FMCSA Shuts Down Kansas Trucker

The U.S. Dept. of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued an Operations Out-of-Service Order (OOSO) to Curtis W. Hutchison, doing business as C. Hutchison Trucking, located in St. John, KS. The small five-truck fleet transported freight in and around Kansas and the Midwestern U.S. The Out-of-Service Order was issued for violations of several Federal Motor Carrier

Tim Parry

June 21, 2001

The Out-of-Service Order was issued for violations of several Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and failure to take follow-up corrective actions related to these violations. FMCSA said the carrier failed to implement a random drug and/or alcohol testing program; failed to maintain driver qualification files; failed to maintain driver record checks; failed to require drivers to make records of duty status; and failed to require drivers to prepare vehicle inspection reports.

Starting November 20, 2000, FMCSA began suspending the licenses of carriers that fail to maintain safety records properly or that had too many safety violations in their records.

“This new enforcement standard allows us to focus on carriers who do not take compliance and safety efforts seriously,” said Doug Swain, FMCSA’s Midwestern service center’s field administrator. “Our efforts to shut down unfit carriers should serve notice on those carriers and individuals who refuse to assume personal responsibility for their role in highway safety.”