Unsafe trucking companies that have been placed out-of-service in Georgia face very few hurdles to reopen under a new company name.
“The barriers to starting a trucking company are low, according to a review by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that found problems with industry oversight. Carriers that stay within Georgia’s boundaries face no minimum insurance requirements. Interstate trucking companies can be dispatching rigs for up to 18 months before getting a safety review, while those that don’t cross state lines may never face one,” The Trucker reported.
In 2008, a Georgia truck driver caused a crash in Alabama that resulted in seven deaths. Devasko Lewis, owned the company the driver was working for. Officials placed Lewis’ company out-of-service and Lewis was told not to start another company.
Just three years later, the D.O.T. shut down another one of Lewis’ trucking companies after 129 violations were found during 5 roadside inspections of Lewis’ trucks.
In an already over-regulated industry, trucking officials argue over whether more oversight of the process may lead to safer roads.
“It’s a false argument to say that the regulations need to be more strict,” said Gary Petty, president of the National Private Truck Council. He said he deregulation promotes competition and efficiency and called the industry safer.