Regulators have shut down Vermont-based Land Air Express after the carrier failed to respond to a unsatisfactory safety rating within the allotted 60-day time frame.
The company received the “unsatisfactory” safety rating following an FMCSA review back in October 2015. They were given 60 days to fix the issues or appeal the decision. They failed to do either, and were placed out-of-service by the regulatory agency on December 29th.
The company’s CEO, William Spencer, said they applied for an extension on the 60-day deadline, however, the FMCSA does not grant extensions on such rulings.
As a result, 344 truck drivers are currently out of work.
According to the FMCSA, the company received 327 inspections in the last two years and were found to have safety violations in at least 167 of them. The 330-truck carrier was also involved in 47 crashes in the last 2 years.
The FMCSA says the carrier may still appeal or correct the safety issues, but will remain out-of-service until appropriate action is taken. The company says they hope to be back on the road soon.
