WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has declared 4 Life Transport Corporation an imminent hazard to public safety and ordered the Houston-based motor carrier to immediately cease all interstate and intrastate operations.
The motor carrier was served the Federal order on Feb. 11.
On Feb. 7, a driver operating for 4 Life Transport crashed in Utah and was killed.
That driver and the commercial motor vehicle he was operating were previously associated with Adversity Transport, Inc., another Houston-based motor carrier that FMCSA had placed out-of-service as an Imminent Hazard on Jan. 25.
An FMCSA review of 4 Life Transport, initiated the day its connection to Adversity Transport, Inc. was discovered, found the motor carrier to be egregiously noncompliant with multiple Federal safety regulations, including: controlled substances, alcohol use and testing; commercial driver’s license standards; driver qualification; driving of commercial motor vehicles; parts and accessories necessary for safe operations; hours of service of drivers; and vehicle Inspection, repair, and maintenance.
FMCSA said 4 Life Transport’s vehicle out-of-service rate is 100%, compared to a national average of 21% and its driver out-of-service rate is 67%, compared to a national average of 6%.
4 Life Transport failed to ensure its vehicles are safe and multiple roadside inspections revealed vehicle maintenance problems including unsafe tires, according to FMCSA.
FMCSA said the company also failed to ensure its drivers are qualified and drive safely – for example, its drivers have been cited for speeding and driving with a suspended license – and it fails to ensure its drivers comply with hours-of-service limits and recording requirements.
The agency’s imminent hazard out-of-service order states that 4 Life Transport’s “…complete and utter disregard for the [federal safety regulations] substantially increases the likelihood of serious injury or death for your drivers and the motoring public if your operations are not discontinued immediately.”
FMCSA Acting Administrator Robin Hutcheson commented, “Safety is FMCSA’s top priority, and there is never a more urgent task for the Agency than removing an imminent hazard motor carrier such as 4 Life from our Nation’s roadways.”
Failing to comply with the Federal imminent hazard order may result in civil penalties of up to $28,142 for each violation.
4 Life Transport may also be assessed civil penalties of not less than $11,256 for providing transportation in interstate commerce without operating authority registration, and up to $15,876 for operating a CMV in interstate commerce without USDOT Number registration. Knowing and/or willful violations may result in criminal penalties.
A copy of the imminent hazard order issued to 4 Life Transport Corporation is available here.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
