← Back to Search

VALIDATED

L A BELL MOTOR LINES INC

Trust Score

Analyzing company data...

1497 WOODLAWN AVENUE, CHESTERTON, IN, 46304

DOT# 125544 MC# 129087 Chesterton, Indiana 49 years

CARRIER

★★★★★ 🔒 Ratings & reviews

Save to favorites Watch — alerts on changes Write a review Add a private note Download PDF report

Create free account →

Free • 30 seconds • Already a member? Log in

Power Units

Drivers

Crashes (24-Month)

$750,000

Insurance

Satisfactory

Safety Rating

Inspections

Is this your company? Claim your profile →

Just researching? Create a free account →

Public record

4 events tracked · latest Jun 15, 2026 ↓ Show details ↓

Safety & compliance 3

Feb 16, 2026
Roadside inspection, 1 out-of-service violation.
Nov 19, 2025
Clean roadside inspection, no violations.
Feb 26, 2025
Roadside inspection, 3 violations (no OOS).

Insurance 1

Current
Active insurance on file ($750,000).

Public FMCSA record · blue clean · orange change · red risk.

Contact Details

Phone(219) 926-5993

Fax(219) 926-6911

Email[email protected]

Physical Address1497 WOODLAWN AVENUE, CHESTERTON, IN, 46304

Mailing AddressPO BOX 2087, CHESTERTON, IN, 46304

Operating Authorities

Authority TypeAUTHORIZED FOR HIRE

Carrier Operation

DocketMC129087

CommonActive

ContractActive

BrokerNot Active

Operating49 years

Company Overview

L A BELL MOTOR LINES INC is a FMCSA-validated carrier based in Chesterton, Indiana. The company has been in operation for 49 years, registered with the FMCSA on 06/01/1974. The fleet consists of 9 power units and 6 drivers. Annual mileage is reported at 151,830 miles (2023). With zero crashes across 5 inspections, L A BELL MOTOR LINES INC maintains an excellent safety record. The carrier holds a Satisfactory safety rating from the FMCSA. Insurance coverage of $750,000 is on file through ACUITY, A MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY. Active operating authorities include Common, Contract. Based on authority, insurance, safety, and compliance data, L A BELL MOTOR LINES INC has a Trust Score of 95/100 (Excellent).

Operation Classification

Authorized For Hire

Mileage

Annual Mileage151,830 miles

Mileage Year2023

VMT SourceMCS-150 Form

Drivers

Interstate

Intrastate

CDL

Total

Interstate >100mi0

Interstate <100mi0

Intrastate >100mi0

Intrastate <100mi0

Equipment

No equipment breakdown on file with FMCSA.

HazMatNo

Safety Summary

Safety RatingSatisfactory

Total Crashes (24-mo)0

Fatal0

Driver OOS0.0% avg 5.5%

Vehicle OOS50.0% avg 20.7%

Last Review05/08/1989

Insurance

Amount$750,000

Type91X

VerifiedFMCSA · 06/15/2026

CompanyACUITY, A MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY

Policy #CA-X91235

Quick Facts

StatusActive

TypeCarrier

Fleet9 units

Drivers6

Mileage151,830 mi

Operating49 years

MCS-15003/2026

Safety & Inspection Data

Crash Summary

Total Crashes (24-mo)0

Fatal0

Injury0

Tow-Away0

Safety RatingSatisfactory

Driver Inspections

Total3

Out of Service0

OOS Rate0.0%

National Avg5.5%

Below National Average

Vehicle Inspections

Total2

Out of Service1

OOS Rate50.0%

National Avg20.7%

Above National Average

Last FMCSA Review: 05/08/1989 | Rated: 07/25/1989

Safety Trends by Year

Roadside inspections and crashes on file, year over year. The red portion of each inspection bar is the out-of-service share; ▲/▼ compares to the prior year.

Inspections · red = OOS

2023

1 · 0 OOS —

2025

2 · 0 OOS =

2026

1 · 1 OOS ▲

Crashes

2023

1 crash —

2025

0 crashes ▼

2026

0 crashes =

Based on FMCSA crash and roadside inspection records (rolling 3-year window). The latest year may be partial.

Out-of-Service Summary Last 24 months

Live FMCSA roadside inspections through Feb 2026 — 3 inspections, 1 resulted in out-of-service (33.3% OOS rate).

Vehicle Out-of-Service 1 OOS

Live FMCSA roadside inspection records, refreshed monthly.

Crash Records (1)

Full crash history on file (all years), newest first. This list may show more than the headline Crashes figure above, because that figure follows the official FMCSA 24-month SMS window used for the Trust Score — older crashes still appear here for transparency.

Date	Location	State	Fatal	Injuries	Tow	Vehicles	Weather	Road	Light
08/22/2023	WHITING	IN	0	1	1	2	Clear	Dry	Daylight

Roadside Violations by Safety Category Last 24 months

5 roadside violations across 3 inspections, grouped into FMCSA safety-behavior categories. The shaded portion shows how many were serious enough to result in an out-of-service order.

ViolationsOut-of-service

Unsafe Driving 3 violations · 0 OOS

Vehicle Maintenance 2 violations · 1 OOS

Categories follow FMCSR violation parts (Part 393/396 = Vehicle Maintenance, Part 395 = HOS; "Other" = general/administrative parts such as 390). Raw violation counts and out-of-service results — not FMCSA percentile rankings, which are not published for property carriers.

Inspection Records (4)

Date	State	Level	Location	Violations	OOS	Driver Viol	Driver OOS	Vehicle Viol	Vehicle OOS	HazMat
02/16/2026 ▼	IN	Walk-Around (Level II)	DE MOTTE IN	2	1	0	0	2	1	-
Violations (2) 392.2-SLLSR — Failing to Secure Cargo Non-OOS (Unsafe Driving) 393.75A3-TAOL — CFR 393.75A3-TAOL OOS
11/19/2025	IL	Driver-Only (Level III)	I-80	0	0	0	0	0	0	-
02/26/2025 ▼	IN	Walk-Around (Level II)	GARY IN	3	0	0	0	0	0	-
Violations (3) 393.9A-LRLI — CFR 393.9A-LRLI Non-OOS 392.2-SLLIRP — Failing to Secure Cargo Non-OOS (Unsafe Driving) 392.2-SLLSR — Failing to Secure Cargo Non-OOS (Unsafe Driving)
11/09/2023 ▼	IN	Driver-Only (Level III)	I80 EXIT 049 FOR SR39	1	0	1	0	0	0	-
Violations (1) 392.16(a) — CFR 392.16(a) Non-OOS

Licensing & Insurance

Form	Type	Insurance Company	Policy	Coverage	Effective	Cancel Date	Method
91X	BIPD/Primary	CANAL INSURANCE CO.	233585	$1,000,000	12/12/1993	02/07/1996	Cancelled
91X	BIPD/Primary	AMERICAN GUARANTEE & LIABILITY INS. CO.	PRA5772279	$750,000	10/14/2013	03/18/2014	Cancelled
34	CARGO	GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY OF NEW YORK	IMP 9156494	$0	08/25/2006	09/14/2011	Cancelled
34	CARGO	LINCOLN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY	SPF152710897	$0	08/25/1997	08/25/2006	Cancelled
34	CARGO	GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE CO.	IMP 790 63 90	$0	08/25/1993	08/25/1997	Replaced
91X	BIPD/Primary	EMPIRE FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE CO.	CL773167	$1,000,000	07/17/2003	03/18/2004	Cancelled
91X	BIPD/Primary	AMERICAN GUARANTEE & LIABILITY INS. CO.	PRA5772279	$750,000	03/18/2013	10/14/2013	Replaced
91X	BIPD/Primary	AMERICAN GUARANTEE & LIABILITY INS. CO.	PRA5772279	$750,000	03/18/2013	11/11/2013	Cancelled
91X	BIPD/Primary	NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY	CTO0131600	$750,000	03/18/2012	03/18/2013	Cancelled
91X	BIPD/Primary	PEERLESS INSURANCE CO.	BA 8127753	$1,000,000	03/18/2012	01/29/2012	Cancelled
91X	BIPD/Primary	PEERLESS INSURANCE CO.	BA 8127753	$750,000	03/18/2010	01/29/2012	Cancelled
91X	BIPD/Primary	CONSOLIDATED INSURANCE CO.	BA 812 77 53	$1,000,000	03/18/2006	03/18/2010	Replaced
91X	BIPD/Primary	LINCOLN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY	PAP 235292 0305	$1,000,000	03/18/2005	04/24/2006	Cancelled
91X	BIPD/Primary	EMPIRE FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE CO.	CL773174	$1,000,000	03/18/2004	03/18/2005	Cancelled
91X	BIPD/Primary	EMPIRE FIRE & MARINE INSURANCE CO.	CL773167	$1,000,000	03/18/2003	07/17/2003	Cancelled
91X	BIPD/Primary	LINCOLN GENERAL INSURANCE COMPANY	PAP2123640397	$1,000,000	03/18/1997	03/18/2003	Replaced
91X	BIPD/Primary	CANAL INSURANCE CO.	307428	$1,000,000	02/07/1996	03/18/1997	Cancelled
91X	BIPD/Primary	PEERLESS INSURANCE CO.	BA 8127753	$1,000,000	01/29/2012	03/18/2012	Cancelled

No active insurance policies.

Docket	Type	Action	Served	Disposition	Disp Date
MC129087	MOTOR PROPERTY COMMON CARRIER	GRANTED	12/21/1976	REVOKED	05/01/2006
MC129087	COMMON	INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION	12/12/1993	DISCONTINUED REVOCATION	12/23/1993
MC129087	COMMON	INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION	12/12/1992	DISCONTINUED REVOCATION	12/31/1992
MC129087	COMMON	INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION	12/12/1989	DISCONTINUED REVOCATION	01/09/1990
MC129087	COMMON	INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION	11/07/2005	DISCONTINUED REVOCATION	11/22/2005
MC129087	COMMON	INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION	07/31/2006	DISCONTINUED REVOCATION	08/23/2006
MC129087	MOTOR PROPERTY CONTRACT CARRIER	GRANTED	05/16/2014	-	-
MC129087	MOTOR PROPERTY COMMON CARRIER	REINSTATED	05/12/2006	REVOKED	03/26/2012
MC129087	MOTOR PROPERTY COMMON CARRIER	REINSTATED	05/08/2012	-	-
MC129087	MOTOR PROPERTY COMMON CARRIER	GRANTED	03/11/1991	REVOKED	05/01/2006
MC129087	COMMON	INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION	02/27/2004	DISCONTINUED REVOCATION	03/22/2004
MC129087	COMMON	INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION	02/22/2005	DISCONTINUED REVOCATION	03/18/2005
MC129087	COMMON	INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION	02/19/2014	DISCONTINUED REVOCATION	03/17/2014
MC129087	COMMON	INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION	02/19/2013	DISCONTINUED REVOCATION	03/18/2013

No revocation records.

Similar Companies in Chesterton, IN

Bryan Johnson Joe's Towing INC A-1 Carrier LLC Aluminum Welding & Machine Works INC R V Sutton INC

Theron Arndt USA Logistics INC David E Naillieux Digital Freight Logistics LLC Duneland School Corporation

Jeanne M Kerr Lancam INC Ready Transportation INC Kleckner Interior Systems INC Northwest Developers INC

Browse all companies in Indiana →

95/100

Excellent

VERIFIED

Every carrier starts at 100. We subtract points for each missing requirement or risk factor below. Verified means all four core requirements pass.

Score breakdown — from 100 to 95

Starts at 100−5 totalFinal 95

Vehicle out-of-service rate above national average−5

Verification — 4 core requirements

Active operating authority

FMCSA shows the USDOT registration and authority are active.

Authorized for hire

Holds active for-hire (common or contract) authority.

Active insurance on file

Insurance coverage and carrier are on file with FMCSA.

Safety rating not Unsatisfactory

Satisfactory FMCSA safety rating.

What's lowering this score

-5

Vehicle out-of-service rate above national average

Vehicle OOS 50% vs national avg 20.72%.

Where this company lands — risk scales

Vehicle out-of-service rate−5 of 5

0 pts · low risk−5 pts · high risk

Vehicle OOS 50% vs national avg 20.72%.

How we calculate the Trust Score

Every company starts at 100

We subtract points for each missing requirement or risk factor. Verified means all the core requirements for that company's type pass. Nothing is added back — the score is a deduction model built only on public FMCSA data. No pay-to-play, no opinions.

Requirements differ by company type

Each company is judged fairly on its own FMCSA obligations. Anything that doesn't apply shows as a grey N/A — not required — never a penalty.

Carrier (for-hire)

Operating authority, authorized-for-hire, insurance on file, safety rating.

Broker

Broker authority + $75k surety bond (BMC-84/85). MCS-150 not required (no fleet).

Freight forwarder

FF authority + $75k bond + BOC-3. MCS-150 not required (no trucks).

Private carrier

Active USDOT + MCS-150 + safety. No operating authority / for-hire / insurance filing required (hauls its own goods).

Crashes are scaled, not flat

Crash history is proportional. We don't apply a flat penalty — we scale it to (a) crashes per vehicle in the fleet and (b) the share of those crashes that were fatal. So a big, safe fleet barely moves; a small fleet with many (and fatal) crashes takes a large hit.

0 pts deductedscaled by rate & severityup to −28 pts

Low end

50,000 vehicles + 1 crash → ~0 pts. A huge fleet with very few crashes per vehicle is almost untouched.

High end

5 vehicles + 3 crashes incl. fatal → large deduction (near the −28 cap). Many crashes per truck, fatal-heavy.

Mechanics: deduction is capped at 28 points, weighted roughly 60% on crashes-per-vehicle and 40% on the fatal ratio. Zero crashes = zero deduction. If fleet size is unknown, only crash severity can move the score (conservative).

Out-of-service rate vs. the national average

Driver and vehicle out-of-service rates are measured against the FMCSA national average, not a flat number. A company only takes the deduction when it sits above the national benchmark — for example “Vehicle OOS 37% vs national avg 20.7%”.

Point reference — the full menu

Every factor and exactly how many points it can remove. Knockout factors (they also fail Verification) are marked.

Factor	Points
USDOT / authority not active with FMCSA knockout	−25
Missing operating authority (when required) knockout	−15
No insurance or surety bond on file (when required) knockout	−25
Unsatisfactory safety rating knockout	−30
Conditional safety rating	−12
MCS-150 biennial update overdue (carriers) knockout	−10
Crashes — rate-adjusted (per-vehicle & fatal share)	0 to −28
Driver OOS rate above national average	−5
Vehicle OOS rate above national average	−5
Very new carrier (under 1 year)	−10
Limited operating history (1-3 years)	−6
Moderate operating history (3-5 years)	−3
Operating history unknown	−3
No public phone number	−3
No public email address	−2

All inputs come from public FMCSA records (operating authority, insurance/bond filings, the SAFER/SMS safety profile, crash & inspection reports). If FMCSA updates a record, the score updates with it. For the full deduction table, see the methodology page.

L A BELL MOTOR LINES INC

Trust Score

Public record

Company Information

Contact Details

Operating Authorities

Company Overview

Operation Classification

Mileage

Drivers

Equipment

Safety Summary

Insurance

Quick Facts

Safety & Inspection Data

Safety Trends by Year

Out-of-Service Summary Last 24 months

Crash Records (1)

Roadside Violations by Safety Category Last 24 months

Inspection Records (4)

Licensing & Insurance