WASHINGTON, DC— The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has shut down Florida-based trucking company, Ken’s Trucking after a federal inspection.
The FMCSA declared the company an imminent hazard to public safety after an investigation revealed a number of violations of safety regulations.
"Safety is our highest priority and we will not allow truck and bus companies that disregard vital safety regulations to continue endangering the motoring public,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Businesses that transport commercial cargo are responsible for ensuring that their vehicles are properly maintained and safely operated by qualified and well-rested drivers at all times, and we will continue to vigorously enforce these standards to protect every traveler on our roads.”
Ken’s Trucking had operated 33 trucks and transported general freight and refrigerated food in the southeastern U.S.
In August, FMCSA launched a safety investigation into Ken’s Trucking. In the past year, the company’s trucks were involved in five recordable crashes, with two of the crashes attributable to maintenance deficiencies, including a broken driveshaft that fell onto the roadway and caused a collision with a passenger vehicle.
In another recent crash, one of the company’s drivers had a suspended commercial driver’s license (CDL) for previously testing positive for drugs.
In the past 12 months, the company’s 29 drivers received 15 citations for speeding and 10 citations for other traffic citations, according to FMCSA.
In its investigation, FMCSA found: The company failed to oversee and maintain driver qualification files, including medical certification and driving violation records; Allowed drivers who tested positive for drugs, who had a suspended CDL, or who had an expired medical certificate to operate commercial vehicles in interstate commerce; Failed to monitor drivers to ensure compliance with federal hours-of-service limitations to prevent fatigued driving; Failed to systematically inspect, repair and maintain commercial vehicles.
"Complying with federal safety regulations for commercial truck and bus companies is critical because in an instant, a seemingly minor infraction can result in a needless crash with tragic consequences,” said FMCSA Acting Administrator Scott Darling. “Our message is this: companies that choose to run outside the law and put the public at risk will be put out of business.”
