CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC, DOT #94543 FMCSA Safety & Compliance Report
4 of your 15 roadside inspections in the last 24 months ended with an out-of-service order, most recently Indiana on August 25, 2025.
Your latest, Indiana on September 29, had 1 violation, none out of service.
Your MCS-150 lists 47 trucks and 33 drivers.
Every violation on this list stays on your FMCSA record for 24 months and counts toward the scores FMCSA uses to choose carriers for an investigation. The investigator asks for the files behind each one.
CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC is a mid-size fleet motor carrier based in CHARLESTON, Illinois (USDOT #94543). As of October 23, 2026, it holds a Satisfactory FMCSA safety rating and a FileFlo Carrier Intelligence Score of 72/100 (Moderate Risk), based on 21 recent inspection(s) and 34 recorded violation(s) in public FMCSA data.
What CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC's record points to
- What out-of-service inspections trigger: the expedited safety audit (49 CFR 385.308)
Out of service on 4 inspections of 15 in the last 24 months, most recently August 25, 2025. - Have FileFlo run your compliance department
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Turn on free alertsCarrier Intelligence Score
72/100 Moderate Risk
| Category | Score | Max |
|---|---|---|
| Safety Rating | 30 | 30 |
| Inspection Pass Rate | 10 | 20 |
| Out-of-Service Rate (vs FMCSA national avg) | 7 | 15 |
| CSA BASIC percentiles | Not measured | n/a |
Three public FMCSA components, scored by FileFlo. CSA BASIC percentiles are not in FMCSA's public data, so they are shown as not measured.
CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC's public FMCSA record, line by line
Roadside inspections in the last 24 months
- Sept. 29, 2026, Indiana. 1 violation, none out of service. Written up for wipers not working (49 CFR 393.78).
- July 9, 2026, Illinois. 2 violations, none out of service. Written up for lights not working (49 CFR 393.9).
- May 20, 2026, Kentucky. 2 violations, none out of service. Written up for a state or local traffic violation (49 CFR 392.2) and a brake problem (49 CFR 393.48).
- March 10, 2026, Illinois. No violations.
- Feb. 3, 2026, Illinois. 2 violations, none out of service. Written up for a state or local traffic violation (49 CFR 392.2).
- Aug. 25, 2025, Indiana. Out of service: 2 driver violations and 3 vehicle violations, 9 violations in all. Written up for a brake problem (49 CFR 393.45), a driving rule violation (49 CFR 392.4), a maintenance violation (49 CFR 396.3), and no proof of the annual truck inspection (49 CFR 396.17).
CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC: CHARLESTON, Illinois Trucking Company
CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC is a mid-size fleet operating out of CHARLESTON, Illinois with USDOT number 94543. The company operates 47 power units and holds a current FMCSA safety rating of Satisfactory. Based on our analysis of federal safety data, CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC has a FileFlo Carrier Intelligence Score (CIS) of 72/100, classified as Moderate Risk.
FMCSA Safety Record & Inspection History
CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC has undergone 21 recorded DOT inspections. The vehicle out-of-service rate is 33.3%, which is above the national average of 20.72%. This elevated rate indicates potential maintenance or pre-trip inspection deficiencies that could lead to roadside violations. The driver out-of-service rate is 4.8%, within acceptable range compared to the 5.51% national average.
Recorded Violations and Out-of-Service Status
The public FMCSA record for CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC carries 34 recorded violations, and the most recent inspection on file is dated September 29, 2026. Across 21 recorded inspections, the record carries 2 driver out-of-service violations and 9 vehicle out-of-service violations.
A recorded violation is what an inspector wrote down at the roadside. It is not a penalty, and it is not an amount owed: FMCSA assesses civil penalties only after a compliance review classifies specific cited violations. The step that changes this record is the document behind each line, so the next move is to see which records an investigator would ask for and which of them exist today.
What a 72/100 Carrier Intelligence Score Means
The Carrier Intelligence Score is FileFlo's own summary of three public FMCSA components for CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC: the safety rating, the inspection pass rate and the out-of-service rate against the national average. It is not an FMCSA score, and FMCSA does not use it to choose carriers for an investigation. 72 out of 100 falls in FileFlo's Moderate Risk band.
Illinois Trucking Compliance: CHARLESTON Area Carriers
CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC falls under the Midwestern Service Center for FMCSA field-office oversight (region code 05). Service-center territory drives which FMCSA Investigator team would conduct a new-entrant audit or compliance review if one is triggered for this carrier.
Authority Type, Hazmat Status, and Operating Profile
CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC is classified by FMCSA as an interstate carrier.
The carrier is classified as Private Property, meaning it transports its own goods incidental to its primary business, exempt from MC-number authority but still subject to safety regulations under 49 CFR Part 390.
Business organization type: Corporation.
CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC is not flagged in FMCSA Census as a hazmat carrier (HM indicator: N), so the carrier is not subject to the additional 49 CFR Subchapter C hazmat regulations.
Operational range per MCS-150 filing: interstate beyond 100 miles (long-haul, 3 drivers); interstate within 100 miles (short-haul, 29 drivers); intrastate within 100 miles (1 drivers). The 100-mile boundary matters because drivers operating within a 100-air-mile radius qualify for the short-haul exception under 49 CFR 395.1(e)(1), which removes the requirement to maintain RODS for the day.
Self-reported MCS-150 annual mileage: 739,999 miles. MCS-150 mileage feeds the FMCSA SafeStat exposure denominator: drastically understated mileage can artificially inflate CSA BASIC percentile scores by reducing the per-mile exposure baseline. Updates are required every 24 months under 49 CFR 390.19.
Fleet Composition and Driver Profile
Owned equipment per the FMCSA Census filing: 45 straight trucks, 2 tractors, 2 trailers. Owned-vs-leased equipment matters for compliance documentation, owned trailers require the carrier to retain annual inspection certificates under 49 CFR 396.17, while leased trailers shift that documentation responsibility to the lease agreement.
The carrier reports 33 CDL-holding drivers on file. Each CDL driver must have a current Driver Qualification File (DQF) maintained per 49 CFR 391.51, including a Medical Examiner's Certificate, an annual MVR review, and a record of road-test results.
Intrastate driver count: 1. Intrastate drivers may be subject to state-specific CDL endorsement and hours-of-service variances depending on the state.
FMCSA Crash History
The FMCSA Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) crash dataset records 4 crash events involving CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC in the available reporting window. Of these, 0 involved a fatality, 0 involved a reported injury, and 4 resulted in a tow-away. 4 events meet the federal-recordable threshold under 49 CFR 390.5 (fatality, injury treated away from the scene, OR tow-away of any vehicle).
Most recent recorded event: KY0070, MADISONVILLE, KY on August 22, 2022.
CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC's Inspection Fingerprint: Geographic Pattern and Trend
Inspections cluster geographically across Kentucky (11), Indiana (5), Illinois (5). The concentration in Kentucky is consistent with the carrier's primary lanes and tends to correlate with which state DOT inspector teams CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC's drivers encounter most often at roadside checkpoints.
How CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC Compares to the National Average
Across the 21 recorded inspections, CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC's 33.3% vehicle out-of-service rate sits substantially above the FMCSA 2024 national average of 20.72%. The 4.8% driver out-of-service rate sits slightly below the 2024 national average of 5.51%.
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Recent DOT Inspections: CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC
Open any inspection for the records an auditor would ask for behind it: free, from USDOT 94543, no signup.
| Date | State | Driver OOS | Vehicle OOS | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-29 | IN | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2026-07-09 | IL | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2026-05-20 | KY | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2026-03-10 | IL | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2026-02-03 | IL | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2025-08-25 | IN | 2 | 3 | Audit check |
| 2025-08-11 | KY | 0 | 1 | Audit check |
| 2025-08-05 | KY | 0 | 1 | Audit check |
| 2025-07-22 | IL | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
| 2025-06-27 | IN | 0 | 0 | Audit check |
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Frequently asked questions about CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC
What is CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC's FMCSA safety rating?
CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC (USDOT #94543) holds a "Satisfactory" FMCSA safety rating. FileFlo's Carrier Intelligence Score for the carrier is 72/100 (Moderate Risk), derived from its safety rating, inspection pass rate, and out-of-service rate versus the FMCSA national average.
How large is CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC's fleet?
Per its most recent FMCSA MCS-150 filing, CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC operates 47 power unit(s) and 33 driver(s), classifying it as a mid-size fleet. Fleet counts are self-reported to FMCSA and can lag a carrier's current operation.
Where is CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC based?
CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC is registered with the FMCSA at a physical address in CHARLESTON, Illinois, under USDOT number 94543.
What is CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC's DOT inspection and violation history?
FileFlo shows 21 recent DOT inspection(s) and 34 recorded violation(s) for CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC (USDOT #94543), sourced from FMCSA public records and the Socrata transportation datasets. The inspection table on this page lists dates, states, and out-of-service counts.
What is CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC's FileFlo Carrier Intelligence Score?
CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC scores 72/100 (Moderate Risk) on FileFlo's Carrier Intelligence Score. The score normalizes three public FMCSA components (safety rating, inspection pass rate, and out-of-service rate versus the national average) into one 0-100 surface. CSA SMS BASIC percentiles are not published in FMCSA's public data and are excluded rather than estimated.
Federal rules a carrier like CHARLES KIRCHNER & SON INC is audited against
The 49 CFR sections a DOT compliance review actually checks, plain-English:
- 49 CFR 395.8, Hours of service & ELD records
- 49 CFR 391.51, Driver qualification files (DQF)
- 49 CFR 396.3, Vehicle inspection, repair & maintenance
- 49 CFR 382.301, Pre-employment drug & alcohol testing
Compliance terms: CSA score · out-of-service order · hours of service · driver qualification file. See DOT compliance software & document management →
More Illinois carriers on file
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- KENNETH R TUNE & JEFFRY A TUNE, PATOKA (USDOT 100611)
- SORRELLS FARM SUPPLY INC, RAYMOND (USDOT 100640)
- GUS C UNVERFEHRT FARM SUPPLY INC, CENTRALIA (USDOT 100699)
- J B LEE TRANSPORTATION CO, PONTIAC (USDOT 104080)
- LIMESTONE TRANSIT INC, FAIRBURY (USDOT 104087)
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Data sourced from FMCSA public records and the Socrata transportation dataset. Last updated: October 23, 2026. Information may not reflect the carrier's current status. Dispute this record · Claim this profile