Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/721587
FRAUD & SCAMS BY SONNY SMITH, DIRECTOR OF ASSURANCE SERVICES, TRUCKSTOP.COM Safetyis the New Normal T he trucking industry has become riddled with new rules and regulations over the last decade. While some have had an impact on brokers such as the increased bond or trust fund requirement from $10K to $75K, most new regulations have targeted our nation's truck drivers enforcing a much higher degree of accountability in safety and performance. Most of the new regulations imposed on carriers are clearly intended to improve the safety of our nation's highways. Driving a commercial motor vehicle requires a higher level of knowledge, experience, skills, and physical abilities than that required to drive a non-commercial vehicle. In order to hold a CDL, an applicant must pass both skills and knowledge testing geared to these higher standards. Driving a commercial vehicle is a big responsibility that is often taken for granted. e growth in the number of new regulations has resulted in a significant increase in the volume of information reported to our security department. Information is routinely fed to us from our many clients and from law enforcement officials alerting us to regulatory violations and other fraudulent activities taking place in the industry. A recent example included a scam to assist carriers in illegally obtaining a commercial driver's license (CDL). While obtaining a CDL has been a basic requirement for some time, many new carriers entering the truck-driving profession do not speak English and were able to simply pay for the answers to the tests in order to obtain their CDL. Another case involved truck driving schools who accepted money from individuals in order to obtain Class A CDLs without ever taking and passing the required written and behind- the-wheel driving tests. And DMV employees accepting bribes to falsify information necessary in issuing CDLs to individuals who were not qualified. It is estimated that as many as 500 CDL applicants acquired their license as a result of these schemes. Recently our security department received information about a company out of the Bakken Oil Fields who placarded their truck incorrectly. e truck was hauling a hazardous material which was flammable. e Bill of Lading did not indicate the proper product being shipped. During unloading, the material was ignited and burned for eight days placing many at risk because a hazmat regulation was ignored. Equipment safety regulations are necessary if we are to keep our highway system safe for all drivers and vehicle types. On May 14, 2013, Devasko Lewis, Corey Daniels, Lacey Lewis, and Calvin Outlaw were indicted in U.S. District Court in Macon, GA, for false statements and conspiracy to criminally violate an imminent hazard out-of-service order issued by the FMCSA. In October 2008, Devasko Lewis, doing business as Lewis Trucking Company, was placed under an order to cease all operations due to serious violations discovered during a compliance review conducted by the FMCSA aer a fatal crash in Alabama that killed seven Alabama prison guards. ese along with many other reports are accessible and free to all Truckstop.com subscribers under the "ALERTS" tab from the landing page on our website at www.trucktop.com. As we can see from these examples along with many others posted on our website, rules and regulations are not only here to stay, they are the "New Normal" and play a key role in keeping our highways safe and in promotiong healthy commerce. Sonny Smith is the Director of Assurance Services for Truckstop.com focusing on service and support management for Truckstop.com's CreditStop, CACCI, and CPR service offerings as well as cyber security. 22 IT MAGAZINE Vo l . 1 0 , N o . 5