A Houston-based trucking company that was put out of business for safety violations but reportedly tried resurrecting itself under a different name has been ordered to cease operating, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced.
The FMCSA on Thursday shut down both Pac Express LLC and Texas Interstate Express LLC after federal officials determined the two companies were related. The carriers were served a federal out-of-service order on Nov. 11, according to a news release.
Texas Interstate Express had 10 trucks and 10 drivers, while Pac Express had seven and five, respectively.
“[Their] … avoidance of compliance with the [safety regulations] and the out-of-service order substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death for your drivers and the motoring public if your operations are not discontinued immediately,” the FMCSA said.
Pac Express began operating in July after the FMCSA began to conduct a compliance investigation of Texas Interstate Express.
“FMCSA had identified Texas Interstate Express for investigation based on the carrier’s widespread violations documented by FMCSA and its partners during roadside inspections,” the federal agency said.
The violations included employing drivers who did not have CDLs and were prohibited from working for carriers in the FMCSA’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, using drivers without any records of duty status and allowing drivers to violate roadside out-of-service conditions.
While Texas Interstate Express was being investigated, the carrier shifted its operations over to Pac Express.
Texas Interstate Express had already been issued an out-of-service order for failing to comply with an investigation. The FMCSA did not specify when the carrier was issued an out-of-service order.
“In signed statements, two of Texas Interstate Express’ drivers stated to FMCSA that motor carrier officials at Texas Interstate Express and Pac Express instructed them to disregard being placed out of service for hours-of-service (HOS) violations and continue on with trips after the roadside inspectors were no longer monitoring them,” the agency said. “The same two drivers stated that they were also instructed to avoid inspections and bypass scales and that they would be dispatched on trips that could not be made within HOS rules and without speeding.”
FMCSA said Pac Express did not have programs to detect drivers’ use of controlled substances, ensure they were qualified and licensed, control their hours of service and ensure company vehicles were appropriately inspected and repaired.
Officials for both companies did not immediately respond to FreightWaves’ request for comment.
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Gregory Brown
Start the revolution ,evolutizie ,start from square one ,not saying, reinvent the wheel.private Corporation ,private owner operator are control of transportation industry, we should move from over regulated business companys burden red tape loop holes, it all simpler then that. For example ,under emergency conditions, frist marshal law, next step , with same system , upgraded in place ,private business only the equation = EXEMPTION.
Gregory Brown
Food for thought I seen it operations function one time. I know the key. [trucking exemption].
Attn Benjamin F Lopez.
Safe and legal
No short cuts
Smooth driver
They need to shut down investigate the FMCSA for too many regulations always targeting Trucking industry and never themselves. How many government drivers are driving fatigue with defective vehicles. They are always parked illegally probably sleeping and driving reckless illegal uturns etc to pull people over. Drug test all of the FMCSA and they should be held to a higher standard just like they tell us drivers.
Benjamin F Lopez
Just shut all trucking down things are to expensive any way these days!
Darlene Hicks
Gerin Carriers DFW needs some investigation cause they print inspections off the computer Much suspicious about this company
Justin DeAugustineo
If anyone is worried that they are not in compliance. Please reach out to me. My email is [email protected]. We will gladly look into your company and make sure you are taken care of before the FMCSA shuts you down too. Stay Safe out there.
ALAN
FMCSA with all the rules and regulations I agree to 99.9% of them the other percent I don’t I started driving tractor trailers when I got out of high school I’m now 60 years of age and I hung up my gloves because I had enough I’ve had enough of your BS so when you go to the supermarket and you keep up the message you’re doing and there’s no trucks there’s no drivers and you say wow I have no Similac I have no formula I have no toilet paper you need a reenactment of when the coronavirus hit when you went to the supermarket did you like it well me and hundreds of others drivers have had enough we hung up our gloves and said the best man win good luck to you so you think you have 30 new rookies out of school well you can go pull them out of the ditches and go search for them over the Ravine cuz they went off down the mountain you’re free your Amazon will never get where it’s supposed to be because it’s all over the highway you win I’m done I’ll go in the corner and beg for money like everybody else does
Rob
Good riddance idiots