Fines totaling $26,200 were handed down to 19 Kansas-based trucking companies over a three-month period.

The Kansas Corporation Commission assessed the fines and penalties for violations of Commission rules and regulations during the first quarter of the state’s fiscal year 2005, which runs from July 1, 2004, to Sept. 30, 2004. The violations were discovered during safety compliance audits of 136 motor carriers, performed by the commission’s transportation division.

According to a commission news release, some of the companies receiving fines and penalties are:

• JSB Landservice LLC, Colwich, KS, was fined $7,000 for three safety violations. The violations included failure to implement an alcohol and/or controlled substance testing program; failure to maintain a complete driver qualification file on each driver employed; and for allowing, permitting or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a record of duty status in the prescribed form and manner.
• Steve Workman, St. Francis, KS, was fined $3,000 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing, permitting or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle over the maximum allowable weight limits and without completing a driver vehicle inspection report in the prescribed form and manner.
• Rodimiro Espino, doing business as Espino Trucking based in Garden City, KS, was fined $2,000 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing, permitting or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle before receiving a negative pre-employment substance test; and allowing, permitting or requiring a driver to complete a trip without completing a driver vehicle inspection report in the prescribed form and manner.
• Wittig Transport Inc., McPherson, KS, was fined $1,500 for two safety violations. The violations include allowing, permitting or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle more than 11 hours without 10 hours off-duty and beyond the 14th hour following 10 hours off-duty.
• Ostmeyer Enterprises Inc., Oberlin, KS, was fined $1000 for two safety violations. The violations include failure to maintain a complete driver qualification file on each driver employed; and for allowing, permitting, or requiring a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle without a periodic inspection.