News Release 05-10

KCC assesses $57,450 in fines against 39 motor carriers

The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) assessed $57,450 in fines and penalties against 39 motor carriers for violations of Commission rules and regulations during the third-quarter of the state’s fiscal year 2005 (January 1, 2005 to March 31, 2005). The violations were discovered during Safety Compliance Audits of 145 motor carriers, performed by the Commission’s Transportation Division.

The Commission has fined the following motor carriers:

Tim Moritz d/b/a/ Moritz Contracting, Tribune, KS $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.

Larry Teeter d/b/a Teeter Trucking, Grinnell, KS $1250 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program and for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle in intrastate commerce without first obtaining intrastate for-hire operating authority.

Lonestar Automotive, Pittsburg, KS $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle in intrastate commerce without first obtaining intrastate for-hire operating authority.

Northstar Comfort Service, Inc., Wichita, KS $1250 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver employed, allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report, and for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.

M W Fritch Trucking, Inc., Burrton, KS $1000 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after 14 hours without 10 hours off duty and for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after being on duty 70 hours in 8 days.

Juan Ortiz d/b/a A-J Trucking, Garden City, KS $1000 for failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver employed.

Woofer Pump & Well, Inc., Hoxie, KS $2250 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first having a valid medical examiners certificate, and failure to make a record of duty showing the start time, end time and total hours.

AAA Van Lines, Inc., Overland Park, KS $1500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver employed and failure to make a record of duty showing the start time, end time and total hours.

Nusser Oil Company, Jetmore, KS $1000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed.

Delbert Davidson d/b/a D Davidson Dump Trucking, Hoyt, KS $2500 for four safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record, failure to make a record of duty showing the start time, end time and total hours, and allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.

Victoria J. Zanghi d/b/a Top Cut Hay, Santana, KS $1000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed.

Medical Couriers of Kansas City Corp., Overland Park, KS $1000 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle with a suspended drivers license.

Regal Distributing Co., Inc. d/b/a DSD Service Corp., Shawnee Mission, KS $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report in the prescribed form and manner.

Stucks Trucking, Inc., Abbyville, KS $2500 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to make false entries on his record of duty status and failure to maintain minimum records of vehicle inspection and maintenance.

Tarbet Construction Co., Inc., Ulysses, KS $1000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed.

Vision Woodworks LLC, Cherryvale, KS $500 for failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver employed.

Parsons Farms Trucking L.L.C., Anthony, KS $250 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first having a valid medical examiners certificate.

Conspec, Inc., Sylvia, KS $3250 for five safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed, failure to implement the required post accident substance and alcohol test, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first having a valid medical examiners certificate, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after 14 hours without 10 hours off duty, and for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.

J A M Equipment LLC, Sylvia, KS $1000 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after 14 hours without 10 hours off duty.

Randal R. Shearer d/b/a Shearer Transport, Almena, KS $750 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce without retaining any bills of lading from the loads transported.

Elmer & Yvonne Zimmerman d/b/a Zimmerman Repair, Hoxie, KS $2000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed and failure to periodically inspect the cargo tank.

Hall Trucking, Inc. d/b/a Steve Hall, Hutchinson, KS $750 for failure to implement the required post accident substance and alcohol test.

Key Refrigeration Supply of Kansas City LLC d/b/a Key Refrigeration Supply, Lenexa, KS $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.

Wagner Interior Supply Company, Kansas City, KS $1500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed and failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record.

Nathanael Martin d/b/a N.R. Martin Trucking, Conway Springs, KS $1000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed.

Orrick Trailer Services LLC, Kansas City, KS $1500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed and for allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report in the prescribed form and manner.

Schreiner’s, Inc., Ogallah, KS $1500 for three safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report, failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first having a valid medical examiners certificate.

Scott Dinger d/b/a Belvue Truck & Auto, Wamego, KS $1500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed and allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.

H & P Trucking, Inc., Coats, KS $3500 for four safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first having a valid medical examiners certificate, two counts of allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after 14 hours without 10 hours off duty, and for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after being on duty 70 hours in 8 days.

Dennis Chinn, Pratt, KS $1000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed.

Great Plains Fluid Service, Inc. d/b/a Terry Unruh, Greensburg, KS $9500 for ten safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a cargo tank endorsement, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first having a valid medical examiners certificate, failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver employed, failure to require driver to prepare a record of duty report, allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after being on duty 70 hours in 8 days, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after 14 hours without 10 hours off duty, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after 11 hours driving without 10 hours off duty, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle with an out-of-service defect listed on the driver vehicle inspection report, and for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.

Davis & Sons, Inc. d/b/a WEEKENDS Furniture & Sleep Shop, Derby, KS $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first having a valid medical examiners certificate.

Curtis Vanderveen d/b/a Vanderveen Trucking, Prairie View, KS $2000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to require driver to prepare a record of duty report and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle in commerce with a gross combination vehicle weight in excess of the maximum gross weight allowed by law.

Alan Stinemetz d/b/a Triple S Farm Supply, Hanston, KS $1500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed and for failure to maintain records of duty status and all supporting documentation for six months from the date of receipt.

Daddy Lowbucks, Inc. d/b/a Midwest Fireplace, Olathe, KS $1500 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver employed, allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.

Justin D. Sage d/b/a Justin’s Backhoe Service, Madison, KS $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first having a valid medical examiners certificate.

Koss Construction Company, Topeka, KS $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver employed.

Prairie King, LLC, Pretty Prairie, KS $500 for failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver employed.

Reliable Transfer & Storage Co., Inc., d/b/a Dennie J. Bayer, Manhattan, KS $1700 for three safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle in intrastate commerce without first obtaining intrastate for-hire operating authority, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first having a valid medical examiners certificate.

The Transportation Division offers free compliance seminars. The seminars are held in Topeka, Hutchinson, Hays, and Garden City. All meetings begin at 9:00 a.m. and last approximately two hours. These seminars are presented by the Commission’s Transportation staff and are designed to help motor carriers comply with Safety and Economic Regulations. The seminar schedule is available on the Commission’s website at www.kcc.state.ks.us or by calling 785.271.3231 for information.

The KCC Transportation Division is responsible for regulating public and private motor carriers in Kansas. The Commission’s goal is to ensure appropriate and effective regulation and oversight of motor carriers and protect the public interest and safety.