FMCSA Takes Minnesota Bus Company Off the Road For Safety Violations

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has put a Lakeville, Minnesota, bus company out of service for safety violations ranging from equipment deficiencies to hours-of- service compliance and record keeping.

The agency said June 24 that safety investigators found On Eagles Wings Charters Inc. “had failed to ensure that its buses were systematically inspected, repaired and maintained.”

Inspectors found 40 safety violations, including inoperative brakes, broken frame rails and a damaged windshield, FMCSA said.

“Investigators also found that that the company had failed to ensure that its drivers were properly qualified, licensed and adhering to federal hours-of-service limitations to prevent fatigued driving,” the agency said.

“On Eagles Wings Charters was cited for missing records of duty status, exceeding hours-of-service limitations and falsifying records of duty status.”

Owner Mike Ladue told Transport Topics that he has hired a consultant to do a safety audit and a new insurance company to help the 10-unit bus company comply with federal safety standards.

“We cut some corners on a bad weekend, and we made some mistakes, but the safety management cycle, we are implementing as we speak, so, we’re going to get this stuff corrected,” Ladue said. “We’ve already corrected a lot of it, but they still chose to shut us down.”