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J MERLOS EXPRESS LLC
Morningside, MD
CarrierChk vetting signal
Review recommended
Elevated Driver Out-of-Service Rate
This carrier's drivers were put out of service on 33.3% of 9 driver inspections in the last 24 months — higher than 90% of carriers with a comparable number of driver inspections (national average 5.5%). This is a CarrierChk calculation from FMCSA inspection records, not an FMCSA rating.
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FMCSA status: Active & Authorized · DOT 3250735 · MC 1022969
No Safety Rating
Active 7 yrs, 7 mo
Broker Vetting Summary
Key signals from current FMCSA records
Authority
Active
MC-1022969 · Common carrier
Insurance
On File
Agency Insurance Company Of Maryland, Inc
Safety
Not Rated
31.8% OOS · 32 inspections on record
Flags · 1
Elevated Driver Out-of-Service Rate
This carrier's drivers were put out of service on 33.3% of 9 driver inspections in the last 24 months — higher than 90% of carriers with a comparable number of driver inspections (national average 5.5%). This is a CarrierChk calculation from FMCSA inspection records, not an FMCSA rating.
Vetting notes
- Operating authority active for 7 yrs, 7 mo
- Previously ordered out of service on June 10, 2019 (New Entrant Revoked - Refusal of Audit/No Contact) — no longer active
- Insurance on file: $750,000
- Driver out-of-service rate 33.3% — above the 5.5% national average
- Vehicle out-of-service rate 27.8% — above the 20.7% national average
- 32 FMCSA inspections on record
Authority & Compliance
Authority, insurance and required filings
Operating Authority
MC1022969
Motor Carrier of Property (Except Household Goods) · $750,000 required
MC85641931
Motor Carrier of Household Goods · $0 required
MC51693657
Motor Carrier of Household Goods · $0 required
Insurance on File
Agency Insurance Company of Maryland, Inc
BI&PD · $750,000 · Policy CA 0070559
Agency Insurance Company of Maryland, Inc
BI&PD · $1,000,000 · Policy CA 0039909
Required Filings
Liability (BIPD)
$750,000
Company Information
Registration, contact and cargo details
FMCSA Registration
DOT Number
3250735
MC Number
MC-1022969
Safety Rating
Not Rated
Operation Classification
Authorized for hire
MCS-150 Filed
August 14, 2025
FMCSA Registration
February 26, 2019
Authority Granted
March 18, 2019
Annual Mileage
301,001 mi (2025)
Contact Information
Address
4703 Pickett Ct, Morningside, MD 20746
Phone
Email
Owner / Officer
Jose F Merlos
Cargo Types
General FreightOther Cargo
Safety Snapshot
Out-of-service rates, violations and crashes
Safety & Inspection Summary
Total Inspections
32
Driver Inspections
12
Vehicle Inspections
28
Out-of-Service Violations
14
Violations by Category
Vehicle Maintenance46
Unsafe Driving7
Hours of Service0
OOS Rates vs. National Average
Driver OOS Rate33.3% · national avg 5.5%
⚠ Above national average (27.8pp higher)
Vehicle OOS Rate27.8% · national avg 20.7%
⚠ Above national average (7.1pp higher)
31.8% of 22 inspections in the last 24 months put a driver or vehicle out of service —
73rd percentile among carriers with 10–24 inspections (lower is better).
CarrierChk calculation from FMCSA roadside inspection records, not an FMCSA score.
Inspection Trend by Year
2026
2025
2024
Violation Rate by Category
Share of roadside inspections in FMCSA's rolling 24-month window that found a violation in each category. The individual violations are listed under each inspection in Inspection Details below. None of this is the basis of the safety rating, which comes from an on-site compliance review.
Vehicle Maintenance
10 of 19 inspections
Unsafe Driving
4 of 23 inspections
Hours of Service
0 of 23 inspections
Driver Fitness
3 of 23 inspections
Controlled Substances
0 of 23 inspections
Crash History (2)
Crashes reported to FMCSA in the last 24 months. A crash appearing here is a reported event, not a finding of fault.
2
Crashes
0
Fatalities
0
Injuries
2
Tow-aways
| Date | State | Fatal | Injured | Tow | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 10, 2026 | MD | — | — | Yes | Rain · Daylight · Wet |
| June 28, 2025 | MD | — | — | Yes | No Adverse Conditions · Daylight · Dry |
Fleet & Operating Areas
Observed roadside activity and equipment
Where This Carrier Operates
States where this carrier's roadside inspections were recorded
FewerMore
MD22
PA2
VA2
DC1
Fleet & Equipment (6)
Vehicles identified in this carrier's inspection history. Year, make, model and equipment type are decoded from the VIN.
Power units
~6
of 5 reported to FMCSA
Trailers
—
seen at inspection
Equipment types observed
Chassis / Incomplete
3
Truck
3
Units on record
| Vehicle | Type | VIN | Inspections | With OOS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Hino Conventional Type Truck | Chassis / Incomplete · Class 6 | 5PVNJ8JT2G4S56623 | 11 | 2 |
| 2005 Ford F-750 | Chassis / Incomplete · Class 6 | 3FRNF75R25V152500 | 4 | 1 |
| 2012 Hino Conventional Type Truck | Chassis / Incomplete · Class 6 | 5PVNJ8JT1C4S53349 | 4 | 2 |
| 2007 International MA025 | Truck · Class 6 | 1HTMMAAM17H434813 | 3 | 1 |
| 2007 International MA025 | Truck · Class 6 | 1HTMMAAL07H403091 | 2 | 1 |
| 2006 International MA025 | Truck · Class 6 | 1HTMMAAL86H303027 | 1 | — |
A vehicle appearing here was recorded in an inspection — it is not proof the carrier still operates it today.
Inspection Details
Each roadside inspection with its violations
Inspection Records (32)
| Date | Report # | Location | Level | Viol | OOS | Shipper | Unit Type | Make | VIN | License |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2026 | 3211C01643 | GLEN BURNIE MD | II | 4 | — | — | Straight Truck |
HINO |
5PVNJ8JT2G4S56623 |
MD 6GJ5941 |
| 392.2-SLLSR | State/Local Laws - State registration/tag violation | |||||||||
| 393.9A-LFTSI | Lighting - Front - Turn signal - inoperative | Lighting | ||||||||
| 393.9A-LHWS | Lighting - Hazard warning signal(s) inoperative | Lighting | ||||||||
| 396.9D2-FTF | Failing to correct the violation(s)/defect(s) noted on the roadside inspection report | Inspection Reports | ||||||||
| September 9, 2026 | 2151C00965 | SYKESVILLE MD | I | 8 | 1 | ASHLEY FURNITURE | Straight Truck |
HINO |
5PVNJ8JT2G4S56623 |
MD 6GJ5941 |
| 396.3A1-BOS | OOSBrake - Defective brake(s) are equal to or greater than 20% of the service brakes on the vehicle/combination | Brake Out Of Service | ||||||||
| 393.75C-TAOTD-LT2/32 | Tires - Less than 2/32 inch tread depth | Tires | ||||||||
| 393.9A-LHWS | Lighting - Hazard warning signal(s) inoperative | Lighting | ||||||||
| 393.9A-LFTSI | Lighting - Front - Turn signal - inoperative | Lighting | ||||||||
| 393.47E | Brake Out of Adjustment - Roto, Clamp (Short & Long), DD-3, or Bolt | Brakes Out of Adjustment | ||||||||
| 393.47E | Brake Out of Adjustment - Roto, Clamp (Short & Long), DD-3, or Bolt | Brakes Out of Adjustment | ||||||||
| 393.53B-B | 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 | ||||||||
| 393.9A-LHLI | Lighting - Headlamp(s) - Any inoperative | Lighting | ||||||||
| July 4, 2026 | H314618556 | GREENE TOWNSHIP PA | III | 2 | — | — | Straight Truck |
HINO |
5PVNJ8JT2G4S56623 |
MD 6GJ5941 |
| 392.16-D | Driver - Failed to use seat belt while operating a CMV | Seat Belt | ||||||||
| 392.16B-DPASS | Driver - Failed to require passenger(s) (not a co-driver) to use seat belt while operating a property-carrying CMV. | Seat Belt | ||||||||
| June 4, 2026 | 0296C00758 | CLARKSBURG MD | II | — | — | CARRIER | Straight Truck |
FORD |
3FRNF75R25V152500 |
MD 2GX3208 |
| April 28, 2026 | 0228C00706 | SYKESVILLE MD | II | 6 | 1 | N/A | Straight Truck |
HINO |
5PVNJ8JT1C4S53349 |
MD 9EJ0885 |
| 393.9A-LTSI | OOSLighting - Turn signal - Any inoperative on the rearmost vehicle. | Lighting | ||||||||
| 393.9A-HLLH | Lighting - Headlamp(s) fail to operate on low and high beam | Lighting | ||||||||
| 393.9A-LCL | Lighting - Clearance lamp(s) inoperative | Clearance Identification Lamps/Other | ||||||||
| 393.11A1-LRLM | Lighting - Tail lamp - Any missing | Lighting | ||||||||
| 393.19 | Inoperative/Defective Hazard Warning Lamp | Lighting | ||||||||
| 393.9A-LLPL | Lighting - License plate lamp inoperative | Clearance Identification Lamps/Other | ||||||||
| April 14, 2026 | 0273C00549 | LEXINGTON PARK MD | II | 5 | 2 | SAME AS CARRIER | Straight Truck |
HINO |
5PVNJ8JT1C4S53349 |
MD 9EJ0885 |
| 393.9A-LTSI | OOSLighting - Turn signal - Any inoperative on the rearmost vehicle. | Lighting | ||||||||
| 396.3A1-STLT | OOSSteering - Looseness in the threaded joint of a tie rod or drag link | Steering Mechanism | ||||||||
| 393.60C | Windshield - Damaged or Discolored | Windshield/ Glass/ Markings | ||||||||
| 393.9A-LSLI | Lighting - Stop lamps - Any inoperative. | Lighting | ||||||||
| 393.9A-LRLI | Lighting - Tail lamp - Any inoperative | Lighting | ||||||||
| December 29, 2025 | 1954C00657 | VIENNA MD | II | — | — | ASHLEY FURNITURE | Straight Truck |
HINO |
5PVNJ8JT2G4S56623 |
MD 6GJ5941 |
| December 9, 2025 | 3259C00548 | BALTIMORE MD | II | — | — | SAME | Straight Truck |
HINO |
5PVNJ8JT2G4S56623 |
MD 6GJ5941 |
| December 1, 2025 | 0226C00552 | MIDDLE RIVER MD | II | — | — | J MERLOS | Straight Truck |
HINO |
5PVNJ8JT1C4S53349 |
MD 9EJ0885 |
| November 24, 2025 | 5065C00027 | BURTONSVILLE MD | I | 1 | — | — | Straight Truck |
HINO |
5PVNJ8JT2G4S56623 |
MD 6GJ5941 |
| 393.9A-HLLH | Lighting - Headlamp(s) fail to operate on low and high beam | Lighting | ||||||||
Shippers Seen at Inspections
Shipper names recorded by roadside inspectors over roughly the last three years. Only inspected loads appear, so this is a sample of who the carrier hauls for, not a complete customer list. Names are as entered at the roadside; blanks and placeholders such as “N/A” or “same as carrier” are left out.
| Shipper | Inspections | Most recent |
|---|---|---|
| ASHLEY FURNITURE | 2 | September 9, 2026 |
| MID ATLANTIC FURN DIST | 2 | May 21, 2024 |
| REGENCY FURNITURE | 1 | August 6, 2025 |
| J MERLOS TRUCKING | 1 | December 23, 2024 |
| MID ATLANTIC FURN. | 1 | December 9, 2023 |
| TIMOTHY KNOLL | 1 | October 31, 2023 |
History & Filings
Authority, insurance and process-agent records
Authority History
| Date | Status | Type |
|---|---|---|
| August 25, 2026 | Withdrawn 2 authorities Withdrawn by [email protected] | Motor Carrier of Household Goods |
| August 24, 2026 | Pending 2 authorities Initial Status | Motor Carrier of Household Goods |
| June 2, 2022 | DISCONTINUED REVOCATION | Common |
| May 9, 2022 | INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION | Common |
| March 7, 2022 | DISCONTINUED REVOCATION | Common |
| February 11, 2022 | INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION | Common |
| January 13, 2022 | DISCONTINUED REVOCATION | Common |
| January 11, 2022 | INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION | Common |
| August 16, 2021 | DISCONTINUED REVOCATION | Common |
| August 11, 2021 | INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION | Common |
Insurance & Revocation Filings
| Date | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| June 22, 2026 | BI&PD Primary/Excess | Cancellation Filed |
| June 22, 2026 | BI&PD Primary/Excess | Cancel · Agency Insurance Company of Maryland, Inc |
| September 28, 2026 | Operating Authority Involuntary Suspension Notice | Effective October 28, 2026 |
BOC-3 Process Agent
INTERSTATE AUTHORITY LLC
229 N SERVICE RD STE 2, Moore, OK, 73160-4947
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Data sourced from FMCSA MCMIS via Socrata. Record last updated: October 18, 2026.
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