Washington authorities cited and fined one large motor carrier this summer after finding that the carrier didn’t provide consistent in-cab heat for a company driver.
Gordon Trucking of Pacific, WA, was fined $1,000 in June by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. The state alleged that Gordon didn’t ensure its company practices were adequate to make the workplace safe.
“Employees aren’t provided a means to keep warm in cold temperatures at high altitudes while driving delivery trucks,” the citation read. “Employee truck idle is automatically disabled after approximately five minutes.”
Gordon equips many of its long-haul trucks with bunk heaters and APUs. The complaint alleged that when the truck was parked above about 4,900 feet, the APU heater didn’t work, leaving the driver in the cold.
“Employees could be seriously injured with frostbite, hypothermia, or even death,” the complaint said.
Elaine Fischer, spokeswoman with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, said Gordon Trucking proved that the state could not show any incident occurred while the truck was parked in Washington, bringing into question whether the state had jurisdiction.
The state later dropped the case after Gordon Trucking appealed, but a state labor spokeswoman said it would investigate and pursue similar claims if they’re reported.
“We could certainly look into it if it’s for work being performed in our state,” Fischer said. “It’s up to the employer to assess hazards their employees might encounter in the workplace.”
Joe Rajkovacz, OOIDA regulatory affairs specialist, said the labor complaint could be just the first of many as companies prevent idling to save diesel and comply with an increasing number of local truck idling limits.