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Authorized · PropertyUSDOT 76114· MC170654· CARRIER· EIN 36-1821970
⬇ PDF report

CHIEF FREIGHT LINES INC

1201 MARINE VIEW ST, PORTAGE, IN, 46368(219) 787-8868linda@truckinit.comKERMIT BRYAN
Vetting snapshot
Authority
Active
operating authority
Insurance
$750K BIPD
Carolina Casualty Insurance Company
Vehicle OOS
20%
below 22% national avg
Driver OOS
0%
below 6.7% national avg
Crashes 24mo
1
none fatal
Red flags
None
nothing flagged
98
/ 100

Risk factors

Low riskVioCodes score
1 crash 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.

Broker payment signals

Bond, cancellation & authority risk for this broker — from free FMCSA records.

Proceed with checks
Broker bond
Bond on file
BMC-84 surety · Merchants Bonding Company (Mutual)
Cancellation filed
None
bond since 07/01/2025
Authority
Active
26 past revocations
Registered
52 yrs
since 06/01/1974
  • Authority revoked 26 times historically (reinstated) — a pattern worth noting.
  • Bond has changed hands 14 times across 8 sureties — churn can signal payment or coverage trouble.

These are FMCSA bond & authority signals — not a credit report. A filed bond cancellation is the biggest early warning that a broker may stop paying, but days-to-pay and slow-pay history aren’t public FMCSA data — verify those with a broker-credit service or references before extending terms.

Authority & insurance

MC170654

Operating authority and insurance on file — from FMCSA Licensing & Insurance (L&I).

Common
Active
Contract
Active
Broker
Active
Authorized for: Property
Liability (BIPD)
$750K on file
$750K required
Cargo
Not on file
not required
Bond / surety
On file
required
Insurance filings
ON FILELiability (BIPD) — BMC-91X$750K coverageeff 10/01/2021
Carolina Casualty Insurance Company· policy KCA 2662880
ENDED 10/01/2021Liability (BIPD) — BMC-91X$750K coverageeff 10/01/2021
Carolina Casualty Insurance Company· policy KCA 2662880
ON FILEProperty broker surety — BMC-84$75K coverageeff 07/01/2025
Merchants Bonding Company (Mutual)· policy 101564014
ENDED 07/01/2025Property broker surety — BMC-84$75K coverageeff 07/01/2025
Merchants Bonding Company (Mutual)· policy 101564014
Authority history (31) ▾
07/31/2025BROKERINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (08/05/2025)
09/06/2011CONTRACTINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/26/2011)
09/06/2011COMMONINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/26/2011)
09/07/2010COMMONINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/27/2010)
09/07/2010CONTRACTINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/27/2010)
09/04/2009COMMONINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/24/2009)
09/04/2009CONTRACTINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/24/2009)
09/04/2008COMMONINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/26/2008)
09/04/2008CONTRACTINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/26/2008)
09/04/2008COMMONINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/26/2008)
09/04/2007COMMONINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/27/2007)
07/05/2007COMMONINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (07/11/2007)
04/30/2007BROKERINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (05/22/2007)
09/25/2006COMMONINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (10/02/2006)
09/25/2006CONTRACTINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (10/02/2006)
08/21/2006COMMONINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/08/2006)
08/21/2006CONTRACTINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/08/2006)
07/05/2006COMMONINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (07/31/2006)
07/05/2005COMMONINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (07/28/2005)
06/13/2005COMMONINVOLUNTARY REVOCATION→ DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (07/01/2005)
Insurance history22 insurers on record
Filing timeline (51) ▾
  1. UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON$750KCancelled
    CARGO · eff 10/01/2024 → 10/01/2025
  2. MERCHANTS BONDING COMPANY ( MUTUAL)$750KCancelled
    SURETY · eff 07/31/2025 → 08/08/2025
  3. MERCHANTS BONDING COMPANY ( MUTUAL)$750KReplaced
    SURETY · eff 07/01/2025 → 07/31/2025
  4. 1ST SECURITY FINANCIAL CORPORATION$750KReplaced
    TRUST FUND · eff 10/01/2013 → 07/01/2025
  5. MERCHANTS BONDING COMPANY ( MUTUAL)$750KReplaced
    SURETY · eff 07/31/2025 → 07/01/2025
  6. UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON$750KCancelled
    CARGO · eff 10/01/2023 → 10/01/2024
  7. UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON$750KCancelled
    CARGO · eff 10/01/2022 → 10/01/2023
  8. UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON$750KCancelled
    CARGO · eff 10/01/2021 → 10/01/2022
  9. CAROLINA CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.$750KReplaced
    BIPD/Primary · eff 10/01/2019 → 10/01/2021
  10. UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON$750KCancelled
    CARGO · eff 10/01/2020 → 10/01/2021
  11. ACUITY, A MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY$750KReplaced
    BIPD/Primary · eff 10/01/2011 → 10/01/2019
  12. 1ST SECURITY FINANCIAL CORPORATION$750KReplaced
    TRUST FUND · eff 05/21/2007 → 10/01/2013
  13. OHIO CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.$750KCancelled
    CARGO · eff 10/01/2008 → 10/01/2011
  14. NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY$750KCancelled
    BIPD/Primary · eff 10/01/2010 → 10/01/2011
  15. NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY$750KCancelled
    BIPD/Primary · eff 10/01/2009 → 10/01/2010

Source: FMCSA Licensing & Insurance (L&I), public data. This shows the carrier’s federal insurance filings (BMC-91X liability, BMC-34 cargo) — the federally-required minimums on file for operating authority — not the carrier’s full commercial policy (its actual auto combined-single-limit, general liability, cargo, or workers’ comp, which appear on the carrier’s ACORD certificate of insurance). Always confirm current coverage with a COI from the carrier’s agent before making a vetting decision.

Roadside inspection performance

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

Vehicle10 inspections · 20% OOS · National 22%
Driver21 inspections · 0% OOS · National 6.7%

Crash record (US, last 24 months)

Total

1

Tow-away

1

Injury

0

Fatal

0

Company profile

FMCSA census

AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE

Power units
26
on file (MCS-150)
Drivers
26
25 hold a CDL
Annual mileage
1M mi
reported 2025
Recordable crash rate
—
per million miles
How far they run · drivers by operating lane
  • Interstate · 100+ mi15 drivers
  • Interstate · <100 mi11 drivers
Company officer
KERMIT BRYAN
Operation
Interstate
D-U-N-S
878529718
Registered since
1974-06-01
Last MCS-150 update
2026-04-07
Census status
Active

Fleet: 26 trucks · 3 owned tractors · 3 owned trailers · 23 leased/term tractors.

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

Data change history

Every FMCSA record change we’ve detected — address, fleet size, contacts, MCS-150 — newest first.

Activity history

85 events
  1. 04/07/2026MCS-150 update filed

    1.0M mi reported (2025)

  2. 10/01/2025Insurance cancelled — UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON

    CARGO · policy 1414RRX244001-023

  3. 08/08/2025Insurance cancelled — MERCHANTS BONDING COMPANY ( MUTUAL)

    SURETY · policy 101564014

  4. 07/31/2025BROKER — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION

    DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (08/05/2025)

  5. 07/31/2025Insurance replaced — MERCHANTS BONDING COMPANY ( MUTUAL)

    SURETY · policy 101564014

  6. 07/01/2025Insurance filed — Merchants Bonding Company (Mutual)

    Property broker surety — BMC-84 · policy 101564014

  7. 07/01/2025Insurance ended — Merchants Bonding Company (Mutual)

    policy 101564014

  8. 07/01/2025Insurance replaced — 1ST SECURITY FINANCIAL CORPORATION

    TRUST FUND · policy NONE

  9. 07/01/2025Insurance replaced — MERCHANTS BONDING COMPANY ( MUTUAL)

    SURETY · policy 101564014

  10. 10/01/2024Insurance cancelled — UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON

    CARGO · policy 1414RRX234001-016

  11. 10/01/2023Insurance cancelled — UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON

    CARGO · policy 1414RRX224001-014

  12. 10/01/2022Insurance cancelled — UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON

    CARGO · policy 1414RRX214001-019

  13. 10/01/2021Insurance filed — Carolina Casualty Insurance Company

    Liability (BIPD) — BMC-91X · policy KCA 2662880

  14. 10/01/2021Insurance ended — Carolina Casualty Insurance Company

    policy KCA 2662880

  15. 10/01/2021Insurance replaced — CAROLINA CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.

    BIPD/Primary · policy 5010441

  16. 10/01/2021Insurance cancelled — UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON

    CARGO · policy 2791RRX208166-049

  17. 10/01/2019Insurance replaced — ACUITY, A MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY

    BIPD/Primary · policy CA-X26143

  18. 10/01/2013Insurance replaced — 1ST SECURITY FINANCIAL CORPORATION

    TRUST FUND · policy NONE

  19. 10/01/2011Insurance cancelled — OHIO CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.

    CARGO · policy OCG-C2238-133066

  20. 10/01/2011Insurance cancelled — NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY

    BIPD/Primary · policy OPO0034107

  21. 09/06/2011CONTRACT — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION

    DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/26/2011)

  22. 09/06/2011COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION

    DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/26/2011)

  23. 10/01/2010Insurance cancelled — NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY

    BIPD/Primary · policy OPO0031728

  24. 09/07/2010COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION

    DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/27/2010)

  25. 09/07/2010CONTRACT — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION

    DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/27/2010)

  26. 10/01/2009Insurance cancelled — NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY

    BIPD/Primary · policy OPO0026806

  27. 09/04/2009COMMON — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION

    DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/24/2009)

  28. 09/04/2009CONTRACT — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION

    DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (09/24/2009)

  29. 10/01/2008Insurance cancelled — REDLAND INSURANCE CO.

    BIPD/Primary · policy RICTG0001003

  30. 10/01/2008Insurance cancelled — UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON

    CARGO · policy 0510RRX078202B-029

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

🚛

Operations

Classification

  • AUTHORIZED FOR HIRE

Area served

  • Interstate
★

FMCSA safety rating

Rating
Satisfactory
Type
Non-ratable review
Rated
2005-12-06
Last review
2019-01-25
📄

MCS-150 registration

Form date
2026-04-07
Reported mileage
1,002,000 mi (2025)
⚡

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ⓘ
Data sourced from public FMCSA records via safer.fmcsa.dot.gov · Latest FMCSA update: Oct 2026 · Page refreshed: Nov 8, 2026, 5:26 AM. VioCodes is not affiliated with FMCSA. To dispute incorrect data, file a DataQs Request for Data Review.