CARSTENSEN CONTRACTING INC

Dell Rapids, SD · Interstate · 62 power units · Safety rating: Satisfactory · USDOT since Jul 18, 1991 (35 years)

No risk signals in the last-known data

How risk signals work

Nothing 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.

Confirm on Motus ↗ Call (605) 221-5777 Safety: SAFER ↗
Operating authority
Last known: Active
MC317437: Contract carrier active
Last known · FMCSA snapshot May 14, 2026
Liability insurance (BI&PD)
$750,000
Required minimum: $750,000
No cargo cover filed with FMCSA
Last known · FMCSA snapshot May 14, 2026
Vehicle out-of-service rate
28.6%
2 of 7 vehicle inspections (small sample) · South Dakota avg 23.4%
FMCSA inspections · Oct 19, 2024 – Oct 19, 2026

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.

Confirm on Motus ↗Call

Operating authority

MC317437 Last known · FMCSA snapshot May 14, 2026

Contract carrier
Contract Carrier
Active
Liability insurance on file$750,000 (required: $750,000)

Last known status. This authority record comes from the FMCSA snapshot of May 14, 2026, the last one published before FMCSA moved registration to Motus. It may have changed since. Confirm current authority: Motus record for USDOT 452580 ↗

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.

TypeDocketLayerInsurerCoverageEffectiveStatus
Liability (BI&PD)MC317437PrimaryTHE TRAVELERS INDEMNITY CO. OF CONNECTICUT
Policy 0L712339 · 91X
$750,000Sep 28, 2020Active

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 19, 2024 – Oct 19, 2026

12inspections
28.6%vehicle out-of-service
2 of 7 · South Dakota avg 23.4%
0.0%driver out-of-service
0 of 12 · South Dakota avg 3.6%
19violations written on inspection reports
10 most recent inspections
DateStateLevelViolationsOut of service
Aug 17, 2026NE30No
Aug 17, 2026NE10No
Mar 9, 2026SD25No
Feb 21, 2026IA22No
Dec 16, 2025SD13Yes
Nov 6, 2025ND10No
Oct 15, 2025SD30No
Jul 11, 2025SD30No
Jun 3, 2025SD30No
May 13, 2025ND10No
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 South Dakota average covers 5,284 vehicle and 11,994 driver inspections of all South 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

17 violations counted in FMCSA's Safety Measurement System (SMS), 4 of them serious enough to put the driver or vehicle out of service.

Why is this different from the 19 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)ViolationsOut of serviceShareSouth Dakota share
Vehicle Maintenance11464.7%66.4%
Hazardous Materials Compliance4023.5%0.7%
Hours-of-Service Compliance105.9%14.4%
Unsafe Driving105.9%14.9%
10 most frequent violations
ViolationTimesOut of service
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
22
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
11
Hubs - Wheel seal leaking
Wheels Studs Clamps Etc. · Vehicle Maintenance · code 3965BHWSL
11
HM (Shipping Papers) - Shipper failed to provide HM shipping paper
Documentation - HM · Hazardous Materials Compliance · code 172200AHMSPSNSP
10
HM (Emergency Response) - No emergency response information immediately available
Documentation - HM · Hazardous Materials Compliance · code 172600C1HMER
10
HM (Transport Vehicle Markings) - Shipper failed to offer proper markings as required
Documentation - HM · Hazardous Materials Compliance · code 177300AHMTVMS
10
HM (Placarding) - Failing to placard bulk package when containing residue of HM as required
Markings - HM · Hazardous Materials Compliance · code 172514BHMPS
10
Driver failing to retain previous 7 days records of duty status
Incomplete/Wrong Log · Hours-of-Service Compliance · code 3958K2
10
State/Local Laws - Truck routing restriction
Misc Violations · Unsafe Driving · code 3922SLTRS
10
Air Brake - Audible air leak at a proper connection
Brakes All Others · Vehicle Maintenance · code 39345DB
10

Source: FMCSA SMS violation file, inspections in the last 24 months, published Oct 19, 2026. "Share" is this company's mix of violations; the South Dakota column is the mix across all South 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

No reportable crashes in this period.

Company details FMCSA census · Oct 19, 2026

USDOT number452580
MC / docketMC317437
Legal nameCARSTENSEN CONTRACTING INC
OperationInterstate
Business typeCorporation
Power units62
Drivers64
Annual mileage380,000 (2026)
HazmatYes
Safety ratingSatisfactory (Jun 15, 1992)
USDOT number addedJul 18, 1991 · 35 years ago
Last MCS-150 updateMay 6, 2026

Cargo carried

General FreightMotor VehiclesBuilding MaterialsMachinery, Large ObjectsConstruction

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 CARSTENSEN CONTRACTING INC

What does CARSTENSEN CONTRACTING INC's operating authority allow?

MC317437: Contract carrier (may haul regulated property for hire under continuing contracts with specific shippers).

Which information about CARSTENSEN CONTRACTING INC 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.

What should I verify before booking CARSTENSEN CONTRACTING INC?

Confirm the authority and insurance on the Motus record for USDOT 452580. Call the company back on the phone number on file, (605) 221-5777, not a number from an email or load board message. Check that the MC number the dispatcher gave you matches MC317437, and ask the insurer for a certificate of insurance naming you as holder, with cargo coverage that fits your load.

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 16:51 UTC.