Rush Did Not Falsify Logs, FMCSA Acknowledges

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration fined Rush Trucking for failing to catch logbook violations by owner-operators, but the company did not falsify records, as FMCSA initially claimed in the agency’s statement to the media.

FMCSA issued a revised news release Jan. 23 after the Wayne, Mich., company complained that the agency’s statement a week earlier misrepresented Rush’s actions. After reaching a consent agreement, FMCSA fined Rush $150,000 for not catching numerous logbook violations by its owner-operators.

“Sometimes owner-operators do things that are not in the scope of federal rules and they have been doing that for many years. It’s harder on companies to try and change the way owner-operators do things,” said Mike Tauscher, an attorney representing Rush.

Carriers have an easier time disciplining company drivers and changing their behavior, Tauscher said. Ensuring that the 750 owner-operators under lease to Rush follow federal rules is difficult, he said.

For the full story, see the Jan. 29 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.