HaulerCheck · https://haulercheck.com/carrier/1958407-dunkel-heavy-duty-towing-company/ · Checked 2026-10-20 12:59 UTC · Census and inspections Oct 20, 2026 · Authority and insurance: Last known · FMCSA snapshot May 14, 2026
DUNKEL HEAVY DUTY TOWING COMPANY
Doing business as BIG RAPIDS TOWING
Review before booking · 2 signals
How risk signals workFacts from the FMCSA record that call for a closer look. They are not a finding of wrongdoing. Authority and insurance are last known from May 14, 2026.
- Operating authority is pending (last known)FMCSA has not granted the authority yet.
- Vehicle out-of-service rate well above the state average62.5% vs Michigan average 21.2%.
No cargo cover filed with FMCSA
Not a live check. FMCSA has not published a Motus record for this carrier, so authority and insurance show the last known status from May 14, 2026. Confirm on Motus ↗ before booking.
What to verify next
- Confirm authority and insurance on the official Motus record ↗: our copy is the last known status from May 14, 2026. Safety record: SAFER ↗.
- Call back on the number on file, (231) 796-5000, not a number from an email or load board.
- Check that the MC number you were given is MC5386.
- Ask the insurer for a certificate of insurance naming you as holder, with cargo coverage that fits your load.
Insurance on file
Liability (BI&PD) pays for injury and damage to other people and property; it does not cover the freight. Cargo insurance covers the freight. FMCSA only requires cargo filings from household goods carriers and freight forwarders, so most carriers file none: ask for a cargo certificate that fits your load. No cargo cover filed with FMCSA.
| Type | Docket | Layer | Insurer | Coverage | Effective | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liability (BI&PD) | MC5386 | Primary | FREMONT INSURANCE COMPANY Policy CAP 0041617 00 · 91X | $1,000,000 | Nov 25, 2023 | Cancelled Jun 6, 2026 |
Source: Last known · FMCSA snapshot May 14, 2026. Identical filings repeated in the FMCSA data are shown once; a filing listed under two dockets is one policy, not extra coverage. Coverage is the maximum amount filed with FMCSA, not the full policy.
Last known filings. Insurance for this carrier comes from the FMCSA snapshot of May 14, 2026. Policies may have been cancelled or replaced since. Confirm current filings: Motus record ↗ and ask the insurer for a certificate naming you as holder.
Roadside inspections Oct 20, 2024 – Oct 20, 2026
5 of 8 · Michigan avg 21.2%
0 of 13 · Michigan avg 3.9%
By quarter inspections and vehicle out-of-service rate
Bar height: inspections in the quarter. Percentage: vehicles put out of service, of vehicle inspections. The first and last quarters are partial.
Where it was inspected 3 states and provinces, 24 months
- MI 11 84.6%
- IN 1 7.7%
- GA 1 7.7%
Vehicles seen at inspections different VINs, 24 months
Power units: 4
4 tractors
Peterbilt 6
4 power units declared on the MCS-150. Inspections see only part of a fleet, so fewer here is normal; many more can mean the registration is out of date.
Trailers: 6
6 semi-trailers
Fontaine 5
Includes trailers the company pulled but does not own, such as shipper or leasing trailers.
Shippers named on inspection reports 24 months
AIS 2ASI 1
As written by roadside inspectors, who note the shipper on the bill of lading. Only names that appear on at least three different carriers' reports are shown, so private individuals are never listed. A shipper on a report is not a reference.
10 most recent inspections
| Date | State | Level | Violations | Out of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 14, 2026 | MI | 3 | 0 | No |
| Jul 14, 2026 | MI | 3 | 0 | No |
| Jun 12, 2026 | MI | 2 | 1 | No |
| Jun 2, 2026 | MI | 3 | 0 | No |
| Apr 21, 2026 | MI | 2 | 1 | No |
| Mar 20, 2026 | MI | 2 | 5 | Yes |
| Oct 20, 2025 | MI | 3 | 0 | No |
| Oct 7, 2025 | MI | 2 | 2 | Yes |
| Oct 3, 2025 | MI | 2 | 4 | Yes |
| Jun 30, 2025 | MI | 2 | 3 | No |
How these rates are calculated
Period: Oct 20, 2024 – Oct 20, 2026. Vehicle rate = vehicle inspections with a vehicle out-of-service order ÷ vehicle inspections (levels 1, 2, 5 and 6). Driver rate uses levels 1, 2, 3 and 6. The Michigan average covers 51,437 vehicle and 85,636 driver inspections of all Michigan-based carriers in this period. It mixes every type of operation, so compare with care; rates based on a handful of inspections say little. FMCSA's own SMS measures are weighted differently: SMS profile ↗ · SAFER snapshot ↗
Violations in FMCSA's SMS last 24 months
16 violations counted in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS), 8 of them serious enough to put the driver or vehicle out of service.
Why is this different from the 20 violations above?
The inspections section's number counts every violation written on the inspection reports in our Oct 20, 2024 – Oct 20, 2026 window. The SMS count comes from FMCSA's own monthly SMS snapshot, which uses its own 24-month window and only the violations it scores. Both are FMCSA figures; they measure different things.
| Category (FMCSA BASIC) | Violations | Out of service | Share | Michigan share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Maintenance | 16 | 8 | 100.0% | 63.8% |
10 most frequent violations
| Violation | Times | Out of service |
|---|---|---|
| Lighting - Stop lamps - Both inoperative when required to be on Lighting · Vehicle Maintenance · code 3939ALSLIWR | 2 | 2 |
| Cargo - Loose or unfastened tiedown Tiedown · Vehicle Maintenance · code 393104F3C | 2 | 0 |
| Heavy Vehicles/Equipment - Improper securement of accessory equipment or articulated vehicles Improper Load Securement · Vehicle Maintenance · code 393130BCHVE | 1 | 1 |
| Heavy Vehicles/Equipment - Improper securement of heavy vehicles equipment or machinery with crawler tracks or wheels Improper Load Securement · Vehicle Maintenance · code 393130CCHVE | 1 | 1 |
| Lighting - Turn signal - Any missing on the rearmost vehicle. Lighting · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39311A1LTSM | 1 | 1 |
| Lighting - Turn signal - Any inoperative on the rearmost vehicle. Lighting · Vehicle Maintenance · code 3939ALTSI | 1 | 1 |
| Cargo - Insufficient aggregate working load limit for cargo transported Tiedown · Vehicle Maintenance · code 393106DC | 1 | 1 |
| Tires - All others leaking or inflation less than 50% of the maximum inflation pressure on tire not equipped with ATIS Tires · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39375A3TAOL | 1 | 1 |
| Lighting - Identification lamp(s) inoperative Clearance Identification Lamps/Other · Vehicle Maintenance · code 3939ALIL | 1 | 0 |
| Emergency Equipment - Fire Extinguishers - no visual indicator Emergency Equipment · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39395A3 | 1 | 0 |
Source: FMCSA SMS violation file, inspections in the last 24 months, published Oct 20, 2026. "Share" is this company's mix of violations; the Michigan column is the mix across all Michigan-based carriers, so you can see which kinds of problems stand out. A high count partly reflects fleet size and how often trucks are inspected.
Crashes Oct 20, 2024 – Oct 20, 2026
Crash details
| Date | Location | Fatalities | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2026 | Ferndale, MI | 0 | 1 |
Reportable crashes do not imply the carrier was at fault.
Company details FMCSA census · Oct 20, 2026
| USDOT number | 1958407 |
|---|---|
| MC / docket | MC5386 |
| Legal name | DUNKEL HEAVY DUTY TOWING COMPANY |
| DBA name | BIG RAPIDS TOWING |
| Operation | Interstate |
| Business type | — |
| Power units | 4 |
| Drivers | 5 |
| Annual mileage | 138,000 (2023) |
| Hazmat | Yes |
| Safety rating | Not rated (no compliance review on record) |
| USDOT number added | Oct 23, 2009 · 16 years ago |
| Last MCS-150 update | Jan 26, 2026 |
| Email domain on file | @bigrapidstransport.com |
Equipment as declared on the MCS-150
| Owned | Term-leased | |
|---|---|---|
| Tractors | 3 | 0 |
| Straight trucks | 1 | 0 |
| Trailers | 7 | 0 |
Term-leased equipment usually belongs to owner-operators driving under this company's authority.
Cargo carried
General FreightMotor VehiclesDrive/Tow AwayBuilding MaterialsMachinery, Large ObjectsAgricultural/Farm SuppliesConstructionOtherWrecker Service
Change history
No changes to name, contact details, authority or insurance since we started tracking on Oct 18, 2026. We compare every company's FMCSA record each day.
to see it on your watchlist when something changes.
Questions about DUNKEL HEAVY DUTY TOWING COMPANY
What does DUNKEL HEAVY DUTY TOWING COMPANY's operating authority allow?
FMCSA records show no active operating authority for DUNKEL HEAVY DUTY TOWING COMPANY (MC5386), so it may not haul regulated interstate freight for hire or broker loads under these dockets.
Which information about DUNKEL HEAVY DUTY TOWING COMPANY is old or missing?
Operating authority is the last known status from the FMCSA snapshot of May 14, 2026, not a current check. Insurance filings are from the same May 14, 2026 snapshot. FMCSA has not issued a safety rating, which means no compliance review is on record, not that the carrier is unsafe.
What should I verify before booking DUNKEL HEAVY DUTY TOWING COMPANY?
Confirm the authority and insurance on the Motus record for USDOT 1958407. Call the company back on the phone number on file, (231) 796-5000, not a number from an email or load board message. Check that the MC number the dispatcher gave you matches MC5386, and ask the insurer for a certificate of insurance naming you as holder, with cargo coverage that fits your load.
Other trucking companies in Big Rapids, MI →
Company details from the FMCSA Company Census File (Oct 20, 2026). Inspections and crashes from FMCSA MCMIS files. About our data · Report an error on this page (how corrections work).
Page generated 2026-10-20 12:59 UTC.