TruckCodex

KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD

USDOT 1033744 Active CORPORATION Based in BELLEFONTAINE, OH

KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD is a corporation based in BELLEFONTAINE, OH, registered with the FMCSA under USDOT 1033744. The carrier is currently active in FMCSA's records, and has not yet received a formal FMCSA safety rating. MCS-150 self-reporting puts the fleet at 19 power units and 18 drivers, with 55 roadside inspections on file and a peak out-of-service rate of 33.3%. Use this page to verify the carrier's authority and insurance, review its inspection and crash history, and cross-reference live data on FMCSA SAFER before booking a load or onboarding a partner.

Carrier is unrated

FMCSA has not assigned this carrier a formal safety rating. Most carriers are unrated until they undergo a compliance review — being unrated is not, by itself, a red flag, but it does mean federal investigators have not formally evaluated the carrier's safety management practices. Use the inspection history and BASIC scores below to assess on-road performance.

Carrier Overview

KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD is a mid-sized fleet, operating 19 power units and 18 drivers, organized as a corporation, based in Bellefontaine, OH. Across 40 roadside inspections in the last 24 months, the fleet recorded a 20.0% out-of-service rate, with 2 reportable crashes. BIPD/Primary insurance is on file with NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY, and operating authority is active for common.

Power Units
19
Drivers
18
Inspections
55
last 24 months included
OOS Rate (peak)
33.3%
driver or vehicle, whichever higher
Crashes (24m)
2
3 all-time
Authorities
1
1 active

Active filings

Process Agent
PROCESS AGENT SERVICE COMPANY, INC.
BOC-3 on file
Operating Authority
MC MC438283
ACTIVE

Safety Snapshot

Inspection Profile

40 roadside inspections over the last 24 months, up 167% versus the prior 24 months, concentrated in OH (18) and IN (10), with Level 3 inspections the most common.

Violation Profile

20.0% out-of-service rate; led by Vehicle Maintenance (65.0% of violations); top code 393.75A3-TAOL (Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS) cited 5 times, 5 of them OOS.

Fleet Profile

The fleet comprises 19 power units (mid-sized fleet) and 18 drivers; Freightliner, Van guard, and Vanr are the most-inspected makes.

Compliance

Operating Authority
Common 1 active
Full authority records below ↓
Active Insurance
No active policies on file.
vs. National Average
Vehicle OOS Rate 33.3% vs 23.4% +9.9 pts
Driver OOS Rate 0.0% vs 6.7% -6.7 pts
Violations per Inspection 0.86 vs 1.80 -0.94
Peer tier (mid-sized fleets (11-100 power units)) median OOS rate: 27.3%
BOC-3 Process Agent
PROCESS AGENT SERVICE COMPANY, INC.
Serves 123,521 carriers
Location & Contact
2681 STATE ROUTE 47 EAST
BELLEFONTAINE, OH 43311
Phone: 9375929951
Email: [email protected]
Registration
USDOT 1033744
Entity CORPORATION
Operation A
MCS-150 mileage 919,682 mi

Risk Signals

High OOS rate
Peak OOS rate of 33.3% is well above the 10–15% national average.

Out-of-Service rate vs same-size peers FMCSA roadside inspections, % placed out-of-service

Compared against 53,925 ACTIVE carriers operating 10–29 power units (±50% of this carrier's 19 unit fleet).

This carrier — Driver OOS
0%
Drivers placed out-of-service at roadside inspections
Peer median
0%
Median across 53,925 same-size peers
Verdict
On par with peers
Delta 0 pts vs peer median (lower is safer)
This carrier — Vehicle OOS
33.3%
Vehicles placed out-of-service at roadside inspections
Peer median
20%
Median across 53,925 same-size peers
Verdict
Riskier than peers
Delta +13.3 pts vs peer median (lower is safer)
Inspection Analytics Monthly activity · BASIC mix · state map

Monthly Inspection Activity (24 months)

2024-06 2026-03

Violations by BASIC Category

Federal BASIC buckets for every citation issued against this carrier over the past 24 months.
Vehicle Maintenance
21 violations
13 OOS · 61.9%
Unsafe Driving
9 violations
Hours of Service
1 violation
Unknown
1 violation

Activity by State

States this carrier has been inspected in over the past 24 months.
State Inspections OOS OOS % Last Inspection
Ohio (OH) 17 1 5.9% Mar 16, 2026
Kentucky (KY) 9 6 66.7% Nov 21, 2025
Indiana (IN) 8 1 12.5% Mar 11, 2026
Alabama (AL) 1 0 0.0% Nov 20, 2025
Michigan (MI) 1 0 0.0% Oct 16, 2024
Tennessee (TN) 1 0 0.0% Jun 22, 2024
Vehicle Fleet Top makes and models observed in roadside inspections
Make Model Inspections
Freightliner 36
Vanguard 30
Hyundai Translead 5
Great Dane 4
International 4
Kenworth 4
Peterbilt 4
Wabash National 4
SMS BASIC Scores FMCSA Safety Measurement System per-BASIC scores

SMS data not available

FMCSA's Safety Measurement System has not published per-BASIC scores for this carrier yet. This typically means the carrier doesn't meet minimum exposure thresholds (inspections/power units), or their SMS snapshot hasn't been ingested.

Recent Inspections (55 rows) View all 55 →
Inspection # Date ▼ State Level Station Vehicle Violations Top Codes OOS
87319446 Mar 16, 2026 OH 3 BOWLING GREEN OH
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 3444319 · 3AKJHHDR6RSUR3079
0 — No
87299466 Mar 11, 2026 IN 3 DUNREITH IN
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 2929486 · 3AKJHHDR6LSMC7022
1 392.2-SLLS2 No
87024449 Feb 10, 2026 OH 2 VAN WERT OH
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
OH PWF5122 · 1FUJBBCK17LW48097
0 — No
86986038 Feb 6, 2026 OH 3 FINDLAY OH
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 2870088 · 3AKJGEDV1LSLG6452
0 — No
86972487 Feb 4, 2026 OH 2 XENIA OH
KENWORTH TRUCK TRACTOR
OH PXD8362 · 1XKYD49X2EJ416815
1 393.75A3-TAOLTIS Yes
86815799 Jan 14, 2026 IN 3 WEST HARRISON IN
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 2901647 · 1FUJHLDR7LLLJ8264
0 — No
86764709 Jan 9, 2026 IN 3 DUNREITH IN
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 2901647 · 1FUJHLDR7LLLJ8264
1 392.2-SLLS3 No
86620891 Dec 18, 2025 OH 3 FINDLAY OH
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 2901647 · 1FUJHLDR7LLLJ8264
0 — No
86499314 Dec 5, 2025 OH 2 PIQUA OH
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 3560796 · 3AKJHHD14RSUH1474
1 393.55C1-B No
86514649 Dec 3, 2025 IN 3 KNIGHTSTOWN IN
INTERNATIO TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 3527305 · 3HSDZTZR4RN268281
1 392.16-D No
86383006 Nov 21, 2025 KY 1 LONDON
FRHT TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 3560796 · 3AKJHHD14RSUH1474
1 393.75A3-TAOL Yes
86369447 Nov 20, 2025 AL 2 COLLINSVILLE AL
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 3560794 · 3AKJHHD14RSUH1474
0 — No
86361582 Nov 19, 2025 KY 1 GEORGETOWN
FRHT TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 3136070 · 3AKJHLDV9MSMS5268
1 393.75C-TAOTD-LT1/32 Yes
86243397 Nov 4, 2025 KY 2 LONDON
FRHT TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 2929486 · 3AKJHHDR6LSMC7022
2 393.75A3-TAOL, 395.8E-HOSPD Yes
86009772 Oct 8, 2025 OH 1 HARRISON OH
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 3182725 · 3AKJHLDVXKSKF1901
0 — No
85923728 Sep 29, 2025 OH 3 MILFORD OH
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 3182725 · 3AKJHLDVXKSKF1901
0 — No
85879431 Sep 25, 2025 KY 1 LONDON
FRHT TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 2929486 · 3AKJHHDR6LSMC7022
3 396.3A1-BALR, 393.75A3-TAOL, 393.75A2-TAOBB Yes
85795665 Sep 15, 2025 OH 2 HARRISON OH
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 3182725 · 3AKJHLDVXKSKF1901
0 — No
85812358 Sep 12, 2025 IN 2 RICHMOND IN
INTERNATIO TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 3527305 · 3HSDZTZR4RN268281
0 — No
85646473 Aug 25, 2025 IN 1 RICHMOND IN
INTERNATIO TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 3527305 · 3HSDZTZR4RN268281
1 392.2-SLLIRP No
85345518 Jul 23, 2025 IN 1 GAS CITY IN
FREIGHTLIN TRUCK TRACTOR
OH PWF5122 · 1FUJBBCK17LW48097
2 393.75A3-TAOL, 396.5B-L Yes
84962550 Jun 16, 2025 KY 1 MOREHEAD
FRHT TRUCK TRACTOR
IN 2929486 · 3AKJHHDR6LSMC7022
0 — No
84664217 May 8, 2025 IN 3 SPICELAND IN
KENWORTH TRUCK TRACTOR
OH PXB8580 · 1XKYDP9X5FJ441467
1 392.2-SLLS2 No
84447200 Apr 17, 2025 OH 1 BELLEFONTAINE OH
PETERBILT TRUCK TRACTOR
OH PVU7106 · 1XP5DB9X6VN435491
5 393.48A-BI-SA, 393.75A3-TAOL, 393.9A-HLLH No
84058103 Mar 5, 2025 OH 3 WEST CHESTER OH
KENWORTH TRUCK TRACTOR
OH PXB8580 · 1XKYDP9X5FJ441467
0 — No
Recent Crashes (3 rows)
Report # Date ▼ State Fatalities Injuries Tow Hazmat Severity
OH0255070133 Apr 17, 2025 OH 0 1 Yes Yes Injury
KY0073105958 Oct 17, 2024 KY 0 0 Yes Yes Tow
KY0072800391 Sep 1, 2022 KY 0 0 Yes Yes Tow
Authority Records (1 docket)
COMMON
MC438283
Active
—
View full authority record →
Insurance Coverage Timeline (10 rows)

Every insurance policy on file, newest effective date first. Amber rows mark BIPD/Primary coverage gaps.

Insurer Policy # Type Effective Cancel Status
NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY TN503062 BIPD/Primary Jun 26, 2006 Jun 26, 2020 REPLACED
NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY TN503062 CARGO Jun 26, 2006 May 21, 2011 CANCELLED
EMPIRE FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE CO. CL930046 BIPD/Primary Jun 26, 2005 Jun 26, 2006 CANCELLED
EMPIRE FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE CO. CL930046 CARGO Jun 26, 2005 Jun 26, 2006 CANCELLED
NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY TN362409 BIPD/Primary Sep 30, 2004 Jul 28, 2005 CANCELLED
NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY TN362409 BIPD/Primary Sep 30, 2004 Jun 26, 2005 REPLACED
CANAL INSURANCE CO. 448437 BIPD/Primary Sep 30, 2004 Sep 30, 2004 REPLACED
NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY TN362409 CARGO Jun 26, 2002 Jun 26, 2005 REPLACED
NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY TN362409 BIPD/Primary Jun 26, 2002 Sep 30, 2004 REPLACED
NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY TN362409 CARGO Jun 26, 2002 Jul 28, 2005 CANCELLED
Compliance Timeline Merged authority / insurance / enforcement events
  1. Jun 26, 2020
    insurance
    TERM/REPL — NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY
  2. May 21, 2011
    insurance
    CANCEL — NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY
  3. Jun 26, 2006
    insurance
    CANCEL — EMPIRE FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE CO.
  4. Jun 22, 2006
    authority
    DISCONTINUED REVOCATION — COMMON
    Details →
  5. Jul 28, 2005
    insurance
    TERM/CANCL — NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY
  6. Jun 26, 2005
    insurance
    TERM/REPL — NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY
  7. Sep 30, 2004
    insurance
    TERM/REPL — CANAL INSURANCE CO.
  8. Sep 30, 2004
    insurance
    TERM/REPL — NORTHLAND INSURANCE COMPANY
  9. Aug 16, 2002
    authority
    GRANTED — MOTOR PROPERTY COMMON CARRIER
    Details →
Top Stations & Violation Codes Where this carrier gets inspected and what they get cited for

Most-Inspected Stations

Station State Inspections OOS
ROADSIDE OH 9 1
LONDON KY 8 4
FINDLAY OH OH 3 0
DUNREITH IN IN 2 0
RICHMOND IN IN 2 0
NORTH CORBIN KY 2 0
HARRISON OH OH 2 0
COLLINSVILLE AL AL 1 0
AUBURN IN IN 1 0
GAS CITY IN IN 1 1

Top Violation Codes Cited

Code Description Category Cited OOS
392.2 Operating a CMV while ill or fatigued Unsafe Driving 7 0
392.16(a) Failing to use seat belt (49 CFR) Unsafe Driving 5 0
393.9(a) Inoperable required lamps Vehicle Maintenance 4 1
393.11(a)(1) Lighting devices/reflectors Vehicle Maintenance 2 0
393.47(a) Brake chamber - cracked/broken Vehicle Maintenance 2 2
396.17(c) No proof of periodic inspection Vehicle Maintenance 2 0
376.11(d)(1) 376.11(d)(1) Unknown 1 0
393.45(b)(2) Brake tubing/hoses inadequate Vehicle Maintenance 1 1
393.55(d)(1) Coupling device/towing methods defective Vehicle Maintenance 1 0
393.55(d)(3) Coupling device/towing methods defective Vehicle Maintenance 1 0
Related Records Cross-references to every adjacent page
Directory
Authority Records
Insurance Carriers
Process Agent (BOC-3)
Carrier Records
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How to verify KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD

  1. Verify USDOT and MC numbers match the carrier's documents. Compare the USDOT number and MC docket on this page to the numbers on the carrier's invoice, rate confirmation, or load-board listing. A mismatch between the carrier's claimed numbers and the registered legal name is the single most common red flag.
  2. Check active operating authority and insurance status. Confirm the Authority Records show at least one ACTIVE docket for the type of operation you're booking, and that the Active Insurance card lists a current BIPD/Primary policy. A revoked authority or uninsured carrier cannot legally operate.
  3. Review safety rating and SMS BASIC scores. Check the carrier's FMCSA safety rating (if any) and the SMS BASIC table. A high percentile in any BASIC category — especially Unsafe Driving, HOS, or Vehicle Maintenance — is worth investigating before tendering a load.
  4. Examine inspection and crash history. Open the Inspection History and Crash History subpages for the full record. Look for patterns: repeat OOS findings on the same unit, multiple crashes in a short window, or violations clustered in one BASIC category.
  5. Cross-reference real-time data with FMCSA SAFER. For the most current snapshot — within 24 hours of any insurer filing or authority change — click through to the FMCSA SAFER lookup. TruckCodex mirrors SAFER and L&I daily; SAFER itself reflects filings within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions about KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD

Is KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD an active motor carrier? ▾
Yes. KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD is registered with the FMCSA under USDOT 1033744 and is currently shown as Active in the agency's Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS). Active status means the carrier may legally operate, contingent on continuous insurance and authority filings.
What is KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD's safety rating? ▾
KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD is unrated. FMCSA assigns formal safety ratings only after a compliance review, and the agency has not yet completed one for this carrier. Being unrated is not by itself a red flag — most active carriers in the database are unrated. Review the inspection and BASIC data below to assess on-road performance.
How many inspections has KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD had? ▾
55 roadside inspections are on file for KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD in FMCSA's MCMIS database. Each inspection is summarized in the Inspection History section below — sortable by date, state, level, and out-of-service result. Newer inspections are pulled from the FMCSA SMS data feed daily.
What is KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD's out-of-service rate? ▾
KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD's peak out-of-service rate is 33.3% (whichever is higher of driver-OOS or vehicle-OOS, computed from FMCSA roadside inspection data). The national averages are roughly 6.7% for drivers and 23.4% for vehicles — see the peer-context card on this page for a side-by-side comparison.
Where is KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD based? ▾
KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD reports its physical address to the FMCSA as 2681 STATE ROUTE 47 EAST, BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio 43311. Carriers must file a Form MCS-150 every two years to keep their address current; an outdated address is a common compliance flag.
Does KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD have valid operating authority? ▾
Yes. KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD holds 1 active FMCSA operating authority (MC438283). Each docket appears in the Authority Records section below with its full event history. Active authority means the carrier may legally operate as a for-hire carrier, contingent on current insurance and BOC-3 process-agent filings.
How many trucks and drivers does KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD operate? ▾
KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD self-reports 19 power units and 18 drivers on its most recent FMCSA Form MCS-150 filing. Power-unit and driver counts come from the carrier directly and are required to be updated every two years; very large fluctuations between filings can indicate fleet changes worth investigating.
Has KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD had any crashes? ▾
3 FMCSA-reportable crashes are on file for KNUCKLEHEAD CHOOCHOO EXPRESS LTD in MCMIS. A reportable crash is one resulting in a fatality, an injury requiring transport for medical attention, or a vehicle disabled and towed from the scene. The full crash log is on the Crashes subpage with date, state, and outcome details.

About FMCSA carrier records

Every commercial motor carrier operating in the United States is required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and obtain a USDOT number. The USDOT number is a permanent, unique identifier — once assigned, it stays with the carrier for life and is never reissued to another company. Carriers must update their registration every two years on Form MCS-150 to keep their address, fleet size, and operating data current.

Carrier safety data lives in FMCSA's Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS): roadside inspections, crashes, out-of-service findings, and the seven Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) that make up the SMS scoring methodology. For-hire carriers must also hold operating authority — an MC, FF, or MX docket number — which is separate from the USDOT number and requires continuous insurance and BOC-3 process-agent filings to remain active.

TruckCodex mirrors FMCSA's public SAFER and L&I systems on a daily refresh cycle. Every record on this page reflects what FMCSA has on file. We do not edit or modify carrier data — for real-time confirmation immediately before a transaction, click through to the FMCSA SAFER lookup linked in the related records section above. Safety ratings, when present, come from formal compliance reviews; most active carriers have not been reviewed and are correctly listed as unrated.

Data sources & freshness

TruckCodex aggregates official public-sector datasets. See the Source registry for dataset-level coverage and the Freshness log for last-import timestamps.

FMCSA

Census, SAFER, SMS, Licensing & Insurance (L&I), roadside inspections, crashes, and authority history.

Refreshed daily.
NHTSA

Vehicle recall campaigns, defect investigations, and consumer safety complaints (SCRS).

Refreshed daily.
EIA

Retail diesel and gasoline price history and state fuel-tax tables.

Refreshed weekly.
Transport Canada

Cross-border carrier registry and Canadian recall campaigns where applicable.

Refreshed weekly.

TruckCodex is an independent aggregator; it is not affiliated with FMCSA, NHTSA, EIA, or Transport Canada. Always verify compliance-critical information directly with the originating agency.