FMCSA shuts down two carriers, one involved in deadly crash

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has shut down two fleets, General Trucking, Inc., Atlanta, GA, and Highway Star, Inc., Oak Park, MI, declaring the two operations imminent hazards to highway safety.

Highway Star’s closure came just weeks after one of its drivers was involved in a fatal accident that left six dead. On Mar. 2, 2013, Highway Star driver Ibrahim Fetic rear-ended a passenger vehicle on Interstate 65 in Hardin County, KY, killing six people and injuring two others. A post-crash investigation by FMCSA found that Fetic had been driving well in excess of hours-of-service regulations (HOS) and had falsified his record-of-duty status log.

FMCSA also found that Highway Star failed to require its drivers to comply with HOS regulations. It also allowed or required its drivers operating a commercial vehicle in Interstate commerce to falsify their records-of-duty status and failed to preserve these records, resulting in the carrier being unable to monitor its drivers’ compliance with regulations setting maximum hours of service and requiring off-duty and rest hours.

FMCSA also shut down General Trucking after its trucks were involved in a series of crashes. FMCSA’s investigation found a company-wide practice of violating federal safety regulations, including disregarding driver qualification requirements by dispatching unqualified drivers, inadequate monitoring and controlling of driver compliance with hours-of-service requirements, and dispatching and operating unsafe vehicles which were grossly overloaded.

A copy of the imminent hazard out-of-service order for Highway Star can be viewed at

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/about/news/2013/HighwayStar-IH-Order-signed.pdf

A copy of the imminent hazard out-of-service order for General Trucking can be viewed at www.fmcsa.dot.gov/documents/about/news/2013/GeneralTruckingInc.pdf