The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued an immediate out-of-service order to Maryland-based Gunthers Transport after extensive reviews indicated multiple hours-of-service and vehicle maintenance violations.

Agents issued the Nov. 8 order after concluding the interstate general freight hauler was an “imminent hazard to public safety.”

Gunthers, located in Harmon, did not respond to an email request for comment. It is registered as employing 101 drivers and having 18 trucks.

The company can request an FMCSA administrative review if it disputes the agency’s findings. However, a review request would not delay compliance with the Nov. 8 order or alter the proposed unsatisfactory safety fitness rating from an Oct. 11 compliance review.

The FMCSA stated it “found patterns of hours of service and vehicle maintenance violations that substantially increased the likelihood of serious injury or death to the motoring public.”

Since May, roadside inspections have revealed serious mechanical defects with the carrier’s equipment. Compliance reviews conducted in 2008 and this year indicated significant safety violations and since October 2010, Gunthers has had seven recordable accidents, including one fatality.