PRIMARY EXPRESS CO

USDOT 2477159MC-Docket MC856960ST CHARLES, IL
Review before tenderingHazmat-authorized8 power units

PRIMARY EXPRESS CO (USDOT 2477159) in ST CHARLES, IL — has findings to review before tendering. FMCSA authority, fleet size, BASIC safety measures, crash and inspection history.

  • Has active operating authority that's tenderable today (common or contract).
  • No pending authority revocation.
  • Not under an uncleared federal out-of-service or safety action.
  • BIPD on file: $1,000,000.
  • No cargo insurance on file. Required for many shipper contracts.
  • 2 prior insurance lapse(s) on record, most recent began 2018-05-19 — the carrier let required coverage lapse before.
  • Current BIPD policy (WESTERN NATIONAL MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.) was filed 26 day(s) after the last involuntary revocation (2018-04-23) — a refile-to-reinstate pattern worth a closer look.
  • Unrated by FMCSA. Most carriers are unrated — unrated is not the same as unsafe.
  • No BASIC alerts in any of the five public SMS categories.
  • Driver and vehicle out-of-service rates are at or below the national roadside average.
  • No preventable crashes in the last 24 months; recordable crash rate 0 not elevated.
  • No fatal crashes in the last 24 months.
  • No link to a prior revoked authority.
  • Authority involuntarily revoked 4 times, most recent 2018-04-23 — recurring instability (typically insurance-lapse / reinstate cycles).
  • Crash Indicator and Hazmat Compliance BASICs are statutorily withheld from public SMS under the FAST Act — their absence is not a clean record; use the crash-risk signals above instead. The Hazmat Compliance BASIC is also withheld for this hazmat carrier.

Built from FMCSA's public Safety Management System data — guidance, not legal advice. Verify directly with the carrier and your cargo policy before tendering.

Authority

Common authority
Active
Contract authority
Active

Safety & BASIC scorecard

Safety rating
Unrated

BASIC safety measures

Unsafe driving
No alert
measure 1.27
Hours of service
No alert
measure 0.02
Driver fitness
No alert
measure 0
Controlled substance
No alert
measure 0
Vehicle maintenance
No alert
measure 2.1

Under the FAST Act, FMCSA publishes an absolute per-category measure (not a 0–100 percentile) for these five BASICs — the alert flag, not the raw number, is the risk signal. The Crash Indicator and Hazmat Compliance BASICs are statutorily withheld from public view.

Last 24 months

0
Fatalities
0
Injuries
0
Crashes
22
Inspections
3
OOS inspections
3
OOS violations

Insurance

BIPD on file
$1,000,000
Cargo insurance
No
Bond on file
No

Fleet

Power units
8
Total drivers
12
Years in business
12
Hazmat authority
Yes

Crash risk

Preventable crashes (24 mo)
0 of 0 total crash(es)
Recordable crash rate
0
Driver OOS rate
0%
Vehicle OOS rate
14.3%

The official Crash Indicator BASIC is withheld from public SMS under the FAST Act — these derived signals stand in for it; their absence is not a clean record.

Compliance & history

Reincarnation / chameleon
No prior revoked authority
Involuntary revocations
4 times last 2018-04-23
Physical address
No address flags
Federal OOS / safety action
None on file
MCS-150 self-report
2025-09-26
Insurance lapse history
2 lapse(s) most recent 2018-05-19
Last compliance review
None on file

Inspection history (all-time)

52
Inspections
4
OOS inspections
43
Violations
4
OOS violations
0
Post-accident

Record spans 2023-05-31 → 2026-05-09.

Crash history (last 24 months)

No crashes recorded in the last 24 months.

Violation pattern (all-time, by area)

Area (49 CFR part) Violations Out of service Most recent
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393
12 2 2026-03-10
Unsafe driving 392
10 0 2025-08-22
Hours of service 395
4 0 2025-03-19
Hazardous materials (HMR) 172
3 0 2026-02-10
Hazardous materials (HMR) 177
1 0 2026-03-10

Recent violations (last 24 months, worst first)

Date Category Violation OOS
2026-03-10 Vehicle Maintenance Air Brake - ABS malfunction lamp defective on trailers manufactured on or after March 1 1998
2026-03-10 Hazardous Materials Compliance HM (Highway Carriage) - Failing to clearly distinguish HM shipping papers from other papers of any kind
2026-02-10 Vehicle Maintenance Lighting - Turn signal -Any inoperative on a unit that is not the rearmost unit
2026-02-10 Hazardous Materials Compliance Vehicle not placarded as required
2025-05-21 Vehicle Maintenance Inoperative/defective brakes
2025-05-05 Unsafe Driving Driver - Failed to use seat belt while operating a CMV.
2025-03-19 Vehicle Maintenance Inadequate brakes for safe stopping - Brake Lining condition
2025-03-19 Hours-of-Service Compliance Driving beyond 11 hour driving limit in a 14 hour period. (Property carrying vehicle) - Nominal Violation
2025-01-08 Vehicle Maintenance Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS OOS
2024-09-24 Vehicle Maintenance Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS OOS
2024-09-24 Vehicle Maintenance Conspicuity Systems - Truck tractor upper rear retro reflective sheeting missing on vehicle manufactured on or after Jul
2024-09-24 Vehicle Maintenance Windshield - Obstructed
2024-08-28 Vehicle Maintenance Inadequate brakes for safe stopping - Brake Lining condition OOS
2024-08-28 Vehicle Maintenance Brake Hose or Tubing Chafing and/or Kinking Under Vehicle
2024-08-28 Vehicle Maintenance Brake Connections with Leaks Under Vehicle

Recent inspections (with violations, newest first)

Showing the 16 most-recent inspections that had violations. Clean inspections aren't listed here — they're counted in the all-time inspection totals above.

2026-03-10 MI · Level 2 2 violsHazmat
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 55E-B
Hazardous materials (HMR) 177 817E1-HMHC
2026-02-10 NC · Level 2 1 violHazmat
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Hazardous materials (HMR) 172 504A
2026-02-10 KS · Level 2 1 viol
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 9A-LTSIR
2025-08-22 IN · Level 2 1 viol
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Unsafe driving 392 2-SLLSR
2025-05-21 KY · Level 1 1 violHazmat
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 48A
2025-05-05 MI · Level 2 1 violHazmat
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Unsafe driving 392 16AD
2025-03-19 KY · Level 1 2 viols
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Hours of service 395 3A3-PROPN
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 47A
2024-09-24 MO · Level 2 3 viols· 1 OOS
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 11(a)(1)
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 60(e)
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 75(a)(3) OOS
2024-04-29 IL · Level 3 1 viol
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Unsafe driving 392 2
2024-01-29 WI · Level 2 4 violsHazmat
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Hazardous materials (HMR) 172 202A2-HMSPS
Hazardous materials (HMR) 172 2E-HMGRMC
Hours of service 395 3A3I-HOSPDIT
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 9A-LTSIR
2024-01-29 WI · Level 3 1 viol
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Unsafe driving 392 2-SLLTCD
2023-12-22 MN · Level 3 2 viols
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Hours of service 395 8(e)(1)
Unsafe driving 392 2
2023-12-20 MO · Level 2 2 violsHazmat
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 75C-TAOTD-LT2/32
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 75C-TAOTD-LT2/32
2023-06-06 MO · Level 2 1 viol
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Unsafe driving 392 2
2023-06-01 IA · Level 2 4 viols
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Unsafe driving 392 2
Hours of service 395 8(e)(1)
Unsafe driving 392 2
Unsafe driving 392 2
2023-05-31 WI · Level 1 3 viols· 1 OOSHazmat
Area (part) Section OOS Citation
Unsafe driving 392 2
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 75(a)(3) OOS
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 55(e)

Verify on FMCSA

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