FMCSA Orders N.C. Trucking Firm Out of Service

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has shut down a North Carolina trucking company for failing to comply with multiple safety regulations, the agency announced Nov. 5.

FMCSA said it issued an out-of-service order last week against Moonlight Express, a small Cherryville-based freight carrier the agency deemed as an “imminent hazard to public safety,” according to a news release.

“We will continue to have zero tolerance for commercial truck and bus operators and their drivers who choose to ignore critical safety regulations that protect every traveler on our roadways,” FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro said in a statement.

The agency said owner Rocky Lee Brown committed multiple safety violations including allowing a driver to operate with a suspended commercial license on multiple occasions; not ensuring drivers followed hours-of-service rules, and not conducting random drug and alcohol tests as federal law requires.

The company also dispatched drivers before obtaining results from pre-employment drug screenings, according to FMCSA. An investigation in October found its five trucks did not meet safety standards and were not inspected, repaired or maintained as required by federal safety regulations.

Brown, the company’s owner, could not be reached for comment. Moonlight Express has 10 days from the date of the order to appeal.

FMCSA has issued out-of-service orders this year to 11 trucking companies and 26 bus operators. The agency also has declared 10 commercial drivers as imminent hazards and pulled them from service.