Rhode Island Trucking Companies Sentenced for Ordering Truck Drivers to Falsify Safety Reports
The owners of two major trucking companies in Rhode Island have been sentenced to a year of probation and fined $1,250 for ordering their truck drivers to falsify vehicle inspection reports.
According to a report by the Providence Journal, the owners of trucking companies CDE Corporation and Winsor Hill Hauling and Recycling Corporation directed their employees to falsify vehicle inspection reports required by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Trucking companies and drivers routinely falsify logbooks and safety reports to cut business costs and maximize profits. Doing so is illegal in Rhode Island and any other state. If you suspect that someone may have falsified logbooks or safety reports, contact a Rhode Island car accident attorney from Robert E. Craven & Associates to investigate your case.
Owners of Trucking Companies Sentenced for Falsifying Safety Reports
The falsification of safety reports allowed the trucks in need of repair and maintenance to remain on the road, putting the lives of other motorists in danger. The trucking companies in question hauled tons of refuse and scrap metal through Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
The owners of the trucking companies were identified as Leslie Cucino, 54, and Robert Cucino Jr., 49. Both of the trucking companies are now closed.
The owners of these companies admitted to ordering their truck drivers over a period of several years to refrain from reporting safety defects on the inspection reports.
The unlawful conduct was discovered when state police in Rhode Island and Massachusetts pulled over the trucks operated by these companies and found defects and other safety issues on multiple occasions. In some cases, the safety issues included serious defects such as faulty brakes.
The owners of the trucking companies pleaded guilty to violating Transportation Department regulations and were sentenced by U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Lincoln C. Almond.
Why Do Trucking Companies and Drivers Falsify Trucking Logs?
Falsifying safety reports and failing to comply with federal trucking regulations increases the risk of car accidents. The trucking regulations, particularly the hours of service rules, are intended to prevent truckers from operating 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, and other large trucks for too many hours.
Unfortunately, as evident from the sentencing of the two owners of Rhode Island trucking companies, truckers are no strangers to falsifying safety reports and failing to comply with record-keeping regulations.
In many cases, the directive to falsify logbooks and safety reports comes directly from the trucking companies. In other instances, meanwhile, the truck driver chooses to falsify their trucking logs without the company’s knowledge.
However, these safety reports do not minimize the risk of drunk driving, which remains one of the most common causes of truck crashes in the U.S.
How to Minimize the Problem of Falsified Trucking Reports and Logs
The problem of trucking drivers falsifying reports is not new for the trucking industry, as many truck drivers in Rhode Island feel that the strict trucking regulations prevent them from making more deliveries, and, therefore, earning more income.
An increasing number of trucking companies have begun to use the so-called “black boxes,” the automatic onboard recording devices that minimize the risk of falsification. Regardless of why a truck driver was motivated to falsify trucking logs or reports, it is still illegal to do so.
If your motor vehicle crash involved a commercial truck, contact a Rhode Island car accident attorney from Robert E. Craven & Associates to investigate your case and determine whether the other party complied with the federal trucking regulations.
Call our offices at 401-453-2700 or fill out the contact form to get a free consultation.
Resource:
providencejournal.com/news/20190916/ri-trucking-company-owners-sentenced-for-ordering-drivers-to-falsify-safety-reports
