KOVAC EXPRESS INC
USDOT 1299125MC-Docket MC504038MISHAWAKA, IN
Review before tendering29 power units
KOVAC EXPRESS INC (USDOT 1299125) in MISHAWAKA, IN — 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 is $750,000 — below your $1,000,000 floor (federal general-freight minimum is $750,000).
- Cargo insurance on file.
- No history of insurance lapses.
- Satisfactory safety rating.
- 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.
- 2 preventable crash(es) in the last 24 months; recordable crash rate 0.
- No fatal crashes in the last 24 months.
- No link to a prior revoked authority.
- Authority involuntarily revoked 7 times, most recent 2016-10-31 — recurring instability (typically insurance-lapse / reinstate cycles).
- FMCSA compliance review on file dated 2023-05-19 (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
- Not applicable
Safety & BASIC scorecard
BASIC safety measures
Unsafe driving
No alert
measure 5.03
Hours of service
No alert
measure 0.14
Driver fitness
No alert
measure 0
Controlled substance
No alert
measure 0
Vehicle maintenance
No alert
measure 5.8
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
2
Injuries
2
Crashes
49
Inspections
4
OOS inspections
4
OOS violations
Insurance
- BIPD on file
- $750,000 below $1M baseline
- Cargo insurance
- Yes
- Bond on file
- No
Fleet
- Power units
- 29
- Total drivers
- 29
- Years in business
- 22
- Hazmat authority
- No
Crash risk
- Preventable crashes (24 mo)
- 2 of 2 total crash(es)
- Recordable crash rate
- 0
- Driver OOS rate
- 0%
- Vehicle OOS rate
- 16%
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
- 7 times last 2016-10-31
- Physical address
- No address flags
- Federal OOS / safety action
- None on file
- MCS-150 self-report
- 2026-04-15
- Insurance lapse history
- No lapses on record
- Last compliance review
- 2023-05-19 · C
Inspection history (all-time)
70
Inspections
6
OOS inspections
81
Violations
7
OOS violations
0
Post-accident
Record spans 2023-06-19 → 2026-04-28.
Crash history (last 24 months)
2025-05-04
AZ
1 injuredTow-away
2025-04-01
IN
1 injuredTow-away
Violation pattern (all-time, by area)
| Area (49 CFR part) | Violations | Out of service | Most recent |
|---|---|---|---|
Vehicle parts & maintenance 393
|
34 | 4 | 2026-04-28 |
Unsafe driving 392
|
18 | 0 | 2026-04-28 |
Hours of service 395
|
17 | 0 | 2026-04-28 |
Vehicle inspection & repair 396
|
7 | 2 | 2025-12-08 |
General safety regulations 390
|
1 | 0 | 2024-02-29 |
Recent violations (last 24 months, worst first)
| Date | Category | Violation | OOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-06 | Vehicle Maintenance | Flat tire or fabric exposed | — |
| 2026-04-06 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake Hose or Tubing Chafing and/or Kinking - Connection to Power Unit | — |
| 2026-03-26 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Speeding 6-10 miles per hour over the speed limit | — |
| 2026-02-19 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Improper lane change | — |
| 2025-12-18 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Speeding 6-10 miles per hour over the speed limit | — |
| 2025-12-11 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Operate a CMV while using a cellular phone | — |
| 2025-10-16 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Speeding 11-14 miles per hour over the speed limit | — |
| 2025-08-26 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Audible air leak at a proper connection | — |
| 2025-08-24 | Vehicle Maintenance | Hubs - Wheel seal leaking | OOS |
| 2025-08-20 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured | — |
| 2025-08-20 | Vehicle Maintenance | Drum Brake - Inoperative other than a steering axle | — |
| 2025-08-18 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Lane restriction violation | — |
| 2025-08-18 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (ELD) - ELD Form and Manner | — |
| 2025-06-24 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Speeding work/construction zone | — |
| 2025-05-29 | Vehicle Maintenance | Wheel/Rim - Any wheel fasteners loose/missing/ineffective/broken. | — |
| 2025-05-21 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Improper lane change | — |
| 2025-05-16 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake Out of Adjustment - Roto Clamp (Short & Long) DD-3 or Bolt | — |
| 2025-05-16 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - CMV manufactured on or after 10/20/1994 has an automatic airbrake adjustment system that fails to compensate | — |
| 2025-05-16 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake - Defective brake(s) are equal to or greater than 20% of the service brakes on the vehicle/combination | OOS |
| 2025-05-16 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (ELD) - ELD Form and Manner | — |
| 2025-05-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Improperly joined such as a splice made by sliding the hose ends over a piece of tubing and clamping the hos | OOS |
| 2025-05-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Backup lamp inoperative | — |
| 2025-05-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Stop lamps - Any inoperative. | — |
| 2025-05-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Turn signal -Any inoperative on a unit that is not the rearmost unit | — |
| 2025-05-08 | Hours-of-Service Compliance | HOS (ELD) - The ELD display screen is not viewable by an authorized official without entering the CMV | — |
| 2025-05-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Any leak from an air tank reservoir. | — |
| 2025-05-08 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured | — |
| 2025-05-05 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Front - Turn signal - inoperative | — |
| 2025-04-23 | Vehicle Maintenance | Inoperable head lamps | — |
| 2025-04-23 | Vehicle Maintenance | Operating a CMV without proof of a periodic inspection | — |
| 2025-04-23 | Vehicle Maintenance | No or defective lighting devices or reflective material as required | — |
| 2025-02-10 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Stop lamps - Any inoperative. | — |
| 2025-02-10 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - License plate lamp inoperative | — |
| 2025-01-28 | Vehicle Maintenance | Lighting - Headlamp(s) - Any inoperative | — |
| 2025-01-28 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured | — |
| 2025-01-28 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake Out of Adjustment - Roto Clamp (Short & Long) DD-3 or Bolt | — |
| 2025-01-28 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - CMV manufactured on or after 10/20/1994 has an automatic airbrake adjustment system that fails to compensate | — |
| 2025-01-28 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - ABS malfunction lamp defective on trailers manufactured on or after March 1 1998 | — |
| 2025-01-09 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Lane restriction violation | — |
| 2024-11-13 | Unsafe Driving | State/Local Laws - Speeding 6-10 miles per hour over the speed limit | — |
| 2024-11-07 | Vehicle Maintenance | Air Brake - ABS malfunction lamp defective on trailers manufactured on or after March 1 1998 | — |
| 2024-10-24 | Unsafe Driving | Using a hand-held mobile telephone while operating a CMV | — |
| 2024-09-26 | Unsafe Driving | Using a hand-held mobile telephone while operating a CMV | — |
| 2024-09-23 | Vehicle Maintenance | Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS | OOS |
| 2024-09-23 | Vehicle Maintenance | Brake - Audible air leak from a brake chamber | — |
| 2024-06-13 | Vehicle Maintenance | Operating a CMV without proof of a periodic inspection | — |
| 2024-05-14 | Vehicle Maintenance | Conspicuity Systems - Trailers rear impact guard retro reflective sheeting inadequate on vehicle manufactured on or afte | — |
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.
2026-04-28 3 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 75A3-TAOL | OOS | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLSR | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
2026-04-06 2 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 45B2PC | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 75A | — | — |
2026-03-26 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLS2 | — | — |
2026-02-19 2 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLILC | — | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLTL | — | — |
2025-12-18 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLS2 | — | — |
2025-12-11 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLCP | — | — |
2025-12-08 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 17C-PI | — | — |
2025-10-16 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLS3 | — | — |
2025-08-26 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 45D-B | — | — |
2025-08-24 1 viol· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 5B-HWSL | OOS | — |
2025-08-20 2 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 45B2-B-AIR | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 48A-BIBD | — | — |
2025-08-18 5 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLLR | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
2025-06-24 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLSWZ | — | — |
2025-06-23 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLIFTA | — | — |
2025-05-29 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 205C-WRAWFLMIB | — | — |
2025-05-21 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLILC | — | — |
2025-05-16 10 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 47E | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 53B-B | — | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 3A1-BOS | OOS | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 47E | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 24 | — | — |
2025-05-08 7 viols· 1 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 3A1-ALATR | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 45B2-B-AIR | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9A-LTSIR | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9A-LSLI | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9A-LBL | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 45A-BHTIJ | OOS | — |
| Hours of service 395 | 20BELDNV | — | — |
2025-05-05 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9A-LFTSI | — | — |
2025-04-23 3 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 17C | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9H | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 11 | — | — |
2025-02-10 2 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9A-LLPL | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9A-LSLI | — | — |
2025-01-28 6 viols
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 47E | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 53B-B | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 55E-B | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 9A-LHLI | — | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 45B2-B-AIR | — | — |
| Unsafe driving 392 | 2-SLLIRP | — | — |
2024-10-24 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 82A1 | — | — |
2024-09-26 1 viol
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unsafe driving 392 | 82(a)(1) | — | — |
2024-09-23 3 viols· 2 OOS
| Area (part) | Section | OOS | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 75(a)(3) | OOS | — |
| Vehicle parts & maintenance 393 | 75(a)(3) | OOS | — |
| Vehicle inspection & repair 396 | 3(a)(1) | — | — |
Verify on FMCSA
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