VCVioCodes
Carrier Vetting Report
Generated Oct 7, 2026
viocodes.yuriance.net
CHIEF FREIGHT LINES INC
USDOT 76114 · MC170654 · EIN 36-1821970 · AUTHORIZED FOR Property
1201 MARINE VIEW ST, PORTAGE, IN, 46368
(219) 787-8868 · KERMIT BRYAN
98
Low risk
Risk factors
1 crash in the last 24 months
Snapshot
Operating authority
Active
Liability insurance
$750K on file
Safety rating
Satisfactory
Power units / drivers
26 / 26
Inspections / CSA pts (24mo)
22 / 135
Crashes (24 mo)
1
Authority & insurance
Common
Active
Contract
Active
Broker
Active
Carolina Casualty Insurance Company — $750K BIPD · policy KCA 2662880 · eff 10/01/2021
Federal BMC-91X filing; actual commercial limits (per COI) may be higher.
Roadside inspection performance
Vehicle OOS rate18.2% · nat 22%
Driver OOS rate0% · nat 6.7%
CSA breakdown — violations by BASIC
Vehicle Maintenance98 pts
Unsafe Driving37 pts
Other12 pts
Top cited violations (by CSA points)
| Code | BASIC | Count | OOS | CSA pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 393.75A3-TAOL | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 30 |
| 392.16-D | Unsafe Driving | 1 | 21 | |
| 392.2-SLLLR | Unsafe Driving | 2 | 12 | |
| 393.9A-LSLI | Vehicle Maintenance | 2 | 12 | |
| 393.75G-TAOW | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| 393.9A-LTSI | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 393.75C-TAOTD-LT2/32 | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 8 | |
| 393.9A-HLLH | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 6 | |
| 393.9A-LRLI | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 6 | |
| 393.9A-LBL | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 6 |
Most inspected states
MI8
OH8
KY3
IL2
WI1
Next monthly SMS run — projection
| BASIC | Official (Sep 2026) | Projected | Est. %ile | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe Driving | 1.62 | 1.62 | ≈17–24% | steady |
| Hours-of-Service Compliance | 0.00 | 0.00 | ≈0–0% | steady |
| Driver Fitness | 0.00 | 0.00 | ≈0–0% | steady |
| Controlled Substances/Alcohol | 0.00 | 0.00 | ≈0–0% | steady |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 5.94 | 5.17 | ≈64–68% | ▼ better |
Latest inspection 2026-09-30 · 2 new since the Sep 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
Vehicle out-of-service rate exceeds the national average · high impact
• 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
Seat belt violations are the leading contributor to Unsafe Driving · low impact
Seat belt 57% · Following / lane / reckless 32% · Speeding 11%
• Zero-tolerance belt policy; verify with in-cab camera or spot checks
Projected: could improve up to 12 pts in ~12 months if worked down.
Hours-of-Service Compliance needs attention · low impact
• Review recent inspections with violations in this BASIC and take remedial action with drivers/equipment
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 49% (2 OOS) · Lighting / lamps 41% (1 OOS) · Other 4%
• 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 41 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: 4 inspections, 1 violations, 1 OOS, 3 clean · improving.
1. Vehicle Maintenance1 viol · 1 OOS · 100%
393.75A3-TAOL
✓ Gauge/thump every tire on the walk-around, including inner duals
✓ Replace before tread hits the limit and correct low pressure immediately
≈ 3 clean inspections would cut this BASIC ~25% (to 4.455).
🎓 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 — 1 in 24 months
| Date | Location | Fatal | Inj | Tow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/07/2026 | ELYRIA, OH | ✓ |
Equipment — 38 vehicles seen in inspections
18 truck16 trailer3 other1 incomplete vehicle
Company profile
Officer
KERMIT BRYAN
Annual mileage
1.0M mi (2025)
CDL drivers
25
Registered since
1974-06-01
Operation
Interstate
Connections — 23 carriers
Shares identifiers with 23 carriers (7 via shared VINs).
| Carrier | USDOT | Link | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMBINED TRANSPORT SYSTEMS LLC | 1278724 | 3 VINs | strong |
| REDIEHS FREIGHTLINES INC | 1290599 | 2 VINs | strong |
| ALL TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS INC | 3508738 | email, phone | strong |
| CHIEF TRANSIT LINES INC | 1227359 | strong | |
| COMBINED FREIGHT SYSTEMS INC | 1231134 | officer, email | strong |
| COMBINED TRANSPORT SYSTEMS INC | 247353 | strong | |
| CONTRACT STEEL CARRIERS INC | 729408 | officer, email | strong |
| REDIEHS FREIGHTLINES INC. | 6802996 | email, phone | strong |
Activity history (recent)
04/07/2026 — MCS-150 update filed
1.0M mi reported (2025)
10/01/2025 — Insurance cancelled — UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON
CARGO · policy 1414RRX244001-023
08/08/2025 — Insurance cancelled — MERCHANTS BONDING COMPANY ( MUTUAL)
SURETY · policy 101564014
07/31/2025 — BROKER — INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION
DISCONTINUED REVOCATION (08/05/2025)
07/31/2025 — Insurance replaced — MERCHANTS BONDING COMPANY ( MUTUAL)
SURETY · policy 101564014
07/01/2025 — Insurance filed — Merchants Bonding Company (Mutual)
Property broker surety — BMC-84 · policy 101564014
07/01/2025 — Insurance ended — Merchants Bonding Company (Mutual)
policy 101564014
07/01/2025 — Insurance replaced — 1ST SECURITY FINANCIAL CORPORATION
TRUST FUND · policy NONE
07/01/2025 — Insurance replaced — MERCHANTS BONDING COMPANY ( MUTUAL)
SURETY · policy 101564014
10/01/2024 — Insurance cancelled — UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON
CARGO · policy 1414RRX234001-016
10/01/2023 — Insurance cancelled — UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON
CARGO · policy 1414RRX224001-014
10/01/2022 — Insurance cancelled — UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON
CARGO · policy 1414RRX214001-019
10/01/2021 — Insurance filed — Carolina Casualty Insurance Company
Liability (BIPD) — BMC-91X · policy KCA 2662880
10/01/2021 — Insurance ended — Carolina Casualty Insurance Company
policy KCA 2662880
10/01/2021 — Insurance replaced — CAROLINA CASUALTY INSURANCE CO.
BIPD/Primary · policy 5010441
10/01/2021 — Insurance cancelled — UNDERWRITERS AT LLOYDS LONDON
CARGO · policy 2791RRX208166-049
10/01/2019 — Insurance replaced — ACUITY, A MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY
BIPD/Primary · policy CA-X26143
10/01/2013 — Insurance replaced — 1ST SECURITY FINANCIAL CORPORATION
TRUST FUND · policy NONE
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/76114.