A
SOUTHERN AUTO TRANSPORT SERVICES INC
USDOT 780051 • MC-348892 • LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL
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 nameSOUTHERN AUTO TRANSPORT SERVICES INC
Address3125 LAKEWOOD RANCH BLVD STE 104, LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL 34211
Phone(941) 722-3326
Company officerALLEN MORRELL
OrganizationCorporation
In business sinceNov 1998
Last FMCSA updateMar 2025
Fleet & authority
Power units (trucks)1
Drivers1 (1 CDL)
Operation classAuthorized For Hire
Carrier operationInterstate
Broker authorityn/a
Carrier authorityn/a
Safety ratingSatisfactory (Feb 2010)
Prior revocationYes
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.
!Operating authority was revoked at least once (see authority history below).
!4 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).
✓Official FMCSA safety rating: Satisfactory.
✓USDOT registration is active.
✓1 truck registered with FMCSA.
✓No hostage-goods complaints on record.
✓In business since 1998: a long federal track record.
Roadside safety & insurance
Roadside safety record
Vehicle out-of-service rate, this company vs. national average:
Vehicle inspections3 (2 OOS)
Driver inspections8 (1 OOS)
Crashes, last 3 years0
FMCSA safety ratingSatisfactory
FMCSA safety categories (SMS BASICs), last 24 months:
Driver FitnessClean
Controlled Substances/ AlcoholClean
Hours-of-Service ComplianceBelow cutoff
Unsafe DrivingClean
Vehicle MaintenanceBelow cutoff
Insurance on file
Liability insuranceOn file
InsurerProgressive Preferred Insurance Co.
Coverage1000
Policy effective sinceJul 2025
Cancellations, 3 yrs4
4 insurance cancellations in the last 3 years, most recently Jul 2025. 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
Jul 2025 → Jul 2025
Progressive Preferred Insurance Co. (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Jul 2025 → Jul 2025
Progressive Preferred Insurance Co. (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Jun 2025 → Jul 2025
Progressive Preferred Insurance Co. (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Oct 2022 → Jun 2025
Progressive Preferred Insurance Co. (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Oct 2019 → Oct 2020
Prime Insurance Company (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Oct 2018 → Oct 2019
Prime Insurance Company (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Aug 2018 → Jan 2020
Progressive Southeastern Insurance Company (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Oct 2017 → Oct 2018
Prime Insurance Company (Cargo)
$750k
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
Jun 6, 2026 Walk-around, MD
7 violations, 3 out-of-service
49 CFR 392.9AA1, OOS
49 CFR 393.45D-BHTBS, OOS
49 CFR 393.9A-LTSI, OOS
49 CFR 393.9A-LTSIR
49 CFR 393.9A-LRLI
49 CFR 393.9A-LHWS
+1 more
May 8, 2026 Walk-around, FL
20 violations, 2 out-of-service
49 CFR 393.9A-LSLIWR, OOS
49 CFR 395.8A1-HOSP (driver), OOS
49 CFR 393.9A-LSLI
49 CFR 393.9A-LRLI
49 CFR 393.95F: Emergency Equipment - Stopped vehicle warning devices missing or impr…
49 CFR 395.30B1-ELDDFR (driver)
+14 more
Dec 16, 2025 Driver-only, GA
1 violation
49 CFR 392.2-SLLS4 (driver)
Nov 13, 2025 Driver-only, FL
Clean, no violations
Sep 3, 2025 Walk-around, KS
1 violation
49 CFR 393.60D: Windshield / Windows - Tinting permits less than 70% of light transmi…
May 27, 2025 Driver-only, GA
2 violations
49 CFR 395.8E-HOSPD (driver)
49 CFR 392.2-INAT (driver)
Apr 17, 2025 Driver-only, VA
2 violations
49 CFR 395.22H2-ELDNISDT
49 CFR 395.24: HOS (ELD) - ELD Form and Manner (driver)
Mar 14, 2025 Walk-around, NC
1 violation, 1 out-of-service
49 CFR 393.75A2: Tire-tread and/or sidewall separation, OOS
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
Jul 8, 2025 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Jun 11, 2025 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Feb 23, 2022 Revoked
Property broker: reinstated -> revoked
Jan 7, 2020 Revoked
Motor property common carrier: reinstated -> revoked
May 27, 2014 Revoked
Motor property common carrier: reinstated -> revoked
Apr 28, 2014 Discontinued revocation
Broker: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Dec 9, 2013 Revoked
Property broker: granted -> revoked
Jun 24, 2013 Revoked
Household goods common carrier: reinstated -> revoked
Jun 24, 2013 Revoked
Motor property common carrier: reinstated -> revoked
Mar 27, 2013 Discontinued revocation
Common: 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 Southern Auto Transport Services INC reliable? Our read of the record
On the evidence, Southern Auto Transport Services INC looks like a reliable operator: operating since 1998 with zero federal complaints in the last four years, 1 registered truck. 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 780051 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 Florida
About Southern Auto Transport Services INC
Southern Auto Transport Services INC is a federally registered mover based in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, registered with FMCSA since November 1998. Federal filings show 1 power unit (trucks/tractors) and 1 driver.
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 780051, 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 SOUTHERN AUTO TRANSPORT SERVICES INC
Is Southern Auto Transport Services INC legit?
Southern Auto Transport Services INC has an active USDOT registration (780051). It has no federal complaints on record in the last 4 years.
Is Southern Auto Transport Services 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 Southern Auto Transport Services INC based?
3125 Lakewood Ranch Blvd Ste 104, Lakewood Ranch, FL 34211. Phone on file: (941) 722-3326. Registered with FMCSA since November 1998.
Sources: FMCSA Motor Carrier Census (registration, fleet), FMCSA Household Goods Complaint History via NCCDB (complaints, checked Jul 17, 2026). MoverAudit summarizes public federal records; it does not accuse any company of wrongdoing. Verify details at protectyourmove.gov.