News Release

May 31, 2007

KCC assesses $126,000 in fines against 56 motor carriers

The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) assessed $126,000 in fines and penalties against 56 motor carriers for violations of Commission rules and regulations during the third-quarter of the state's fiscal year 2007 (Jan 1, 2007 – March 31, 2007). The violations were discovered during Safety Compliance Audits of 162 motor carriers, performed by the Commission's Transportation Division.

The Commission has fined the following motor carriers:

• ALC Enterprises Inc. d.b.a. J & J Fence, Wichita, Kans. $2,500 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, a periodic inspection, and private carrier operating authority; and failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver
• Acme Scrap Inc., Great Bend, Kans. $2,000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program and to maintain driver qualification files for each driver employed.
• Allied Cementing Co. Inc., Russell, Kans. $28,000 for eight safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle while an emergency order suspending all hazardous material operations was in effect. And for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle more then 14 hours without 10 hours off-duty, more then 70 hours in 8 consecutive days, without completing a driver vehicle inspection report, and without inspecting and testing a cargo tank; and for failure to require drivers to submit records of duty status within 13 days.
• Bartel Well Drilling Inc., Meade, Kans. $1000 for failing to maintain driver qualification files for each driver employed.
• Black Gold Inc., Topeka, 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.
• Broadway Lumber Company Inc., Pittsburg, 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.
• Circle R. Trucking Inc., Canton, Kans. $1,500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver employed and failing to require drivers to submit record of duty status within 13 days.
• Colby Lee Teegardin d/b/a Teegardin Transport, Emporia, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Cornerstone Trucking Company L.L.C., Gardner, Kans. $1,000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed.
• Dan Highberger d.b.a. Lazy H Trucking, Westphalia, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• Donald A. Frasier d.b.a. Don's Auto Body, Burr Oak, 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.
• Dreamscapes Landscapes & Irrigation Inc., Lawrence, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid medical examiners certificate.
• Dynamic Industries Inc., d.b.a. Dynamic Transportation, Wichita, Kans. $1,500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program and maintain complete driver qualification files.
• The Fagan Company, Kansas City, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• Foster's Tool Service LLC d.b.a. David Foster Jr., Waverly, Kans. $1,000 for allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without preparing record of duty status report.
• Gary W. Vohs, Paola, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain complete driver qualification files for each driver employed.
• Greg Lange and Aaron Lange, Conway Springs, Kans. $1,500 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection and without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• Gibson Recycling, Emporia, Kans. $2,000 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without having operating authority, a valid medical examiners certificate, and without a periodic inspection.
• G.W. Van Keppel Co. Inc., Kansas City, Kans. $3,000 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without preparing a record of duty status report and without a periodic inspection.
• Heartland Wall Panels Inc., Ottawa, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Heartland Towing Inc., El Dorado, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid medical examiners certificate.
• High Plains Land and Cattle L.C., Ellinwood, Kans. $3,000 for four safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, to maintain current motor vehicle records for each driver; and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without operating authority and without a periodic inspection.
• Hurricane Truck Services Inc., Wichita, Kans. $1,000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed.
• Hayes Retail Group Inc. d.b.a. Cherry Orchard Furniture, Wichita, Kans. $2,500 for four safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain complete driver qualification files and motor vehicle maintenance records; allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without preparing a record of duty status report and operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Jay Ridder, Leoti, Kans. $2,500 for four safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, maintain complete driver qualification files; allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without preparing a record of duty status report and operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Jody L. Chaplin and Loretta L. Chaplin d.b.a. J & L Trucking and Services, Wichita, Kans. $8,500 for four safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid medical examiners certificate, falsifying record of duty status reports, and for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after being declared out of service.
• JR & Company Inc., Topeka, 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 current motor vehicle records for each driver employed.
• KBK Industries, Rush Center, Kans. $2,000 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain current motor vehicle records for each driver employed and for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• K C & D Enterprises LLC, Osage City, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain current motor vehicle records for each driver employed.
• Keith Giesbrecht d.b.a. K & G Harvesting and Trucking, Deerfield, Kans. $6,500 for five safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, allowing or requiring an under age driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle more then 11 hours following 10 hours off-duty and beyond the 14th hour without 10 hours off-duty.
• Lee Stroud d.b.a. Missouri West Express, Arcadia, Kans. $2,000 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain complete driver qualification files and motor vehicle maintenance records; and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Lloyd A. Coons, Columbus, Kans. $1,000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed.
• MAB Trucking LLC, Garden City, Kans. $4,000 for six safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain complete driver qualification files, falsifying the record of duty status reports, and failure to retain driver record of duty status reports for the prior six months; and allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without preparing a record of duty status report and operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Manhattan Ice and Cold Storage Inc., Manhattan, Kans. $1,500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain complete driver qualification files for each driver employed and allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without preparing a record of duty status report.
• Mark Bantam d.b.a. Ag-Air, Goodland, Kans. $1,000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed.
• Mark Dill d.b.a. Mark Dill Harvesting, Neosho Rapids, 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 medical examiners certificate.
• Mark LLC, Topeka, Kans. $2,000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain complete driver qualification files for each driver employed and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle beyond the 14th hour without 10 hours off-duty.
• Michael S. Brady d.b.a. Crew Cut Landscape & Lawn Service, Wichita, Kans. $3,000 for four safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, maintain complete driver qualification files; allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection and without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• MTM Transportation Inc., Kansas City, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• Nites Transportation Services Inc., Oak Grove, Kans. $2,000 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 operating authority.
• Nowak Construction Co. Inc., Goddard, Kans. $1,000 for failure to maintain complete driver qualification files for each driver employed.
• Phoenix Wireline Inc., Larned, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid medical examiners certificate.
• Poston & Associates Inc. d.b.a. Miracle Signs, Wichita, Kans. $1,000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program.
• Preferred Foam Insulation Inc., Burrton, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Rafter 2 Cattle Company, Liberal, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• Ramsey Oil Hutchinson Inc., Nickerson, Kans $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid medical examiners certificate.
• Robert Smock d.b.a. LJS Express, Grantville, Kans. 1,000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed.
• Roger L. Williams d.b.a. Florence Elevator, Florence, Kans. $2,000 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 operating authority.
• Ronald A. Weber d.b.a. Weber Farms Trucking, Saint John, Kans. $5,500 for four safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle more then 11 hours without being off-duty 10 hours, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle beyond the 14th hour without being off-duty 10 hours, falsifying a record of duty status reports, and for allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• Ronnie Diehl Construction Inc., Salina, Kans. $5,000 for four safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report and without preparing a record of duty status report, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle in such condition as to likely cause an accident, and for failure to maintain complete driver qualification files.
• Smoky Hill Transportation Inc., Abilene, Kans. $2,000 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain current motor vehicle records for each driver employed, and failure to maintain motor vehicle maintenance records.
• Steven W. Brumback II d.b.a. Brumback Trucking, Fort Scott, Kans. $3,000 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid medical examiners certificate and without operating authority.
• Steve Rhea d.b.a. S. Rhea Trucking, Galva, Kans. $1,000 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without operating authority.
• Steve Wells d.b.a. Wells Custom Harvesting, Leoti, Kans. $2,500 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program for each driver employed, failure to maintain complete driver qualification files, and for improperly using a farm registered vehicle.
• Thoele Foundations LLC, La Cygne, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• Tow Service Inc., Wichita, Kans. $1,000 for failure to require a driver to submit to a post accident alcohol test.

The Transportation Division offers free compliance seminars. The seminars are held weekly on a rotating basis in Topeka, Hutchinson, Hays, and Garden City. The four-hour 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.

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.