Earlier this week, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced that it was issuing an out-of-service order against a Houston, Texas-based trucking company for a seemingly surreal reason. The company, JPL Logistics LLC, had been previously served an out-of-service just 24 days earlier under a different legal name and USDOT number. This is a tactic I expect from a drunk college student kicked out of a bar, not a company sending 35,000-pound trucks onto the nation’s highways.
Jaypur Logistics LLC initially received an out-of-service order after being deemed an imminent hazard to public safety by the FMCSA. The company allowed six drivers to work for the company after being listed on the FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse and prohibited driving commercially. Jaypur’s drivers have been cited twice for operating under the influence and three times for possession of drugs or alcohol while on duty.
The FMCSA also noted that Jaypur Logistics did not have any program to ensure that its drivers were licensed, detect and deter the use of controlled substances by drivers, or even inspect vehicles. Jaypur was apparently unaware that it even hauled hazardous materials.
The out-of-service order compels Jaypur to cease all interstate and intrastate operations immediately. I’m sad to say that the truck company did the exact opposite of ceasing operations. Jaypur Logistics LLC changed its name to JPL Logistics LLC to avoid the order and continue operations. Authorities stopped a Jaypur driver on the same day the order was issued, and the driver was given JPL’s USDOT number to finish the journey.
The complete disregard for the rule of law from Jaypur Logistics is appalling. It is genuinely surprising that no one has been harmed or killed in a road incident involving one of its vehicles. Jaypur may be subject to fines of around $30,000 for each violation of the out-of-service order, but that might not be enough.
