clean inspections would cut this BASIC ~25% (to 0.645).
Repeat offenders: 393.75A3-TAOL ×2, 393.55E-B ×2, 392.2-SLLS1 ×2
🎓 Coach the driver & document it
FleetTrained — my companion project — turns these exact violations into branded, multilingual training videos your driver watches, with a completion certificate for the DQ file. fleettrained.com
Crash record — 20 in 24 months
| Date | Location | Fatal | Inj | Tow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/08/2026 | CHARLOTTE, NC | ✓ | ||
| 10/06/2026 | Not Reported, VA | ✓ | ||
| 05/11/2026 | DECATUR, GA | ✓ | ||
| 05/08/2026 | WENDELL, NC | 1 | ✓ | |
| 04/10/2026 | DORAVILLE, GA | 1 | ||
| 02/28/2026 | NEWTON GROVE, NC | ✓ | ||
| 02/03/2026 | KERNERSVILLE, NC | ✓ | ||
| 01/22/2026 | MORGANTOWN, WV | ✓ | ||
| 01/03/2026 | MAGNOLIA, NC | ✓ | ||
| 10/26/2025 | JACKSONVILLE, FL | ✓ |
Equipment — 93 vehicles seen in inspections
50 truck43 trailer
Company profile
Officer
PETE DHUSE
Annual mileage
25.9M mi (2025)
CDL drivers
347
Registered since
1974-06-01
Operation
Interstate
Connections — 17 carriers
Shares identifiers with 17 carriers (16 via shared VINs).
| Carrier | USDOT | Link | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| US XPRESS INC | 303024 | 9 VINs | strong |
| SOUTO FOODS LLC | 2044880 | 7 VINs | strong |
| J B HUNT TRANSPORT INC | 80806 | 4 VINs | strong |
| MERCHANTS DISTRIBUTORS INC | 2224864 | 4 VINs | strong |
| TOWER TRANSPORTATION INC | 3612873 | 4 VINs | strong |
| INGLES MARKETS INC | 157855 | 3 VINs | strong |
| IMPORT MEX DISTRIBUTORS LLC | 4094010 | email, phone | strong |
Activity history (recent)
04/03/2026 — MCS-150 update filed
25.9M mi reported (2025)
10/30/2013 — PROPERTY BROKER — REINSTATED
10/01/2013 — Insurance filed — LM Insurance Corporation
Property broker surety — BMC-84 · policy 018009219
10/01/2013 — Insurance ended — LM Insurance Corporation
policy 018009219
10/01/2013 — Insurance replaced — LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.
SURETY · policy 018009072
08/05/2013 — Insurance name changed — SAFETY NATIONAL CASUALTY CORPORATION
BIPD/Primary · policy CAS4045852
08/05/2013 — Insurance name changed — LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.
SURETY · policy 018 009 072
08/05/2013 — Insurance name changed — NAVIGATORS INSURANCE COMPANY
CARGO · policy NC08ILM010916-00
07/01/2013 — COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (07/10/2013)
06/29/2013 — Insurance filed — Safety National Casualty Corporation
Liability (BIPD) — BMC-91X · policy CAS4045852
06/29/2013 — Insurance ended — Safety National Casualty Corporation
policy CAS4045852
06/29/2013 — Insurance replaced — SAFETY NATIONAL CASUALTY CORPORATION
BIPD/Primary · policy CAS4045852
04/01/2012 — Insurance replaced — THE TRAVELERS INDEMNITY CO. OF CONNECTICUT
BIPD/Primary · policy HC2ECAP475M5338TCT-11
04/01/2011 — Insurance replaced — DISCOVER PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.
BIPD/Primary · policy D004A00348
04/01/2010 — Insurance replaced — DISCOVER PROPERTY & CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.
BIPD/Primary · policy D004A00336
04/01/2009 — Insurance replaced — ZURICH AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy BAP3730597
04/01/2008 — Insurance replaced — FIREMAN'S FUND INSURANCE CO.
CARGO · policy MXI97550741
05/17/2007 — PROPERTY BROKER — REINSTATED
Generated by VioCodes from current public FMCSA data (Census, Licensing & Insurance, SMS/MCMIS, QCMobile). VioCodes is not affiliated with FMCSA. Informational only — verify current coverage and status directly before making a vetting decision. Full interactive profile at viocodes.yuriance.net/carrier/48104.