FMCSA shuts down Maryland trucking firm

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said it has issued an imminent hazard out-of-service order against Clock Transport, which the agency said had been set up to avoid a previous shutdown order against Gunthers Transport.

Maryland-based Gunthers had been ordered to cease operations for a number of safety violations and seven crashes in the past year.

Clock was opened just weeks before federal authorities shut down Gunthers, according to the Baltimore Sun. Maryland State Police called Clock a “reincarnated carrier” set up to skirt the shutdown order for Gunthers.

Both companies listed the same address and the head of Clock was listed in state and federal documents as the son of the owner of Gunthers, according to media reports.

Both companies are owned by Mark David Gunther Sr. Records filed with the FMCSA and with Maryland’s tax office show that Mark David Gunther Jr. formed Clock Transport before the first shutdown order was issued Nov. 8, according to the Sun. Clock obtained a U.S. Department of Transportation identification number in September.

In the shutdown order against Gunthers Transport, the FMCSA stipulated the company was prevented from resuming operations and selling or leasing its equipment without agency permission, the Sun reported The order said Gunthers “cannot avoid this operation’s out-of-service order by continuing operations under the name of another person or company.”

In the last two years, 18 Gunthers’ vehicles were inspected 190 times and were called out of service 58 percent of the time, according to FMCSA. Gunthers’ drivers were inspected 242 times in the same period and 16 percent of them were designated unfit to drive.

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