After a string of safety violations and two fatal crashes, the U.S. Postal Service has severed its contract with California-based Caminantes Trucking Company last Friday. The government agency is now in search for replacement carriers within the upcoming weeks to ensure safe mail delivery going forward.
According to the FMCSA’s SAFER website, the trucking company, based in Long Beach, officially bears the name of its owner, Jose Mauricio Coreas, but does business as Caminantes Trucking. The company is listed as an intrastate-only company, has 46 power units and 37 drivers. Since its authority was granted in August of 2008, the company’s contract carrier authority has been revoked and reinstated twice.
In the time since the company’s authority was granted, it has been ordered to pay a total of $28,160 in fines – $6,700 for an enforcement case in September of 2013, and $21,460 in November 2022.
In a 24-month period, Caminantes’ trucks have been inspected 223 times and have been placed out of service 65 times, resulting in a 29.1% out-of-service rate, which is higher than the national average of 22%. Drivers for Caminantes were inspected 331 times with 20 being placed out of service, making for a 6% out-of-service rate. This falls in line with the national industry average for drivers which is nearly 6.6%.
Over a 24-month period, Caminantes drivers were involved in 11 crashes, including two incidents involving fatalities in Colorado and California.
Upon investigation, it’s been revealed that the company has a history of safety violations.
It was uncovered that Coreas subcontracted other carriers to haul mail, including his son’s company, Lucky 22, Inc., based in Arvada, Colorado.
One of Lucky 22’s drivers, Jesus Puebla, was involved in a fatal crash near Mead Colorado in June of 2022. The wreck killed a family of five, Aaron Godinez, his fiancé, their 3-month-old daughter, and her parents, Emiliano Godines and Christina Godines.
According to a lawsuit filed by the Godineses’ surviving children, investigators of the scene estimate that Puebla was traveling at approximately 70mph in a Kenworth T800 straight truck when he slammed into the 2015 Ford Edge SUV driven by Godinez, who was moving less than 10mph due to stopped traffic ahead on Interstate 25
In addition, court documents claim that Puebla did not have a valid CDL or medical card required by FCAS to operate a commercial motor vehicle. Investigators also found that at the time of the crash, the brakes of the Kenworth owned by Carols Coreas and driven by Puebla were “out of adjustment.”
According to an arrest affidavit, Peubla was charged with five counts of vehicular homicide, careless driving, reckless driving, commercial vehicle safety violation, and driving without a CDL in December of 2022.
Furthermore, court filings state that at the time of the incident, Lucky 22 also did not have its for-hire operating authority with FMCSA.
Source: Freightwaves
