FMCSA Carrier Profile
NEXTSTEP TRUCKING LLC
DBA: Merlock Trucking
Owner / Officer: John Merlock
Active
No Safety Rating
Authority Active
Active 3 yrs, 7 mo
Authority
Active
Common carrier
Insurance
On File
$0 BIPD
Safety
Not Rated
1st pct · 7 inspections on record
✓ No risk flags found on authority or insurance records
Vetting Notes
NEXTSTEP TRUCKING LLC is an active FMCSA-registered motor carrier based in Absecon, New Jersey, operating under DOT 3986121. No high-severity flags were found on authority or insurance records. Across 7 FMCSA inspections on record, this carrier shows 50.0% vehicle OOS and 20.0% driver OOS. Authority and safety history are clean as of this page's last update.
FMCSA Registration
DOT Number
3986121
Operating Status
Active
Safety Rating
Not Rated
MCS-150 Filed
December 31, 2025
FMCSA Registration
November 15, 2022
Authority Granted
December 2, 2022
Annual Mileage
123,735 mi (2024)
Contact Information
Address
105 West Church Street, Absecon, NJ 08201
Phone
Email
Owner / Officer
John Merlock
Operating Authority
MC1368763
Common Carrier, Contract Carrier, Broker
MC1494012
Common Carrier
Insurance on File
OOIDA RISK RETENTION GROUP, INC.
1 · $0 · Policy PL199534875
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Safety Percentile
1st percentile
vs. peer carriers
✓ Below FMCSA alert threshold (65th pct) · lower percentile = fewer violations than peers · source: FMCSA SMS
Safety & Inspection Summary
Total Inspections
7
Driver Inspections
5
Vehicle Inspections
4
Total OOS Orders
3
Violations by Category
Vehicle Maintenance5
Unsafe Driving1
Hours of Service1
OOS Rates vs. National Average
Driver OOS Rate20.0% · national avg 5.5%
⚠ Above national average (14.5pp higher)
Vehicle OOS Rate50.0% · national avg 20.7%
⚠ Above national average (29.3pp higher)
Inspection Trend by Year
2025
2024
Inspection Records (7)
| Date | State | Level | Vehicle | Viol. | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 29, 2025 | NC | Level II — Walk-Around | KW · 1XKYD49X6KJ236913 | 2 | 2 OOS |
| November 22, 2024 | WV | Level III — Driver Only | KENWORTH · 1XKYD49X6KJ236913 | 1 | Passed |
| October 14, 2025 | KY | Level I — Full | KW · 1XKYD49X6KJ236913 | 1 | 1 OOS |
| April 11, 2024 | WI | Level I — Full | — | 2 | Passed |
| April 8, 2024 | SC | Level III — Driver Only | — | 0 | Clean |
| May 5, 2025 | KY | Level III — Driver Only | KW · 1XKYD49X6KJ236913 | 0 | Clean |
| April 2, 2025 | WV | Level II — Walk-Around | KENWORTH M · 1XKYD49X6KJ236913 | 1 | Passed |
Authority History
| Date | Status | Type |
|---|---|---|
| January 4, 2023 | INVOLUNTARY REVOCATION | Common |
| December 2, 2022 | GRANTED | Common Carrier |
| February 25, 2022 | DISMISSED | Common Carrier |
Insurance & Revocation Filings
| Date | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| BI&PD Primary | Cancellation Pending |
Other Carriers in Absecon, NJ
Data sourced from FMCSA MCMIS via Socrata. Last updated: July 30, 2026.
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