PINNACLE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INC
DBA PINNACLE
USDOT 856735MC-Docket MC377933ELKHART, IN
Do not tender86 power units
PINNACLE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS INC (USDOT 856735) in ELKHART, IN — carries a hard disqualifier. 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.
- No history of insurance lapses.
- Satisfactory safety rating.
- No BASIC alerts in any of the five public SMS categories.
- Vehicle out-of-service rate is above the national roadside average.
- 7 preventable crash(es) in the last 24 months; recordable crash rate not available.
- 1 fatal crash(es) in the last 24 months.
- No link to a prior revoked authority.
- Authority involuntarily revoked 32 times, most recent 2021-01-04 — recurring instability (typically insurance-lapse / reinstate cycles).
- 2 other active carrier(s) operate from this exact street + ZIP. High counts are often legitimate registered-agent / virtual-office addresses — treat as context, not a verdict.
- FMCSA compliance review on file dated 2005-10-17 (C).
- 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.
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
BASIC safety measures
Unsafe driving
No alert
measure 1.02
Hours of service
No alert
measure 0.27
Driver fitness
No alert
measure 0.16
Controlled substance
No alert
measure 0
Vehicle maintenance
No alert
measure 6.91
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
1
Fatalities
0
Injuries
7
Crashes
105
Inspections
33
OOS inspections
43
OOS violations
Insurance
- BIPD on file
- $1,000,000
- Cargo insurance
- No
- Bond on file
- No
Fleet
- Power units
- 86
- Total drivers
- 80
- Years in business
- 26
- Hazmat authority
- No
Crash risk
- Preventable crashes (24 mo)
- 7 of 7 total crash(es)
- Recordable crash rate
- Not available
- Driver OOS rate
- 1.8%
- Vehicle OOS rate
- 50%Above national
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
- 32 times last 2021-01-04
- Physical address
- 2 other carrier(s) at this address
- Federal OOS / safety action
- None on file
- MCS-150 self-report
- 2025-03-20
- Insurance lapse history
- No lapses on record
- Last compliance review
- 2005-10-17 · C
Inspection history (all-time)
154
Inspections
52
OOS inspections
282
Violations
72
OOS violations
5
Post-accident
Record spans 2023-06-09 → 2026-05-20.
Crash history (last 24 months)
2026-03-17
MT
Tow-away
2025-11-06
IN
Tow-away
2025-08-26
MN
1 fatalTow-away
2025-07-25
WY
Tow-away
2025-06-11
WY
Tow-away
2025-06-08
MT
Tow-away
2025-01-20
TX
Tow-away
Violation pattern (all-time, by area)
| Area (49 CFR part) | Violations | Out of service | Most recent |
|---|---|---|---|
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393
|
120 | 46 | 2026-04-27 |
Unsafe driving 392
|
73 | 1 | 2026-04-17 |
Vehicle inspection & repair 396
|
23 | 13 | 2026-03-17 |
Hours of service 395
|
12 | 1 | 2026-04-27 |
CDL standards 383
|
2 | 1 | 2026-03-12 |
Driver qualifications 391
|
1 | 1 | 2023-09-18 |
Financial responsibility (insurance) 387
|
1 | 0 | 2024-01-11 |
Recent violations (last 24 months, worst first)
| Date | Category | Violation | OOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-17 | Vehicle Maintenance | No brakes as required - Explain: | OOS |
| 2026-04-17 | Vehicle Maintenance | No/improper breakaway or emergency braking | — |
| 2026-04-15 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (Property) - Driver produces a false record of duty status that concealed an HOS limitation violation after the last | OOS |
| 2026-04-14 | Vehicle Maintenance | Light Weight Vehicles - Improper securement of automobiles light trucks and vans | OOS |
| 2026-04-13 | Vehicle Maintenance | Cargo - Vehicle components or dunnage not secured | OOS |
| 2026-04-07 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS | OOS |
| 2026-03-24 | Vehicle Maintenance | Cab and Body Parts - Hood not securely fastened | — |
| 2026-03-17 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS | OOS |
| 2026-03-17 | Vehicle Maintenance | Windshield - Damaged or Discolored | — |
| 2026-03-12 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Turn signal - Any inoperative on the rearmost vehicle. | OOS |
| 2026-03-12 | Driver Fitness | Driving a CMV while CDL is suspended for safety-related or unknown reason and outside the state of driver's license issu | OOS |
| 2026-03-03 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake - Missing or inoperable breakaway braking system on a trailer(s) or converter dolly | OOS |
| 2026-03-03 | Vehicle Maintenance | Hydraulic/Electric Brake - Lining/pad thickness less than 1/16 inch | — |
| 2026-03-03 | Vehicle Maintenance | Hydraulic/Electric Brake - Inoperative other than a steering axle. | — |
| 2026-03-03 | Vehicle Maintenance | Hydraulic/Electric Brake - Missing/broken component(s) | — |
| 2026-03-03 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Truck-tractor manufactured on or after March 1 1997 not equipped with an ABS system. System does not functio | — |
| 2026-03-03 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake - Defective brake(s) are equal to or greater than 20% of the service brakes on the vehicle/combination | OOS |
| 2026-03-03 | Vehicle Maintenance | Exhaust - System discharging from a truck or truck-tractor at a location other than at the rear of the cab | — |
| 2026-02-19 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Failed to obey a traffic control device - Permanent or Temporary - e.g. safety official signal sign l | — |
| 2026-01-06 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Truck-tractor manufactured on or after March 1 1997 not equipped with an ABS system. System does not functio | — |
| 2026-01-06 | Vehicle Maintenance | Hubs - Bearing cap plug or filler plug missing or broken | OOS |
| 2025-10-10 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Lane restriction violation | — |
| 2025-10-10 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (ELD) - A portable ELD is not mounted in a fixed position and visible to the driver when seated in the normal drivin | — |
| 2025-10-10 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (ELD) - Driver failing to manually input or verify CMV trailer number. | — |
| 2025-10-10 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (ELD) - Driver failing to manually input or verify shipping document number. | — |
| 2025-09-26 | Vehicle Maintenance | Semi-Trailer - Loose mounting missing or ineffective fasteners insecure latch or not in use when required. | OOS |
| 2025-09-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Turn signal - Any inoperative on the rearmost vehicle. | OOS |
| 2025-09-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake - Missing or inoperable breakaway braking system on a trailer(s) or converter dolly | OOS |
| 2025-09-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Stop lamps - Any inoperative. | — |
| 2025-09-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Operating a CMV without documentation of a periodic inspection | — |
| 2025-09-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake Out of Adjustment - Roto Clamp (Short & Long) DD-3 or Bolt | — |
| 2025-09-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - CMV manufactured on or after 10/20/1994 has an automatic airbrake adjustment system that fails to compensate | — |
| 2025-09-08 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (Form) - Paper Log/Logging Programs Form and Manner | — |
| 2025-08-27 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (Property) - No driver may make a false report in connection with a duty status. Explain | — |
| 2025-08-26 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Lane restriction violation | — |
| 2025-08-21 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tire-flat and/or audible air leak | OOS |
| 2025-08-21 | Vehicle Maintenance | Inoperable Required Lamp | — |
| 2025-08-19 | Vehicle Maintenance | Inoperable Required Lamp | — |
| 2025-08-19 | Vehicle Maintenance | Inspection repair and maintenance of parts and accessories | — |
| 2025-08-11 | Vehicle Maintenance | Operating a CMV without documentation of a periodic inspection | — |
| 2025-08-11 | Vehicle Maintenance | Conspicuity Systems - Trailers side retro reflective sheeting inadequate on vehicle manufactured on or after December 1 | — |
| 2025-07-14 | Driver Fitness | Driving a CMV while CDL is suspended for a non-safety-related reason and in the state of driver's license issuance | — |
| 2025-07-14 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Truck-tractor manufactured on or after March 1 1997 not equipped with an ABS system. System does not functio | — |
| 2025-07-02 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake - Missing or inoperable breakaway braking system on a trailer(s) or converter dolly | OOS |
| 2025-06-23 | Vehicle Maintenance | Cargo - Insufficient tiedowns (w/o headerboard/blocking) for article(s) of cargo 5 feet or less and more than 1100 lbs | OOS |
| 2025-06-23 | Vehicle Maintenance | Cargo - Loose or unfastened tiedown | — |
| 2025-06-23 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (ELD) - In-Vehicle Information - Failing to have a supply of blank driver's records of duty status graph-grids suffi | — |
| 2025-06-16 | Vehicle Maintenance | Windshield / Windows - Tinting permits less than 70% of light transmittance | — |
| 2025-06-12 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS | OOS |
| 2025-06-05 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Turn signal - Any inoperative on the rearmost vehicle. | OOS |
Recent inspections (with violations, newest first)
Showing the 25 most-recent inspections that had violations. Clean inspections aren't listed here — they're counted in the all-time inspection totals above.
2026-04-27 2 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 75A3-TAOL | OOS | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 22H4-ELDBRODS | — | — |
2026-04-17 3 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 43 | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 42 | OOS | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2 | — | — |
2026-04-15 1 viol· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours of service 395 | 8E-HOSPDOOS | OOS | — |
2026-04-14 1 viol· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 128B-CLWV | OOS | — |
2026-04-13 2 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLEQP | — | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 9A2-C | OOS | — |
2026-04-07 1 viol· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 75A3-TAOL | OOS | — |
2026-03-24 2 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLTL | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 203C-CBP | — | — |
2026-03-17 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2WG | — | — |
2026-03-17 3 violsPost-accident
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 60C | — | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 3A1-CDHSLMII | OOS | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLL | — | — |
2026-03-17 2 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLED | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 75A3-TAOL | OOS | — |
2026-03-12 3 viols· 2 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLIFTA | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9A-LTSI | OOS | — |
| CDL standards 383 | 51A-SOUT | OOS | — |
2026-03-03 7 viols· 2 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 43D-B | OOS | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 47D2-BLTHE | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 48A-BMBCHE | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 48A-BIHE | — | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 3A1-BOS | OOS | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 83E | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 55C1-B | — | — |
2026-02-24 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLTL | — | — |
2026-02-19 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLTCD | — | — |
2026-02-18 2 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLUCR | — | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLIFTA | — | — |
2026-01-06 2 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 55C1-B | — | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 3A1-HCM | OOS | — |
2025-12-09 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLSR | — | — |
2025-11-06 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLTL | — | — |
2025-10-10 6 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLLR | — | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLLR | — | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLTL | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 22G-ELDMFV | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24C2II-ELDTN | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24C2III-ELDSDN | — | — |
2025-09-26 1 viol· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 3A1-CDHSLMII | OOS | — |
2025-09-08 8 viols· 2 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9A-LSLI | — | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 17C-PI | — | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLSR | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 43D-B | OOS | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 47E | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 53B-B | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9A-LTSI | OOS | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 8A | — | — |
2025-08-27 2 violsPost-accident
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 7A-UOC | OOS | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 8E-HOSPD | — | — |
2025-08-26 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLLR | — | — |
2025-08-21 2 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9 | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 75A3 | OOS | — |
2025-08-19 2 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9 | — | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 3A1 | — | — |
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