The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued a shutdown order to Lowell, Mass.-based Flavio Borges Prado, operating as Golden Eagle Delivery, after an investigation stemming from the company not submitting a New Entrant Safety Audit.
During the April investigation, the parking brake failed on one of Prado’s trucks, causing the truck to roll downhill until it hit a residence, injuring the driver and causing significant property damage. A month later, another truck owned by Prado had its brakes fail, causing it to break down in a travel lane.
The investigation also revealed the following federal regulations violations, per FMCSA:
- Failing to ensure that its vehicles were regularly inspected, maintained and repaired, and met minimum safety standards.
- Failing to require that drivers conduct pre- and post-trip inspections and submit reports of safety defects to the company in order to make repairs.
- Dispatching vehicles with known safety defects that had been discovered during roadside inspections without making the required repairs.
According to FMCSA, safety inspections were conducted on six of the company’s seven trucks, and out-of-service violations were found in all six trucks. Violations found during the inspections included work, leaking, welded or missing brake, steering and/or suspension components.
FMCSA says Prado was also unable to provide records indicating the company had any kind of maintenance program. The order was issued because of Prado’s “continual and blatant disregard” for safety regulations, including operating vehicles after they were declared out-of-service, according to FMCSA.
