ESSENTIAL CARGO INC
ESSENTIAL CARGO INC is a small fleet, operating 8 power units and 6 drivers, based in Hilton, NY. Across 15 roadside inspections in the last 24 months, the fleet's 46.7% out-of-service rate sits above the 19.4% national average, with no reportable crashes on file. BMC-91 liability filing is on file with Progressive Casualty Insurance Company, and operating authority is active for motor carrier of property (except household goods) and common.
Book with caution — review signals below
No hard OOS / revoked / uninsured blocker, but elevated risk signals need a human look before booking.
- No FMCSA cargo filing (BMC-34/83) on file Household-goods movers generally need BMC-34 cargo on file with FMCSA. Soft signal only — confirm on L&I before tendering HHG freight.
- OOS rate worse than size peers Driver 10.0% vs peer 0.00% · Vehicle 42.9% vs peer 5.00% Details →
Plain-text risk summary (print / paste)
TruckCodex risk summary — ESSENTIAL CARGO INC (USDOT 3673795) Verdict: CAUTION Book with caution — review signals below No hard OOS / revoked / uninsured blocker, but elevated risk signals need a human look before booking. Authority / census status: Active Active BIPD limit: $750,000 Blockers: (none) Cautions: • No FMCSA cargo filing (BMC-34/83) on file — Household-goods movers generally need BMC-34 cargo on file with FMCSA. Soft signal only — confirm on L&I before tendering HHG freight. • OOS rate worse than size peers — Driver 10.0% vs peer 0.00% · Vehicle 42.9% vs peer 5.00% On file: • 2 active operating authorities • Insurance on file · $750,000 — PROGRESSIVE CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY · 91X • BOC-3 process agent on file — #1 A BOC-3 FILING INC Source: https://truckcodex.com/usdot/3673795/ As of: Sep 16, 2026 Always confirm on FMCSA SAFER and L&I before tendering — TruckCodex mirrors public filings and can lag by up to a day.
TruckCodex · filing & peer scorecard
TruckCodex filing & peer scorecard · B
Composite of 4/5 scored components (mean 79/100). Separate from booking triage on this page. Expand for per-signal evidence. Heuristic — not an FMCSA rating or legal advice.
B
confidence 80% · 4/5 signals · expand
TruckCodex filing & peer scorecard · B
Composite of 4/5 scored components (mean 79/100). Separate from booking triage on this page. Expand for per-signal evidence. Heuristic — not an FMCSA rating or legal advice.
Active census status with no OOS order or revoked authority on file.
Active BIPD/Primary-like policy on file in our insurance history.
Driver OOS 10% vs peer median 0% (worse). Vehicle OOS 42.9% vs peer median 5% (worse). n=106698 same-size ACTIVE peers.
FMCSA has not assigned this carrier a formal safety rating. We do not invent one.
NR reason: No published FMCSA safety_rating.
No BMC-91 insurance-lapse watch classification on file for this USDOT.
TruckCodex filing & peer scorecard from authority, BIPD, peer OOS, FMCSA safety rating, and insurance-watch signals. Not a booking verdict and not legal advice. See methodology. Booking triage on this page: Caution.
2 active liability filings
Company profile
No active FMCSA cargo filing on file.
FMCSA L&I filing evidence — not a shipper certificate of insurance (COI). Cargo (BMC-34) is primarily an HHG / household-goods requirement; general freight carriers often have none.
No active broker surety bond or trust fund on file.
BMC-84 is a surety bond; BMC-85 is a trust-fund agreement. Required for property brokers / freight forwarders — not motor-carrier BIPD liability insurance.
Based on FMCSA authority grant of 2021-08-03 (1,872 days). Published gates only — not a guarantee they will accept. Confirm with the broker.
-
InsurancePROGRESSIVE CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANYPolicy effective Jul 29, 2021
-
Process Agent#1 A BOC-3 FILING INCBOC-3 on file
-
Operating AuthorityMC1274725ACTIVE
Fleet details (MCS-150)
| Vehicle type | Owned | Term leased | Trip leased |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truck tractors | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Trailers | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Self-reported on the carrier’s Form MCS-150 (FMCSA Company Census).
Inspections (24 months)
All 16 inspections →| Driver | Vehicle | Hazmat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| OOS inspections | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| OOS percentage | 6.67% | 40% | — |
| National average | 6.7% | 23.4% | 4.4% |
Roadside inspections in the last 24 months. National averages are FMCSA MCSAP reference rates (driver ~6.7%, vehicle ~23.4%, hazmat ~4.4%).
Carrier analysis & narrative context Status notes, risk intelligence, and safety profiles
Carrier is unrated
FMCSA has not assigned this carrier a formal safety rating. Use the inspection history and BASIC scores below to assess on-road performance.
ESSENTIAL CARGO INC had 15 roadside inspections over the past 24 months with an out-of-service rate of 46.7%, which is above the national average of 19.4%. Their highest FMCSA BASIC percentile is vehicle_maint at 4.0.
15 roadside inspections over the last 24 months, concentrated in TX (9) and IN (2).
46.7% out-of-service rate, well above the 19.4% national average; led by Vehicle Maintenance (30.8% of violations); top code 393.9 (Inoperable Required Lamp) cited 4 times, 1 of them OOS.
The fleet comprises 8 power units (small fleet) and 6 drivers; Utility, Volvo, and Freightliner are the most-inspected makes.
Risk Signals
Out-of-Service rate vs same-size peers FMCSA roadside inspections, % placed out-of-service
Compared against 106,698 ACTIVE carriers operating 4–12 power units (±50% of this carrier's 8 unit fleet).
Inspection Analytics Monthly activity · BASIC mix · state map
Monthly Inspection Activity (12 months)
Violations by BASIC Category
Activity by State
Vehicle Fleet Top makes and models observed in roadside inspections
| Make | Model | Inspections |
|---|---|---|
| Utility | 13 | |
| Volvo | 10 | |
| Freightliner | 4 | |
| Freig | 1 | |
| Stoughton | 1 | |
| Wabash National | 1 |
SMS BASIC Scores FMCSA Safety Measurement System per-BASIC scores
| BASIC | Inspections | Serious | Measure | Percentile | Alert | As Of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver Fitness | 1 | — | 0.29 | 0 | — | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Controlled Substances / Alcohol | 0 | — | 0.00 | 0 | — | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Hours of Service | 2 | — | 0.26 | 0 | — | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Unsafe Driving | 0 | — | 0.00 | 0 | — | Sep 14, 2026 |
| Vehicle Maintenance | 8 | — | 4.10 | 4 | — | Sep 14, 2026 |
Higher percentiles indicate worse performance relative to peer carriers. Carriers at or above the FMCSA intervention threshold are marked ALERT.
Recent Inspections (16 rows) View all 16 →
| Inspection # | Date ▼ | State | Level | Station | Vehicle | Violations | Top Codes | OOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88834476 | Aug 27, 2026 | IN | 1 | TERRE HAUTE IN |
FREIGHTLINER TRUCK TRACTOR
|
4 | 396.5B-HWSL, 393.75A3-TAOL, 393.95F | Yes |
| 88636473 | Aug 5, 2026 | OH | 3 | — | — | 1 | 392.2-SLLS1 | No |
| 87962211 | May 25, 2026 | TX | 2 | — |
VOLVO TRUCK TRUCK TRACTOR
|
1 | 393.9TS | Yes |
| 87788884 | May 5, 2026 | TX | 2 | — |
FREIGHTLINER TRUCK TRACTOR
|
1 | 393.45B2UV | Yes |
| 87525176 | Apr 2, 2026 | TX | 1 | IH35 NORTHBOUND MILE |
VOLVO TRUCK TRUCK TRACTOR
|
1 | — | No |
| 87469059 | Mar 30, 2026 | TX | 2 | US59 |
VOLVO TRUCK TRUCK TRACTOR
|
0 | — | No |
| 86606352 | Dec 17, 2025 | TX | 2 | INTERSTATE 35 MILE M |
FREIGHTLINER TRUCK TRACTOR
|
1 | 393.205C | Yes |
| 86432571 | Nov 20, 2025 | MD | 1 | PARKTON MD |
VOLVO TRUCK TRUCK TRACTOR
|
3 | 393.45D-B, 396.5B-L | No |
| 86323378 | Nov 12, 2025 | TX | 2 | IH 35 NB MM 59 |
FREIGHTLINER TRUCK TRACTOR
|
2 | 393.9 | Yes |
| 85763107 | Sep 10, 2025 | TX | 2 | BUS 281 CLOSNER BLVD |
VOLVO TRUCK TRUCK TRACTOR
|
2 | 393.78, 393.23PT | Yes |
| 85623177 | Aug 23, 2025 | TX | 3 | — |
VOLVO TRUCK TRUCK TRACTOR
|
0 | — | No |
| 85412234 | Aug 1, 2025 | TX | 2 | IH35 NB DEVINE SCALE |
VOLVO TRUCK TRUCK TRACTOR
|
4 | 393.9, 393.95A, 393.45DLPC | No |
| 85416037 | Jul 30, 2025 | NY | 3 | VICTOR NY |
VOLVO TRUCK TRUCK TRACTOR
|
4 | 383.23A2-LCDLN, 395.30B1-ELDDFR, 395.24 | Yes |
| 84205585 | Mar 13, 2025 | IN | 2 | CLOVERDALE IN |
VOLVO TRUCK TRUCK TRACTOR
|
4 | 395.8E-HOSPD, 392.2-SLLSR | No |
| 83513799 | Jan 2, 2025 | MD | 3 | I-70 NEW MARKET SCALE HOUSE |
FREIGHTLINER TRUCK TRACTOR
|
0 | — | No |
| 82303693 | Jul 31, 2024 | TX | 2 | IH35 NB DEVINE SCALE |
VOLVO TRUCK TRUCK TRACTOR
|
1 | 396.3(a)(1) | No |
Authority Records (2 dockets)
MC Certificate Documents (1 letter, 1 PDF)
Authority Records (above) are FMCSA docket status and lifecycle events. MC Certificate Documents here are the archived PDF letters for each action — grants, reinstatements, revocations, name changes, and transfers. They are related but not the same dataset: one row per PDF letter, not one file per docket.
Each row is a distinct FMCSA letter (grant, reinstatement, revocation, name change, transfer, etc.). When a PDF is archived, click the link to open that letter. Rows without a link still show the action type and date from our index. FMCSA stopped publishing new daily certificate PDFs after the May 2026 Motus cutover — rows below are historical archive only.
| Date | Docket | Action | Authority | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 3, 2021 | MC1274725-C | Original MC Certificate | Revocation | Original MC Certificate → |
Insurance Coverage Timeline (2 rows)
Every insurance policy on file, newest effective date first. Amber rows mark BIPD/Primary coverage gaps.
| Insurer | Policy # | Type | Limit | Effective | Cancel | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROGRESSIVE CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY | CA03913041 | 91X | $750,000 | Jul 29, 2021 | On file | ACTIVE |
| Progressive Casualty Insurance Company | CA03913041 | BMC-91X | — | Jul 29, 2021 | On file | ACTIVE |
Compliance Timeline Merged authority / insurance / enforcement events
-
Aug 3, 2021
Top Stations & Violation Codes Where this carrier gets inspected and what they get cited for
Most-Inspected Stations
| Station | State | Inspections | OOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| IH35 NB DEVINE SCALE | TX | 2 | 0 |
| CLOVERDALE IN | IN | 1 | 0 |
| TERRE HAUTE IN | IN | 1 | 1 |
| I-70 NEW MARKET SCALE HOUSE | MD | 1 | 0 |
| PARKTON MD | MD | 1 | 0 |
| VICTOR NY | NY | 1 | 1 |
| BUS 281 CLOSNER BLVD | TX | 1 | 1 |
| IH 35 NB MM 59 | TX | 1 | 1 |
| IH35 NORTHBOUND MILE | TX | 1 | 0 |
| INTERSTATE 35 MILE M | TX | 1 | 1 |
Top Violation Codes Cited
| Code | Description | Category | Cited | OOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 393.9 | Inoperable Required Lamp | Vehicle Maintenance | 4 | 1 |
| 393.78 | Wipers - Inoperative / missing / damaged wipers. | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 1 |
| 395.24 | HOS (ELD) - ELD form and manner | Hours of Service | 1 | 0 |
| 396.3(a)(1) | Inspection, repair and maintenance of parts and accessories | Vehicle Maintenance | 1 | 0 |
Related Records
All cross-references Authority, BOC-3, explainers, and more
-
Field change history
History-watch change dates and as-of snapshots
-
New York carriers
All carriers based in New York
-
Hilton carriers
Carriers based in Hilton, NY
-
Stations in New York
Where this carrier might be inspected
-
Docket MC1274725
Motor Carrier of Property (Except Household Goods) · ACTIVE · MC
-
PROGRESSIVE CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY
91X policy on file
-
#1 A BOC-3 FILING INC
BOC-3 process agent · 108,819 carriers served
-
#1A BOC-3 Filing, Inc.
BOC-3 process agent · 14,828 carriers served
-
16 inspections
Full roadside inspection history
-
Fleet recall search
NHTSA recalls covering this fleet's vehicle years/makes
-
File a complaint
Open the FMCSA National Consumer Complaint form for this carrier
-
Certificate lookup
Look up any FMCSA authority by MC/MX/FF docket number
-
All state carrier directories
Browse carriers in every US/CA/MX jurisdiction
-
Insurance-lapse watch
Carriers with recent BMC-91 cancellation or reinstatement churn
-
How FMCSA safety ratings work
BASIC percentiles and compliance review context
-
BOC-3 process agents explained
Why every interstate carrier must file a process agent
-
FMCSA compliance filings guide
MCS-150, insurance, and authority filing requirements
-
Roadside inspection rights
What drivers and carriers can expect during a stop