A
RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION SPECIALISTS INC
USDOT 611357 • CHESTERTON, IN
MoverAudit grade: A, based on federal records below
✓ No major red flags found
Complaint history
No federal complaints on record in the last 4 years. Records checked against the FMCSA household goods complaint database.
Company details
Legal nameRELIABLE TRANSPORTATION SPECIALISTS INC
Address139 VENTURI DR, CHESTERTON, IN 46304-3399
Phone(219) 926-8850
Company officerMICHAEL PARISE
OrganizationCorporation
In business sinceAug 1995
Last FMCSA updateApr 2026
Fleet & authority
Power units (trucks)190
Drivers95 (95 CDL)
Operation classAuthorized For Hire
Carrier operationInterstate
Broker authorityn/a
Carrier authorityn/a
Safety ratingSatisfactory (Oct 2018)
Prior revocationNo
MoverAudit risk score: 0/100
Computed from objective federal flags only: broker-only registration, fleet size, complaint volume and severity, hostage-goods reports and past revocations. Lower is safer. This is a summary of public records, not a review.
Complaints vs. other checked movers
Red flags & green flags
!No federal complaints on record in the last 4 years.
!2 insurance policy cancellations in the last 3 years.
!Shares an address, phone or officer with 1 mover that have complaints or revoked authority (see identity check below).
!Vehicle out-of-service rate 41.67% is well above the 20.72% national average.
✓Official FMCSA safety rating: Satisfactory.
✓USDOT registration is active.
✓190 trucks registered with FMCSA.
✓No hostage-goods complaints on record.
✓In business since 1995: a long federal track record.
Roadside safety & insurance
Roadside safety record
Vehicle out-of-service rate, this company vs. national average:
Vehicle inspections72 (30 OOS)
Driver inspections123 (2 OOS)
Crashes, last 3 years17, 9 with injuries
FMCSA safety ratingSatisfactory
FMCSA safety categories (SMS BASICs), last 24 months:
Driver FitnessBelow cutoff
Controlled Substances/ AlcoholBelow cutoff
Hours-of-Service ComplianceBelow cutoff
Unsafe DrivingBelow cutoff
Vehicle MaintenanceBelow cutoff
Insurance on file
Liability insuranceOn file
InsurerCarolina Casualty Insurance Co.
Coverage1000
Policy effective sinceSep 2024
Cancellations, 3 yrs2
2 insurance cancellations in the last 3 years, most recently Sep 2024. Repeated cancellations often mean unpaid premiums or dropped coverage, ask this company to show you a current certificate of insurance before booking.
Source: FMCSA Licensing & Insurance filings, refreshed nightly.
Insurance policy history
May 2021 → Sep 2024
National Interstate Insurance Company (Bipd/primary)
$1,000k
Cancelled
May 2021 → Sep 2024
National Interstate Insurance Company (Bipd/primary)
$1,000k
Cancelled
May 2020 → May 2021
National Interstate Insurance Company (Bipd/primary)
$1,000k
Cancelled
May 2019 → May 2020
American Inter-fidelity Exchange (Bipd/primary)
$1,000k
Cancelled
May 2019 → May 2020
American Inter-fidelity Exchange (Bipd/primary)
$1,000k
Cancelled
May 2018 → May 2019
American Inter-fidelity Exchange (Bipd/primary)
$1,000k
Cancelled
May 2017 → May 2018
American Inter-fidelity Exchange (Bipd/primary)
$1,000k
Cancelled
May 2016 → May 2017
American Inter-fidelity Exchange (Bipd/primary)
$1,000k
Cancelled
Every liability policy this company filed with FMCSA, newest first. Frequent insurer changes or repeated cancellations are worth a direct question; one long-running policy is what stability looks like.
Recent roadside inspections
Aug 7, 2026 Full inspection, MI
4 violations, 2 out-of-service
49 CFR 393.75A1-TFBMF, OOS
49 CFR 393.75A3-TAOL, OOS
49 CFR 393.11A1-CSLRR
49 CFR 393.78: Wipers - Inoperative / missing / damaged wipers
Aug 7, 2026 Driver-only, IN
1 violation
49 CFR 392.2-SLLS2 (driver)
Jul 30, 2026 Walk-around, IL
2 violations, 2 out-of-service
49 CFR 393.23PT: All required lamps on towed vehicle inoperative due to no electrical …, OOS
49 CFR 393.9TS: Inoperative turn signal, OOS
Jun 29, 2026 Walk-around, MI
1 violation
49 CFR 392.2-SLLEWA2 (driver)
Jun 12, 2026 Driver-only, IN
1 violation
49 CFR 392.2-SLLS2 (driver)
Jun 4, 2026 Full inspection, MI
8 violations, 3 out-of-service
49 CFR 393.45B2-BHTD, OOS
49 CFR 393.45B2-BHTD, OOS
49 CFR 393.75A3-TAOL, OOS
49 CFR 393.9A-LFTSI
49 CFR 393.9A-LHWS
49 CFR 393.47E: Brake Out of Adjustment - Roto Clamp (Short & Long) DD-3 or Bolt
+2 more
May 5, 2026 Driver-only, IL
Clean, no violations
Apr 21, 2026 Full inspection, MI
2 violations
49 CFR 393.9A-LIL
49 CFR 393.45D-B
Last 8 roadside inspections from FMCSA records (up to 3 years). "OOS" means the driver or vehicle was ordered out of service on the spot.
Authority history
Apr 26, 2016 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Apr 26, 2016 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Apr 27, 2015 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Apr 27, 2015 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Apr 1, 2013 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Apr 1, 2013 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Feb 27, 2013 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Feb 27, 2013 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Apr 16, 2012 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Apr 16, 2012 Discontinued revocation
Contract: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Shared identity check
Caution: this company shares its address, phone number or officer with 1 mover that have complaints or revoked authority. This is the pattern behind "chameleon" carriers: a burned company re-registering under a fresh name. It can also be an innocent shared office, read the linked reports and judge.
Is Reliable Transportation Specialists INC reliable? Our read of the record
On the evidence, Reliable Transportation Specialists INC looks like a reliable operator: operating since 1995 with zero federal complaints in the last four years, 190 registered trucks. A record like this is exactly what an honest mover's file tends to look like.
No public record can guarantee your specific move, so keep the basics: written binding estimate, USDOT 611357 on the paperwork, and reasonable deposit. But nothing in the federal file says walk away.
One caveat regardless of the rest: this company shares an address, phone number or officer with 1 other registered mover that carry complaints or lost authority. Sometimes that is an innocent office building; sometimes it is how a burned identity gets recycled. The identity check section above lists exactly who they are, look before you book.
This assessment is generated from the public federal records shown on this page: registration, fleet, complaints, inspections, insurance and authority filings. It is a summary of records, not a review or an accusation.
Carriers to compare in Indiana
About Reliable Transportation Specialists INC
Reliable Transportation Specialists INC is a federally registered mover based in Chesterton, Indiana, registered with FMCSA since August 1995. Federal filings show 190 power units (trucks/tractors) and 95 drivers.
Over the last four years, the federal complaint database shows no complaints against this company. For a mover doing real volume, a clean federal record is a genuinely good sign; for a very small operation it may simply reflect a small number of moves. Combine it with the fleet data above and recent references.
How to read this report
The grade and risk score at the top are calculated by MoverAudit from objective federal flags: whether the company is a broker or a carrier, how many trucks it operates, the volume and severity of complaints, hostage-goods reports, and past authority revocations. They are not official government ratings, and they are not reviews: every input is a public federal record shown on this page.
The complaint categories come from the FMCSA household goods complaint system. A single bad move can generate complaints in several categories at once, so the category sum can exceed the total. Pay the most attention to "Hostage Goods" and "Deceptive Business Practices": those describe intent, not accidents. "Loss and Damage" at low volume is normal friction for a carrier doing thousands of moves; the same number at a tiny company is not.
The fleet numbers matter more than they look. A company advertising nationwide service with zero or one registered truck is not doing that work itself: your move will be handled by someone you have not vetted. Compare the fleet size to the promises in your quote.
If you are considering this company, use this report as a starting point, not a verdict. Get the estimate in writing and check whether it is binding, confirm the USDOT number on their paperwork matches 611357, and if a different company shows up on moving day, stop and check that company here before a single box goes on the truck.
Questions about RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION SPECIALISTS INC
Is Reliable Transportation Specialists INC legit?
Reliable Transportation Specialists INC has an active USDOT registration (611357). It has no federal complaints on record in the last 4 years.
Is Reliable Transportation Specialists INC a broker or a carrier?
Federal records do not show interstate household goods authority for this company. Ask them directly who holds the authority for your move.
Where is Reliable Transportation Specialists INC based?
139 Venturi Dr, Chesterton, IN 46304-3399. Phone on file: (219) 926-8850. Registered with FMCSA since August 1995.
Sources: FMCSA Motor Carrier Census (registration, fleet), FMCSA Household Goods Complaint History via NCCDB (complaints, checked Sep 8, 2026). MoverAudit summarizes public federal records; it does not accuse any company of wrongdoing. Verify details at protectyourmove.gov.