Maine State Police seize 6th tractor-trailer from company that owes $75K in tolls
Maine Turnpike Authority alleges 11 trucks from Rhode Island company evaded tolls over three years
Maine Turnpike Authority alleges 11 trucks from Rhode Island company evaded tolls over three years
Maine Turnpike Authority alleges 11 trucks from Rhode Island company evaded tolls over three years
Maine State Police confirmed Monday that they have seized a sixth tractor-trailer from a company that owes $75,000 in unpaid tolls to the Maine Turnpike Authority.
Police said the trucks are owned by Commodity Haulers Express, of North Kingston, Rhode Island.
Police announced Friday afternoon that they had sized five tractor-trailers. The sixth truck was seized later in the day, officials said.
The truck company is facing felony theft of services charges because of the unpaid tolls over the past three years.
Police said the MTA reported that the company, which has 20 trucks in its fleet, had been notified multiple times about the unpaid tolls.
Commodity Haulers Express' right to operate in Maine has been suspended by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
Police said they conducted surveillance of the trucks to know when they were entering and leaving Maine.
Friday morning, troopers located five of the company's trucks. One was stopped in York going southbound on the Maine Turnpike, and the four others were stopped along Route 122 in Poland.
The sixth truck was located later Friday in Poland, police said.
The trucking company hauls Poland Spring Water. The water company was not aware of or involved in the unpaid tolls, police said, but responded Monday by suspending work with the contractor.
“As Poland Spring holds all of our contractors to the highest safety, legal and ethical standards," a company spokesperson said in a statement, "we have suspended all business operations with Commodity Haulers Express.
About $47,000 worth of tolls were owed from the six trucks that were seized.
MTA Executive Director Peter Mills said Monday that he has notified other states about Commodity Haulers Express.
Mills said unpaid tolls are rare.
"I would say maybe one half of one percent of all the tolls may involve a violation issue. We send a mailing out to the address, and quite often, that clears it up," Mills said.
Commodity Haulers Express could not be reached for comment.
The trucks were towed to Copp Motors in Cumberland, where they will remain until the toll bills have been paid, police said.