Summary

On May 7, in U.S. District Court, Winston Salem, North Carolina, Charles D. Goodwin, Inc., (CDGI) doing business as Goodwin's Trucking Company, was sentenced to five years probation, a $35,300 fine, and $400 special assessment for making false statements to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regarding their drivers' hours of service.  Additionally, while on probation, and pursuant to a plea agreement, electronic onboard recording devices that capture the drivers' hours driven and speed must be installed and maintained in all trucks owned or under the control of CDGI.

In October 2009, CDGI management pled guilty and admitted to falsification of its drivers' duty status logs.  An FMCSA compliance review of CDGI, following an accident with multiple fatalities that involved one of its drivers, revealed that the driver had violated FMCSA hours of service regulations.  The driver was found not to be at fault in the accident, but subsequent investigation determined that between June 2007 and May 2008 CDGI drivers made numerous false entries in their drivers' duty status logs to cover up violations of the FMCSA hours of service regulations.

This case was investigated with significant assistance from FMCSA.