Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, April 10, 2025:
45 months of prison time for lying to FMCSA
A former New York-based trucking business owner was sentenced March 20 to 45 months in prison, two years of supervised release, a $150,000 fine and a $700 special assessment after he was found guilty last year of making false statements to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, conspiracy to do the same, falsification of records and concealment of material facts.
Tony Kirik, a.k.a. Anatoliy Kirik, was the owner of New York-based trucking businesses Orange Transportation Services, Inc. (OTS) and Dallas Logistics, Inc. (DLI).
[Related: FMCSA's confusing excuse for not enforcing its own rules]
According to the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, he and co-conspirators attempted to conceal from FMCSA that Kirik owned and managed DLI. They also concealed that DLI was affiliated with other corporate entities he used, including OTS, which had received a “Conditional” FMCSA safety rating.
According to witness testimony presented at trial, by obtaining a more favorable safety rating, DLI reduced its insurance premium and increased its revenue from customers, some of whom were unwilling to use a motor carrier with a Conditional safety rating.
To further the scheme, Kirik submitted required forms to FMCSA that falsely represented that DLI's principal address was in Dallas, Texas, among other bogus addresses.
[Related: Former trucking company owner convicted for lying to FMCSA]
Wisconsin implements electronic medical certification system
With the June 23, 2025, deadline approaching for a system meant to streamline communication between state driver’s licensing agencies (SDLAs) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regarding drivers’ medical certifications, Wisconsin announced it is among the first states to implement such a system.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation said that beginning April 13, FMCSA will automatically provide the Wisconsin DMV with CDL holders’ medical information within 48 hours of their DOT physical examination. In the past, the medical certificate would be given to the driver, who then had to submit the card to the DMV. The process will now be handled electronically.
“Wisconsin DMV has made it easier than ever for commercial drivers to provide the necessary medical information,” DMV Administrator Tommy Winkler said. “Submitting the required documentation is no longer a multi-step process. Now, after commercial drivers complete their physical, the medical provider will submit the paperwork into the National Registry and FMCSA will automatically transmit it to Wisconsin DMV, which updates DMV’s records.”
With this restructured process, known as National Registry II (NRII), the Wisconsin DMV will no longer accept paper, in-person, email, faxed or uploaded information after Saturday, April 12. CDL drivers are still required to maintain valid medical examination certificates.
The state said its effort to streamline this process will help ensure only drivers who have been medically cleared to operate a commercial motor vehicle are behind the wheel.
It’s unclear how many other states have moved to an electronic med cert system to date.
FMCSA has been working toward such a system for more than a decade. The rule requires FMCSA to electronically transmit to state licensing agencies medical certification results once the exams have been completed. FMCSA receives this information from medical examiners, who are required to upload exam results to FMCSA by midnight the day after the exam is completed. State agencies, once they receive results from FMCSA, will send the results to the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) to make other states aware of the results.
The rule was previously set to take effect in June 2021, but the proper systems were not in place at the time, giving way to a four-year delay.
[Related: FMCSA delays electronic medical certification rule]
