HaulerCheck · https://haulercheck.com/carrier/201734-kotaco-fuels-inc/ · Checked 2026-10-19 20:14 UTC · Census and inspections Oct 19, 2026 · Authority and insurance: FMCSA Motus · Oct 19, 2026
KOTACO FUELS INC
Doing business as NICHELSON OIL
No risk signals found
How risk signals workNothing in the FMCSA record matched our risk signals. That is not a guarantee, and it does not confirm who you are talking to; follow the checks below.
No cargo cover filed with FMCSA
Green means the FMCSA record shows it. It does not confirm who you are talking to, or that a policy covers your specific load.
What to verify next
- Confirm authority and insurance on the official Motus record ↗. Safety record: SAFER ↗.
- Call back on the number on file, (701) 232-9215, not a number from an email or load board.
- Check that the MC number you were given is MC157313.
- 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) | MC157313 | Primary | Federated Reserve Insurance Company Policy 1881062 · BMC-91X | $1,000,000 | Jan 1, 2024 | Active |
| Liability (BI&PD) | MC157313 | Excess over $1,000,000 | Federated Mutual Insurance Company Policy 6041666 · BMC-91X | $5,000,000 | Mar 1, 2017 | Active |
Source: FMCSA Motus · Oct 19, 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.
Confirm current filings: Motus record ↗ and ask the insurer for a certificate naming you as holder.
Roadside inspections Oct 19, 2024 – Oct 19, 2026
13 of 83 · North Dakota avg 27.7%
1 of 111 · North Dakota avg 3.1%
10 most recent inspections
| Date | State | Level | Violations | Out of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 13, 2026 | CO | 1 | 0 | No |
| Oct 8, 2026 | MT | 3 | 0 | No |
| Oct 3, 2026 | CO | 2 | 0 | No |
| Sep 29, 2026 | NE | 1 | 1 | No |
| Sep 15, 2026 | WY | 2 | 0 | No |
| Sep 9, 2026 | US | 2 | 2 | No |
| Sep 2, 2026 | ND | 2 | 2 | No |
| Sep 1, 2026 | CO | 2 | 1 | No |
| Aug 18, 2026 | AZ | 1 | 0 | No |
| Aug 8, 2026 | CO | 2 | 0 | No |
How these rates are calculated
Period: Oct 19, 2024 – Oct 19, 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 North Dakota average covers 8,356 vehicle and 15,697 driver inspections of all North Dakota-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
111 violations counted in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS), 20 of them serious enough to put the driver or vehicle out of service.
Why is this different from the 148 violations above?
The inspections section's number counts every violation written on the inspection reports in our Oct 19, 2024 – Oct 19, 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 | North Dakota share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Maintenance | 87 | 16 | 78.4% | 77.1% |
| Hazardous Materials Compliance | 15 | 3 | 13.5% | 1.4% |
| Hours-of-Service Compliance | 5 | 1 | 4.5% | 8.1% |
| Unsafe Driving | 4 | 0 | 3.6% | 10.5% |
10 most frequent violations
| Violation | Times | Out of service |
|---|---|---|
| Air Brake - Hose/tubing damaged or not secured Brakes All Others · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39345B2BAIR | 8 | 0 |
| Brake - Defective brake(s) are equal to or greater than 20% of the service brakes on the vehicle/combination Brake Out Of Service · Vehicle Maintenance · code 3963A1BOS | 6 | 6 |
| Air Brake - Audible air leak at a proper connection Brakes All Others · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39345DB | 6 | 0 |
| Brake Out of Adjustment - Roto Clamp (Short & Long) DD-3 or Bolt Brakes Out of Adjustment · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39347E | 6 | 0 |
| Air Brake - ABS malfunction lamp defective on trailers manufactured on or after March 1 1998 Brakes All Others · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39355EB | 4 | 0 |
| Operating a CMV without documentation of a periodic inspection Inspection Reports · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39617CPI | 4 | 0 |
| Lighting - Backup lamp inoperative Lighting · Vehicle Maintenance · code 3939ALBL | 4 | 0 |
| 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 | 3 | 3 |
| Drum Brake - Inoperative other than a steering axle Brakes All Others · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39348ABIBD | 3 | 0 |
| Air Brake - CMV manufactured on or after 10/20/1994 has an automatic airbrake adjustment system that fails to compensate for wear Brakes All Others · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39353BB | 3 | 0 |
Source: FMCSA SMS violation file, inspections in the last 24 months, published Oct 19, 2026. "Share" is this company's mix of violations; the North Dakota column is the mix across all North Dakota-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 19, 2024 – Oct 19, 2026
4 most recent crashes
| Date | Location | Fatalities | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 31, 2026 | Not Reported, CO | 0 | 1 |
| May 29, 2025 | Mead, CO | 0 | 1 |
| Feb 21, 2025 | Kimball, NE | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 3, 2024 | ND | 0 | 0 |
Reportable crashes do not imply the carrier was at fault.
Company details FMCSA census · Oct 19, 2026
| USDOT number | 201734 |
|---|---|
| MC / docket | MC157313 |
| Legal name | KOTACO FUELS INC |
| DBA name | NICHELSON OIL |
| Operation | Interstate |
| Business type | Corporation |
| Power units | 170 |
| Drivers | 133 |
| Annual mileage | 6,000,000 (2024) |
| Hazmat | Yes |
| Safety rating | Satisfactory (Sep 15, 2005) |
| USDOT number added | Jun 1, 1974 · 52 years ago |
| Last MCS-150 update | May 9, 2025 |
Cargo carried
Liquids/Gases
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 KOTACO FUELS INC
What does KOTACO FUELS INC's operating authority allow?
MC157313: Motor carrier (may haul regulated property for hire).
Which information about KOTACO FUELS INC is old or missing?
Nothing notable: authority and insurance come from current Motus data and there is enough inspection history to compare.
What should I verify before booking KOTACO FUELS INC?
Confirm the authority and insurance on the Motus record for USDOT 201734. Call the company back on the phone number on file, (701) 232-9215, not a number from an email or load board message. Check that the MC number the dispatcher gave you matches MC157313, and ask the insurer for a certificate of insurance naming you as holder, with cargo coverage that fits your load.
Other trucking companies in Fargo, ND →
Company details from the FMCSA Company Census File (Oct 19, 2026). Inspections and crashes from FMCSA MCMIS files. About our data · Report an error on this page (how corrections work).
Page generated 2026-10-19 20:14 UTC.