The FMCSA yesterday announced the agency has ordered two “hazardous” carriers out of service.
Illinois-based carrier, Rhino Displays, and Georgia-based carrier, Prudential Carriers, Inc.,were shuttered after FMCSA investigations, “revealed numerous widespread violations of critical safety regulations.”
Rhino Displays
According to the FMCSA, in 2010, Rhino, a fireworks display company, wrote to the FMCSA and informed the agency that the company had closed the fireworks transportation portion of its business, however, the FMCSA alleges that on May 30, 2015, Rhino transported fireworks to a baseball stadium in Hannibal, Missouri.
In addition, FMCSA investigators found that the while under the load, the driver and the truck had multiple safety violations, “including: opened and improperly secured packages of fireworks; absence of a federally required fire extinguisher in the vehicle; presence of alcohol in the vehicle; the driver not possessing a commercial driver’s license (CDL), a hazardous materials endorsement, or a valid medical certificate; no records of duty status; no Hazardous Materials Safety Permit (HMSP); no hazmat placarding on the vehicle; and absence of required shipping papers.”
“The federal out-of-service order dated June 4, 2015, states ‘These widespread violations substantially increased the likelihood of serious injury or death to Rhino Display’s drivers and the public,’” the FMCSA states.
Prudential Carriers Inc.
In late May 2015, the FMCSA began investigating Prudential following the company’s recent involvement in crashes, including an incident on May 12, 2015 in which the FMCSA states Prudential Carriers Inc., instructed a driver to continue transporting a damaged, leaking load of canola oil on Interstate 75 in Georgia. As a result, 4 vehicle crashes occurred which were attributed to slick road conditions, the FMCSA states. The driver who was hauling the load was arrested.
“The federal out-of-service order dated June 5, 2015, states that the investigation ‘… uncovered widespread regulatory violations demonstrating Prudential’s repeated and egregious non-compliance with (federal safety regulations) and a management philosophy indifferent to motor carrier safety,'” the FMCSA states.
The out-of-service order cited the company for failure to ensure its trucks were randomly inspected, repaired and maintained; failure to ensure its drivers complied with HOS regulations; failure to company with driver qualifications and allowing unqualified drivers to operate a CMV.