News Release

August 20, 2008

KCC assesses $63,500 in fines against 38 motor carriers

The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) assessed $63,500 in fines and penalties against 38 motor carriers for violations of Commission rules and regulations during the fourth-quarter of the state’s fiscal year 2008 (April 1, 2008 to June 30,2008). The violations were discovered during Safety Compliance Audits of 127 motor carriers, performed by the Commission’s Transportation Division.

The KCC is responsible to assure the public is not put at risk by motor carriers not adhering to safety rules and regulations by using defective equipment or employing unqualified or impaired drivers.

In fiscal year 2008 (July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008) 534 Safety Compliance Audits were performed. These audits revealed safety violations with 185 motor carriers, resulting in fines of $317,000.

The Commission has fined the following motor carriers:

• Andrew J. Servaes, Atchison, 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.
• Broken Horn Enterprises Inc. d.b.a. Platt Trucking, Iola, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• Carolyn S. Blenn d.b.a. Blenn Trucking Company, Westmoreland, Kans. $1,000 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle in excess of the allowed 70 hours in 8 consecutive days.
• C & D Trucking Inc., Inman, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• Charloma Inc., Cherryvale, 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.
• Chase Farms LLC, Abilene, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• Cheyenne Oil Service Inc., Ness City, Kans. $7,000 for six safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver, 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, without completing driver vehicle inspection reports, before all out-of-service violations had been satisfactorily repaired, and without having proper operating authority.
• Dale Barnes Trucking Inc., Clifton, Kans. $1,000 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle in excess of the allowed 70 hours in 8 consecutive days.
• Danny E. Patton d.b.a. Patton Truck & Equipment, Clearwater, Kans. $1,500 for three safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid medical examiners certificate, without completing driver vehicle inspection reports, and failure to maintain a record of inspection, repair and maintenance.
• D & D Transporting LLC, Wichita, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid medical examiners certificate.
• D & J Delivery LLC, Wichita, Kans. $1,000 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without proper operating authority.
• Dodge City Salvage Recycling Inc., Dodge City, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid medical examiners certificate.
• Ernesto P. Ornelas d.b.a. Tiger Trucking, Lakin, Kans. $1,000 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 without a periodic inspection.
• Evelyn A. Thohoff d.b.a. Thohoff Co., Iola, Kans. $6,000 for seven safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, maintain driver qualification files for each driver, require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports, maintain a record of inspection, repair and maintenance; allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without proper operating authority, without valid Kansas Registration, and without a periodic inspection.
• Feist Furniture and Design LLC, Lenexa, Kans. $2,000 for four safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver, to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports, to maintain a record of inspection, repair and maintenance; and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Florence Corporation of Kansas, Manhattan, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• Frontier Transportation LLC, Liberal, Kans. $1,000 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after 14 hours on-duty without the required 10 hours off-duty.
• Hatfield Trucking LLC, Atwood, Kans. $4,000 for four safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, maintain driver qualification files for each driver; allowing or requiring a driver to make false entries in record of duty status reports, and operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• HMS Enterprises Inc., Girard, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• Holland Paving Inc., Wichita, Kans. $1,500 for five safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver, failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports, allowing or requiring a driver to make false entries in record of duty status reports, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• Jan Wilkinson d.b.a. Wilkinson Trucking, Scott City, Kans. $5,000 for seven safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program and maintain driver qualification files for each driver; allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid commercial driver’s license, in excess of the maximum gross weight allowed, without completing driver vehicle inspection reports, without a periodic inspection, and to operate farm registered vehicles as common carriers intrastate.
• Jerry A. Standlee d.b.a. Convenient Water Co., Pittsburg, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• JF Aitken Enterprises Inc. d.b.a. Five Star Auto Sales, Coffeyville, Kans. $2,000 for three 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, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without proper operating authority.
• Kenney Development Company LLC, Lenexa, Kans. $2,500 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, failure to require drivers to prepare record of duty status reports, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• LJ Farms & Trucking LLC, Logan, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• Liberal Area Radiator Service & Towing LLC, Liberal, 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.
• Mary Company Inc., Topeka, Kans. $4,000 for five safety violations. The violations include failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program, maintain driver qualification files for each driver, maintain driver record of duty status reports, maintain a record of inspection, repair and maintenance, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• Penner Feed & Supply Inc., Inman, Kans. $2,500 for three safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver, allowing or requiring drivers to make false entries in record of duty status reports, and allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle after 14 hours on-duty without the required 10 hours off-duty.
• Pennyboy Transport Inc., Hanover, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without completing driver vehicle inspection reports.
• Pinkston House Moving LLC, Wichita, 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.
• Pittsburg Steel and Mfg Co Inc., Pittsburg, 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 driver qualification files for each driver.
• Rand Graphics Inc., Wichita, Kans. $1,000 for failure to maintain driver qualification files for each driver.
• RJM Trucking LLC, Almena, Kans. $2,000 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle in excess of the allowed 70 hours in 8 consecutive days and for failure to maintain supporting documentation for the record of duty status reports.
• Smilin D Farms Inc. d.b.a. 3 D Recycling, La Cygne, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.
• Stanley D. Steiner d.b.a. Banana Trucking, Galva, Kans. $500 for failure to maintain a current motor vehicle record for each driver.
• Vestcom New Century LLC, New Century, Kans. $1,500 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 proper operating authority.
• Woods Alfalfa Hay Company, Larned, Kans. $500 for allowing or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a valid medical examiners certificate.
• Woolsey Operating Company LLC, Wichita, Kans. $1,500 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 proper operating authority.

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 Division 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.