News Release

March 17, 2008

KCC assesses $69,500 in fines against 40 motor carriers

The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) assessed $69,500 in fines and penalties against 40 motor carriers for violations of Commission rules and regulations during the first-quarter of the state's fiscal year 2008 (July 1, 2007 to September 30, 2007). The violations were discovered during Safety Compliance Audits of 125 motor carriers, performed by the Commission's Transportation Division.

The Commission has fined the following motor carriers:

• Alan Bachman d.b.a. Al's Tree Service, McPherson, 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.
• Abell Sheet metal L.L.C., Olathe, Kans. $2,000 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle in intrastate commerce without first obtaining Private Motor Carrier operating authority and failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver.
• Albert E. Slinkard d.b.a. Aces Underground, Moline, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• Alex West d.b.a. Alex's Radiator & Repair, Goodland, Kans. $2,500 for four safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection, failure to maintain a record of inspection, repair and maintenance, and for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing a driver vehicle inspection report.
• Andy Hessman & Jerry Hessman, Dodge City, Kans. $1,000 for failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver.
• Chase Contractors Inc., Chanute, Kans. $1,000 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• Comet Corporation, Lawrence, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• Cody Woelk Brent Martin d.b.a. Richochet Ag Lines, Tribune, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• Cornejo & Sons Inc., Wichita, Kans. 4,000 for three safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle transporting hazardous material without first having documentation on file of hazardous material training for each driver, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection, and failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver.
• Cut-N-Edge Inc., Topeka, Kans. $2,000 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver, and failure to maintain a record of inspection, repair and maintenance.
• Diebolt Lumber and Supply Inc., La Harpe, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first having a valid medical examiners certificate.
• Enrique Pineda d.b.a. Pineda Trucking Inc., Garden City, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• Evergreen Pallet LLC, Wichita, Kans. $1,000 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection and for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• Finley Construction and Ready Mix Inc., Atwood, Kans. $11,500 for six safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first obtaining a current vehicle registration, failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection, failure to preserve supporting documentation for the record of duty status reports, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• Frontier Trucking LLC, Topeka, Kans. $1,500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• Green Acres Trucking LLC, Topeka, Kans. $1,500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to require drivers to prepare a record of duty status reports and for failure to maintain current motor vehicle records for each driver.
• G&T Transports LLC, WaKeeney, Kans. $2,000 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Hopp Inc., Sabetha, Kans. $2,500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports and failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver.
• Industrial Metal Fabrication Inc., Newton, Kans. $2,000 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Jason Heath d.b.a. J & J Tubular, Kiowa, Kans. $1,000 for failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program.
• Sammons & Son, Walnut, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• J.P. Pipeline Construction Inc., Inman, Kans. $3,000 for three safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle more than the allowed 11 hours without being off-duty 10 hours, allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after 14 hours on-duty without the required 10 hours off-duty, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without first obtaining Private Motor Carrier operating authority.
• Kaw Valley Greenhouses Inc., Manhattan, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• KB Inc., Topeka, Kans. $4,000 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Legacy Trailers Inc., Chanute, 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 a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• LMK Concrete Construction Inc., Lindsborg, Kans. $2,000 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• Mitchell Drilling USA Inc., Chanute, 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 a periodic inspection.
• Murphy Oil Company Inc., Olpe, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Overhead Door Company, Wichita, 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 operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• Patrick E. Perkins d.b.a. PEP Electric, Howard, 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 operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Royal Metal Industries Inc., Olathe, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Sheldon V. Carter d.b.a. Carter Farms Trucking, Belle Plaine, 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 first obtaining operating authority.
• Skinner Harvesting LLC, Emporia, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain current motor vehicle records for each driver.
• Sundance Equipment LLC, Newton, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain current motor vehicle records for each driver.
• Taylor Implement Company Inc., Hoxie, Kans. $2,500 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Tenoch Construction Inc., Fairway, Kans. $2,000 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain records of inspection, repair and maintenance, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Travis J. Littlejohn d.b.a. Apex Trucking Inc., Wichita, Kans. $2,000 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Trucks Unlimited Inc. d.b.a. Alvarado Auto Sales and Accessories, Garden City, Kans. $1,500 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver and failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports.
• Typed Letters Company LLC, Wichita, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Wolfe's Harvesting Inc., Lewis, Kans. $2,000 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.

The Transportation Division offers free 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 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 http://kcc.ks.gov 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.