Missouri Trucking Companies With the Most FMCSA Violations (2024 List)
FMCSA, or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, is the watchdog making sure commercial truckers follow safety rules. We’re talking hours of service logs, vehicle maintenance, driver qualifications, and all kinds of other regulations designed to keep roads safer for everyone. The FMCSA assigns violations, hands out fines, and can even yank a company’s operating authority when things go really bad.
Now, if a Missouri-based trucking company racks up a lot of violations in 2024, that’s a red flag. Large commercial trucks have the potential to cause major damage in the event of an accident. Injured victims, insurers, and truck accident lawyers should pay attention to FMCSA violations because they can become vital evidence in personal injury cases.
Missouri Trucking Companies & FMCSA 2024 List
There are helpful resources like the online Violation Tracker, which pulls together data on FMCSA-related violations tied to various trucking companies. For Missouri in 2024, here’s a peek at some names that popped up, along with the amounts associated with their violations:
- Lan Tel Communications and Underground Services Inc.: $39,870
- Aa Express & Logistics LLC: $37,080
- Missouri Carrier Logistics LLC: $21,600
- RLS Trucking Inc.: $18,780
- S & J Potashnick Transportation Inc.: $17,360
- Jim’s Disposal Service LLC: $24,800
- BjG Cattle Co LLC: $31,490
- Dillon Sonderegger: $15,710
- Vip Distributing Co: $15,710
- Gaines Landscaping Inc.: $15,880
- McKay’s Hauling Co., Inc.: $10,430
Recognize some of the names in this Missouri trucking FMCSA list 2024? Maybe or maybe not. But what’s clear is that these are among the trucking companies that have a history of violating critical safety regulations, which could contribute to devastating truck accidents.
Top Missouri FMCSA Violations 2024
The Violation Tracker is useful because it aggregates data about numerous widespread violations, which can put real people in harm’s way. Some of the typical trucking company violations of the federal safety regulations include:
- One of the most common is Hours-of-Service (HOS) violations. This involves drivers skipping required breaks, pushing past legal driving limits, and ending up fatigued behind the wheel.
- Then there are recordkeeping lapses, which include things like incomplete or falsified driver logs, missing inspection reports, or poorly documented maintenance.
- Vehicle maintenance failures are another big one. Skipping routine brake checks, ignoring tire wear, or letting safety equipment fall into disrepair can have serious consequences.
- You also see drug and alcohol testing violations. This may include a failure to conduct mandatory tests, ignore failed results, or allow unqualified drivers to keep operating.
- Other frequent problems? Unqualified drivers operating without proper commercial driver’s licenses, overloaded trucks carrying more weight than legally allowed, improper cargo securement that lets loads shift dangerously during transit, and speeding or reckless driving citations.
- In some cases, trucking companies are caught failing to train drivers adequately, leading to preventable errors on the road. And occasionally, there are hazardous materials handling violations, which involve the transportation of dangerous goods without following proper labeling, storage, and routing procedures.
Every one of these violations is a sign of corners being cut. For someone injured in a trucking accident, documented proof of these failures can turn a difficult legal fight into a much stronger claim for damages.
Why These Numbers Tell a Bigger Story
FMCSA violation penalty amounts may feel relatively small, but let’s talk about why they matter in real terms:
- Scale of negligence or oversight: If a company racked up nearly $40,000 in FMCSA penalties, that suggests serious or repeated violations and not just a one-off glitch.
- Risk signals for communities: If you’re a Missourian sharing the road with one of these trucks, or someone who trusts the roads to be safe, that matters.
- Evidence in the courtroom: In injury cases, if you show that a carrier had prior violations, it strengthens your claim and helps establish negligence per se.
- Regulatory pressure: The FMCSA doesn’t hand out fines lightly. These are usually calculated after investigations or inspections have confirmed violations.
A trucking company’s record of FMCSA violations and egregious non-compliance can show a pattern of a management philosophy indifferent to safety, where meeting deadlines mattered more than protecting lives.
A Closer Look: Piecing Together the Why
Let’s “zoom in” on a few names for more insight:
Lan Tel Communications & Underground Services Inc.
Near $40k in penalties. Maybe they do have a history of inspection failures or maintenance lapses related to their fleet. That’s a hint of systemic issues.
Aa Express & Logistics LLC
Over $37k, which is large enough that enforcement might have been triggered by repeated or severe infractions like unsafe driving or maintenance neglect.
McKay’s Hauling Co., Inc.
A lower total ($10,430), but still meaningful. It could be a bad inspection, repeated logbook violations, or insufficient or falsified maintenance logs.
Each of these tells a story. You don’t necessarily need to dig up the full FMCSA case history to spot patterns. Just knowing who is on that list and the size of their fines helps. Plus, these are concrete, verifiable data points that highlight the risks on the road due to negligent trucking companies.
What You Can Do with This Data
- Check the FMCSA or Violation Tracker before hiring or doing business with a trucking firm.
- Use violations as talking points when advocating for safety changes or community scrutiny.
- In personal injury claims, violations bolster negligence cases when it comes to demonstrating duty and breach through regulation violations (negligence per se).
Types of Evidence a Missouri Truck Accident Attorney Will Find to Prove the Fault of the Trucking Company
When a serious injury results from a crash with a big rig, the trucking company may try to frame it as just “driver error.” But the truth is, several crashes are tied to decisions made higher up the chain and failure of the employer’s duty status.
A good Missouri truck accident attorney knows how to dig up the kind of proof that points the finger right where it belongs: the trucking company’s own policies and practices. That can include:
- Dispatch and delivery schedules: Showing the company set impossible timelines that practically forced drivers to speed or skip legally required rest breaks
- Messages between dispatchers & drivers: Emails, texts, or in-cab communications that pressured drivers to “push through” even when they were tired or the truck had known issues
- Maintenance and inspection records: Logs that reveal repairs were delayed (such as a truck with broken taillights), inspections skipped, or trucks sent out with problems that should have been fixed
- Cargo loading documents: Proof the company overloaded trailers or failed to secure freight properly, making the truck harder to control
- Hiring and training files: Showing they put unqualified drivers behind the wheel or didn’t provide the safety training required by law
- Pay and bonus policies: Incentive structures that reward faster deliveries over safe driving habits
- Black box and GPS data: Tying risky driving patterns back to company schedules or dispatch instructions
When you stack all of this together with the police report and evidence from the accident scene, it can paint a fairly clear picture that the crash was the result of dangerous trucking company decisions.
Get High-Powered Legal Representation from Our Missouri Truck Accident Lawyers
If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck crash, our Missouri truck accident attorneys at Hipskind & McAninch, LLC can provide the kind of strong and compassionate representation that makes all the difference.
We have the skills, resources, and experience to take on powerful trucking companies and large insurance carriers and fight for the largest possible compensation for our clients. Reach out to us today and get clear, caring guidance and support when it matters most.
To schedule your free consultation, call us at 618-342-7226 or contact us online.
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