HaulerCheck · https://haulercheck.com/carrier/3986121-nextstep-trucking-llc/ · Checked 2026-10-19 09:09 UTC · Census and inspections Oct 18, 2026 · Authority and insurance: Last known · FMCSA snapshot May 14, 2026
NEXTSTEP TRUCKING LLC
Doing business as MERLOCK TRUCKING
No risk signals in the last-known data
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. Authority and insurance are last known from May 14, 2026.
MC1494012: Common carrier active
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, (609) 892-3847, not a number from an email or load board.
- Check that the MC number you were given is MC1494012 or MC1494012.
- 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) | MC1494012 | — | OOIDA RISK RETENTION GROUP, INC. Policy PL199534875 · 91 | — | Nov 20, 2024 | Active |
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 18, 2024 – Oct 18, 2026
2 of 3 · New Jersey avg 22.1%
1 of 5 · New Jersey avg 8.1%
5 most recent inspections
| Date | State | Level | Violations | Out of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 29, 2025 | NC | 2 | 2 | Yes |
| Oct 14, 2025 | KY | 1 | 1 | Yes |
| May 5, 2025 | KY | 3 | 1 | No |
| Apr 2, 2025 | WV | 2 | 1 | No |
| Nov 22, 2024 | WV | 3 | 1 | No |
How these rates are calculated
Period: Oct 18, 2024 – Oct 18, 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 New Jersey average covers 63,084 vehicle and 96,072 driver inspections of all New Jersey-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
5 violations counted in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS), 3 of them serious enough to put the driver or vehicle out of service.
Why is this different from the 6 violations above?
The inspections section's number counts every violation written on the inspection reports in our Oct 18, 2024 – Oct 18, 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 | New Jersey share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Maintenance | 3 | 2 | 60.0% | 73.0% |
| Hours-of-Service Compliance | 1 | 1 | 20.0% | 10.2% |
| Unsafe Driving | 1 | 0 | 20.0% | 9.8% |
5 most frequent violations
| Violation | Times | Out of service |
|---|---|---|
| Driver failing to retain previous 7 days records of duty status Incomplete/Wrong Log · Hours-of-Service Compliance · code 3958K2 | 1 | 1 |
| Air Brake - Inoperable or missing tractor protection valve Brakes All Others · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39343ATPV | 1 | 1 |
| Flat tire or fabric exposed Tires · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39375A | 1 | 1 |
| State/Local Laws - Speeding 6-10 miles per hour over the speed limit Speeding 2 · Unsafe Driving · code 3922SLLS2 | 1 | 0 |
| Operating a CMV without documentation of a periodic inspection Inspection Reports · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39617CPI | 1 | 0 |
Source: FMCSA SMS violation file, inspections in the last 24 months, published Oct 18, 2026. "Share" is this company's mix of violations; the New Jersey column is the mix across all New Jersey-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 18, 2024 – Oct 18, 2026
No reportable crashes in this period.
Company details FMCSA census · Oct 18, 2026
| USDOT number | 3986121 |
|---|---|
| MC / docket | MC1494012, MC1494012 |
| Legal name | NEXTSTEP TRUCKING LLC |
| DBA name | MERLOCK TRUCKING |
| Operation | Interstate |
| Business type | — |
| Power units | 1 |
| Drivers | 1 |
| Annual mileage | 123,735 (2024) |
| Hazmat | No |
| Safety rating | Not rated (no compliance review on record) |
| USDOT number added | Nov 15, 2022 · 3 years ago |
| Last MCS-150 update | Dec 31, 2025 |
Cargo carried
General FreightU.S. MailCommodities Dry BulkBeveragesPaper Products
Questions about NEXTSTEP TRUCKING LLC
What does NEXTSTEP TRUCKING LLC's operating authority allow?
MC1494012: Common carrier (may haul regulated property for hire for the general public). MC1494012: Common carrier (may haul regulated property for hire for the general public).
Which information about NEXTSTEP TRUCKING LLC 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. There are too few vehicle inspections in the last 24 months to judge the out-of-service rate. 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 NEXTSTEP TRUCKING LLC?
Confirm the authority and insurance on the Motus record for USDOT 3986121. Call the company back on the phone number on file, (609) 892-3847, not a number from an email or load board message. Check that the MC number the dispatcher gave you matches MC1494012 or MC1494012, and ask the insurer for a certificate of insurance naming you as holder, with cargo coverage that fits your load.
Other trucking companies in Absecon, NJ →
Company details from the FMCSA Company Census File (Oct 18, 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 09:09 UTC.