An Australian trucking company has been slapped with more than 1,000 charges for forcing its drivers to exceed the maximum number of hours on the road allowed by law.

The Courier-Mail of Brisbane, Queensland,Australia, reported that the charges filed against Harker Transport represent the largest number of charges yet to be issued under Australia’s chain-of-responsibility laws.

Harker was first investigated in 2001 after one of its drivers was charged with “dangerous driving causing death” after having fallen asleep at the wheel.

The Courier-Mail reported that, in March 2004, Harker pleaded guilty to 46 chargers of drivers working behind the wheel longer than the 12-hour daily maximum outlined by the law of the province of Queensland.

Queensland enacted the 12-hour limit in 2002 and also created laws providing legal protection for drivers who provided information against trucking companies engaged in illegal activities.

The Courier-Mail reported that the charges against Harker are part of a province-wide crackdown on companies that force their drivers to exceed hours limits and that other firms in Queensland could face similar charges.