News Release

March 21, 2007

KCC assesses $63,250 in fines against 47 motor carriers

The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) assessed $63,250 in fines and penalties against 47 motor carriers for violations of Commission rules and regulations during the second-quarter of the state's fiscal year 2007 (October 1, 2006 to December 31, 2006). The violations were discovered during Safety Compliance Audits of 144 motor carriers, performed by the Commission's Transportation Division.

The Commission has fined the following motor carriers:

• AAA Van Lines Inc., Overland Park, Kans. $1,000 for failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver employed.
• Action Wrecker Inc., Wichita, Kans. $1,000 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first obtaining operating authority.
• Angel Lopez Distribution Inc., Wichita, Kans. $5,500 for five safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain driver qualification files, failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports, allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report, and operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Atchison Wholesale Grocery Inc., Atchison, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first having a valid medical examiners certificate.
• Bernard E. Edward, Wichita, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first having a valid medical examiners certificate.
• B.K. Equipment Company Inc., Ottawa, Kans. $1,500 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 without a periodic inspection.
• Bryant & Bryant Construction Inc., Halstead, Kans. $5,000 for seven 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 receiving a negative controlled substance test, failure to conduct a post accident alcohol test, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid commercial class A license, failure to maintain driver qualification files, failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports and allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• Bud Roat Inc., Wichita, Kans. $1,000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver and for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Capital Distributing Company Inc., Topeka, Kans. $1,000 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid commercial operators license.
• Cardie Oil Inc., Tampa, Kans. $2,000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver and failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports.
• Charles E. Carpenter, Westphalia, Kans. $1,000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver and for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Coleman Materials LLC, Wichita, Kans. $1,500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid commercial class A license.
• Infinity Enterprises Pallets LLC, Dodge City, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Craig Michael Zimmerman d.b.a. Big Red Z Distributing, Wichita, Kans. $250 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• CR Ventures Crate Tech Inc., Wichita, Kans. $1,000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Curt's Engine & Machine LLC, Ulysses, Kans. $2,000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program and failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports.
• Darrel G. Sattler, Newton, Kans. $2,000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program and failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports.
• Edgar & Jacque Jantzen d.b.a. Jantzen Water Well Repair, Cimarron, Kans. $1,500 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 without first having a valid medical examiners certificate.
• Fleet Transportation Specialists LLC, Overland Park, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without proper operating authority.
• Freedom In Christ Trucking Inc., Lawrence, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver employed.
• George A. Jones d.b.a. Cheko International, Syracuse, Kans. $2,500 for three safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without operating authority and without a periodic inspection, and failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program.
• Heartland Energy Inc., Girard, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver employed.
• Huber Sand Inc., Garden City, Kans. $3,000 for failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports.
• Hurricane Truck Services Inc., Wichita, Kans. $1,000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed.
• Kevin Raasch d.b.a. Trans Masters, Lawrence, Kans. $2,000 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver and to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports, and allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• King's Moving & Storage Inc., Wichita, Kans. $1,500 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver and allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report and without a periodic inspection.
• Louisburg Tractor Boyz LLC, Louisburg, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Magemj Corporation d.b.a. Portable Logistics, Shawnee, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Markley Service Inc., Marion, Kans. $1,500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program and failure to maintain complete driver qualification files.
• McAlister Transportation LLC, Wellington, Kans. $2,000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program and failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports.
• Oliver Electric Construction Inc., Lawrence, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain current motor vehicle records for each driver employed.
• Paul A. Shellito d.b.a. Shellito Trucking, Halstead, Kans. $1,000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program.
• Peterson Trucking Inc., Hugoton, Kans. $2,000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program and failure to maintain complete driver qualification files.
• Powdertech LLC, Wichita, Kans. $1,500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid commercial class A license.
• Prairie Land Services Inc., Wichita, Kans. $1,500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain complete driver qualification files and driver record of duty status reports.
• Rafter 2 Cattle Company LLC, Liberal, Kans. $500 for failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports.
• Robert A. Schmidt d.b.a. D & R Transport, Andover, Kans. $1,000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program.
• Ronald A. Weber d.b.a. Weber Farms Trucking, St. John, Kans. $3,500 for four safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle in excess of the allowed 11 hours without being off-duty 10 hours, to operate a commercial motor vehicle after 14 hours on-duty without being off-duty the required 10 hours, to make false entries in the record of duty status report, and to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• R & S Automotive LLC, Atchison, Kans. $1,000 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver without a valid medical examiners certificate to operate a commercial motor vehicle and to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• Swart-Park Motors Inc., Oakley, Kans. $1,000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain current motor vehicle records for each driver and allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• Tholen's Heating and Cooling Inc., Iola, Kans. $1,000 for failure to maintain a complete driver qualification file for each driver employed.
• Tri-Chem Chemical Co. Inc., Chanute, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain current motor vehicle records for each driver employed.
• TT&T Salvage & Towing Service Inc., Richmond, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver without a valid medical examiners certificate to operate a commercial motor vehicle.
• Value Place LLC, Wichita, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain current motor vehicle records for each driver employed.
• Wade LaForte d.b.a. Overnight Express, St. Paul, Kans. $1,000 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver without a valid medical examiners certificate to operate a commercial motor vehicle and to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Water Haulers LLC, Attica, Kans. $1,000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program.
• Wiechman Bush Tire Inc., Wichita, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver employed.

The KCC Transportation Division offers free safety compliance seminars. The seminars are held weekly on a rotating basis in Topeka, Hutchinson, Hays, and Garden City. The seminars, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and lasting approximately two hours, are presented by Commission 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.

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.