Investigations

On October 15, 2009, Charles D. Goodwin, Inc., (CDGI) doing business as Goodwin’s Trucking Company pled guilty in U.S. District Court, Winston Salem, North Carolina, to charges associated with the falsification of drivers’ duty status logs, which are regulated by FMCSA. CDGI is to be sentenced in May 2010.

The investigation was initiated as a result of an FMCSA compliance review of CDGI following a fatal accident involving one of its drivers. The review revealed that the driver violated FMCSA hours of service regulations but was not at fault for the accident.

DOT/OIG’s investigation determined that between June 2007 and May 2008 CDGI drivers made numerous false entries in their drivers’ duty status logs. As part of the plea agreement, CDGI management admitted responsibility for the falsifications of the drivers’ duty status logs. Additionally, the plea agreement requires CDGI to install an FMCSA approved computerized monitoring device on all CDGI trucks.

This DOT/OIG case was investigated with significant assistance by FMCSA.