Cargo Tank Out of Service Order

FMCSA 09-16 order prohibit cargo tank use.pdf

On September 16, 2014 (79 FR 55403), the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published an Emergency Restriction/Prohibition Order and Out-of-Service Order CA–2014–9002– EMRG in the federal register issued to National Distribution Services, Inc., TankServices, LLC, Carl Johansson, and any other person(s) that use or have in their possession cargo tanks and/or cargo tank motor vehicles used, or that have been used, to transport hazardous materials, and that are owned, leased and/or otherwise operated by or for National Distribution Services, Inc. This Order was issued by the Field Administrator for FMCSA’s Western Service Center and prohibits the filling, offering, transportation, and welded repair of cargo tank vehicles by National Distribution Services, Inc., TankServices, LLC, and Carl Johansson. Additionally these parties are prohibited from conducting inspections and/or testing of any cargo tank or cargo tank motor vehicle unless such inspection and/or testing is conducted by a Registered Inspector. This is part of an ongoing investigation progressed from its initial focus on TankServices, LLC, the facility initially associated with the May 2014 cargo tank explosion to National Distribution Services, Inc. when the investigator discovered its association with TankServices, LLC, and that Carl Johansson was conducting operations as National Tank Distribution Services, Inc. Carl Johansson is known to FMCSA from his prior companies involved in transportation of hazardous materials using cargo tanks, including Atlas Bulk, Inc. in Montebello, California, where a catastrophic explosion occurred in September 1993 resulting in the death of a welder when the welder, at Carl Bradley (Brad) Johansson’s direction, conducted unauthorized welding on a gasoline cargo tank that had not been cleaned and purged. This Emergency Restriction/Prohibition Order became effective on August 14, 2014.