Bison Transport (USA), Inc. 401(k) Review & Grade
Bison Transport (USA), Inc. Employees' 401(k) Plan
Amherst, WITransportation & Warehousing974 active participantsPlan year 2024
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$540Employer $ per active participant
$2,354Employee $ saved per active participant
0.16%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$41.3MNet plan assets, end of year
$64,460Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity15.0 / 5030th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost15.5 / 2562th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving5.7 / 1538th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features3 / 10Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-3 pts1 issue reported on the filing
Total score36 / 100 · Grade D
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (392 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 30th |
| Lower admin cost | 62th |
| Employee saving | 38th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
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Red flags from the filing
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $12,840 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Bison Transport (USA) put in about $540 per active participant, below the typical peer ($1,070). Any match is still an instant return, so contribute enough to get all of it.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $525,692 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $2,292,814 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $78,809 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $65,671 |
| Other admin expenses | $65,671 |
| Benefits paid out | $8,658,181 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $42.6M / $41.3M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,027 / 921 |
| Participants with account balances | 640 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Not reported |
| Auditor | Kerber Rose SC |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors, LLC | $31,875 reported compensation |
| Definiti LLC | $28,647 reported compensation |
| Nationwide | $19,948 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20260216153217NAL0005506755001, received 2026-02-16, EIN 33-1220981, plan #001, plan year 2024-07-01 to 2025-06-30. Verify at efast.dol.gov.