A federal grand jury has indicted the owners of two trucking companies who allegedly forced their drivers to falsify their Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports (DVIRs), putting their drivers and the motoring public at risk.
Leslie and Robert Cucino own CDE Corporation and Winsor Hill Hauling and Recycling Corporation, two carriers based out of Foster, Rhode Island. Both owners have been indicted on one count of conspiracy and six counts of false statements.
According to the Department of Justice, the owners threatened to fire their drivers if they didn’t falsify their DVIRs to make it look like their vehicles had no defects. In some cases, clean DVIRs were submitted on trucks that had been cited for serious maintenance violations that same day.
This alleged misconduct has been occurring since at least 2009 according to the indictment. It also states that “a significant amount” of the companies’ business came from hauling scrap metal between Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Source: gobytruckenews, DOJ, pbn ,wpri
Wr says
Since 2009 ..this was happening!!!
Why did it take so long ..
MrYowler says
Because up until now, the drivers were being cited and told that if their employer was pressuring them to drive junk, they should haved refused and looked for another job. How much you wanna bet?
Darren C says
The wheels of justice turn slowly….
kc says
because their government workers.
Jeff Nesmith says
The wheels of justice may turn slowly, but they shouldn’t be that damned slow.
If found guilty, I hope they throw the book at them.
Jethro Brown says
I always ask owners or dispatchers if they would be OK if their families were operating an Un-Safe Commercial Vehicle??? OR…On the same stretch of road as an Un-Safe Vehicle…Didn’t Think So Brothahhh!
allal elkayyal says
i have same problem with a truking company , [ tunis express] and right now [ global transportation ] , the owner want me to drive 24 hours with no stop , after 3 weeks , irefuse to do it , he fire me , he is a amazon contractor , after 6 months , i found out he still using me as driver ,and another driver use my information for pock up and delivry ,when i call amazon comand control , they sad they dont care ,
MrYowler says
This is how they run illegal foreigners. They just steal a previous driver or applicant’s identity, and have the guy who is fresh off of the boat, run under his name. If he gets caught, they blame the illegal foreigner or legal identity theft victim – who may not even know what’s going on… :-/
Never forget; everything is the driver’s fault. Even the stuff you would never know about…
Driver says
Right funny considering in my 40 years of driving i have never even seen a d.o.t. man ever look at the inspection report on the back of my logs..
Cwatts says
Definitely “right funny”
James says
We all know that they were putting the blame for their junk equipment on the drivers. Probably fired a driver they’d coerced into falsifying the virs, and got reported. Good riddance.
Glen Handwerk says
Sounds like airgas. Same stuff.
Brian Sheehan says
Don’t do that inspection report and let me know if he didn’t look at it during your next roadside.
TexasJester says
The only times they’ve looked at mine (over 33 years) was to see they had been filled out, not to judge accuracy of the information. I once had a wrong trailer number on mine; cop missed it..
Jeremy says
40 years and never been sent around back of a chicken coup for class 1 inspection? That’s quite an amazing accomplishment,driver! I assume you’ve spent your entire career by-passing the chicken coups?
James says
You are only required to complete one if you have a defect
com.bil says
Not true every day you show time driving or on duty the inspection form must be filled out and signed !
Instagram: MuthaTrucka69 says
Not anymore. This was changed a few years back. It’s on required by law, if you have a defect. However, your company may still make you fill it out daily.
Terry Barron says
So true!!!
Terry Barron says
I have my DVR’s looked at maybe 2 times in 25 years
Robert Scott says
“Right Funny?” Are you kidding me?
Douglas Kirk says
Indicted because nothing broke and nobody was hurt or killed? SMDH….
Tucker says
That attitude is why people hate truckers so much today.
Mr B Jangles. says
I don’t know that the general public hates truckers because they falsify DVIRs, but I am certain Superiority Complex is why people hate Tuckers.
Walt says
I believe you are most accurate in your assessment of why regular people hate truck drivers. To them we’re a bunch of idiots that can’t get a real job. Doesn’t matter that own ALL of my equipment and pull down a 6 figure income.
dan says
Better correct that.
Tried to get a ground job after driving, they look at you like you have leprosy.
As far as I’m concerned, anything that drives a car to go sit at a desk and thinks they are better than you…
I likely make better money out here than they do, not to mention their slave wages.
TexasJester says
So you want to wait until someone is hurt or killed before these people are charged??? That makes you as big an Dior as these folks.
Linda Williamson says
I’d like to know when they’re going to start arresting all the gypsy paving outfits that operate with substandard equipment, and do the same and worse to their drivers. These outfits destroy people’s lives.
Moore says
Sorry to say while the company may ask and demand to cheat on maintenance inspections. Could any driver live with themselves if they just killed a family because they chose to put an unsafe rig on the road and something happened Wake up and drive safe
MrYowler says
They don’t do it to live with themselves. They do it to feed their kids. They get backed into a corner, do what they feel that they have to, for their own families, and don’t tell their kids about it, so that their kids can sleep at night. Their own ability or inability to sleep is secondary to the immediate needs of their own families. The needs of other families and the long-term needs of their own families are also secondary.
dan says
I’ve seen some pretty damn bad drivers out there, and have had to work with some. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that some do not care one whit about anyone but themselves, and would care less if they spent the rest of their days in a prison.
jim tomblin says
Since i first got a job in the trucking industry in the summer of 1967 , i have played many rolls as a driver with over 2.7 million safe miles and other jobs in the operations arena, and while i an sure i havn’t seen it all, these type things with owners and drivers take place far more often than the few being exposed and the reason is sinple…..greed. Safety has been improved but it is up to you young drivers to continue to make it better by being truely safety aware of your equipment and your behavior….also blow the whistle when needed…just saying.
Mitch H says
Paperwork reduction act,2013,look it up
Anthony Gleicher says
I bought a car from a wrecking yard went back 23 times. Engine blew up before smog check
He finally got a smog check only visual needed. He actually had mechanic gut the catalytic converter.
Junk is junk, had to buy car from yard, no credit check monthly payments.
When I drove cross country 17 years ago 90% of log was legal,
Was told to drive truck to service bay, then service manager drove his ranger pick up into tractor. It resulted in a 5 inch scratch 1/3 inch deep
He was trying to catch up with me to tell me tractor only.
Drive Safe, be healthy and happy.
Elko says
Worked for a company like that…not very long.
The owner had a run in with me over his claim to
be the best trucking company in America.
Broken windshield, leaking into cab, six bald tires, broken fifth wheel,
wouldn’t tilt, all snow chains broken, air ride repaired with duct tape,
electrical shorts in cab and sleeper, lending drivers and equipment to
state patrol to train on road rage, but company 8×11 dvirs ignored.
Head of State Patrol got a letter, with copies of dvirs, would not reply.
Blue eyed princess family member he was.
Milk madness says
Maybe they should look into CT Durham. They do the same thing. And when you tell them you won’t they hang u out causing you to loose another job.