The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has ordered Jefferson, Ohio-based Garfield Trucking LLC to immediately cease operations, saying it's an imminent hazard to public safety.
On Oct. 4, a commercial vehicle operated by Garfield Trucking was stopped for an unannounced roadside safety inspection in Missouri. A total of 43 safety violations were recorded during the inspection, including 13 out-of-service violations, including multiple instances of improperly adjusted or inoperable brakes, defective brake components, cracked frame rails, load securement violations, and falsified hours-of-service log books.
It was further discovered that Garfield Trucking had been operating in violation of two separate out-of-service orders, one of which dated back to October 2014.
On Oct. 13, FMCSA investigators visited Garfield Trucking to conduct an unscheduled compliance review, where they observed an “out-of-business” announcement on the premises. The investigators left and also sent by express mail copies of a demand for access letter and an administrative subpoena for company documents. Garfield Trucking has yet to provide FMCSA safety investigators with access to the subpoenaed documents.
Violating an imminent hazard out-of-service order and operating without operating authority and a USDOT number may result in civil penalties up to $60,000 as well as a criminal penalty, including a fine of up to $25,000 and imprisonment not to exceed one year.
A copy of the imminent hazard out-of-service order can be viewed at http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/newsroom/Garfield-Trucking-IHOOS.
