DOT orders Alabama trucking company to shut down

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says an Athens-based trucking company has been ordered to shut down because of federal safety violations. 

BM&L Trucking, affiliated company IDM Transportation and its owners Isaac and Heronda McWilliams must immediately cease all transportation services based on serious safety violations that posed an imminent hazard to public safety. 

The FMCSA said the shutdown order follows a review of BM&L Trucking operations, finding multiple federal safety violations in the areas of hours-of-service compliance, driver qualifications and vehicle maintenance.

 

According to the FMCSA website, the company had four BASIC scores above the intervention threshold — Unsafe Driving at 99.2 percent, Fatigued Driving at 86.9 percent, Driver Fitness at 95.4 percent and Vehicle Maintenance at 99.4 percent. The FMCSA said IDM Transportation had a 79 percent out-of-service rate on 19 vehicle inspections during the past 24 months. 

The agency says it completed an investigation late last week.

The DOT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says BM&L management was unable to provide investigators with the number of commercial motor vehicle it owns, leases or otherwise operates, and drivers it employs.