I know its the sameol story.. your going to work for a new owner and you have asked all the question you think you should have asked. after the class and your going to sign the contract and he says oh sorry i kinda lied about what i was going to pay you 1st red flag and he knows he has you stuck your far away from home and no other way home. so you ride it out and look for another owner. but while working for him your money is not right always short from the number you have figured. and now i have found another owner he refused to pay me the remaining 1000 bucks hes owes me and he dragging his feet about releasing me so i can work for another owner. so now i have no money coming in and i can't look for another owner until he releases me. so i'm stuck at home.
why are owners so crooked
- Thread starter TS462
- Start date
when we spoke on the phone it seemed like the normal 60-40 split. but when it came time to sign the contract. he said due to the tough times he made some changes to the contract. which was if we didn't run 3000 miles per week we was going to be paid 55% and anything less than 1500 we made 50% which like i said was a red flag. and if he would have told about the changes on the phone i would have kept on looking for a owner cause the way i figure it that 5% can go in my pocket just as easy as it goes in his
MentalGiant
Seasoned Expediter
I wouldn't of signed the contract and talked with someone at the carrier about what happened and why you refused to sign the contract. The recruiters could of maybe helped you find another fleet owner that might of been more honesty about everything. Most all the carriers know there are crooked fleet owners out there. You are not the first something like this has happened to someone and you will not be the last.
bubblehead
Veteran Expediter
This is a tough area for Carriers also. Our first experience was an owner who micro managed, didn't follow their own contract and were generally pathetic. The wife called me one time and said, "on runs that you could have done solo, we are going to pay you 20.%" My response was "no problem as long as you pay for the airline ticket for my co-driver to catch back up with the truck." She was bi-polar, not a slam just a fact. Being in public with these people was embarrasing when she went on her rants. Any how...the carrier was extremely apologetic and got me with a great owner which quickly led us to our own truck.
I think a lot of good drivers are forever lost due these shameful cons in the industry and as with me, we can't afford the time to persue these types in court, so they continue to get away with it. As so many say, get a contract and act quickly if things go wrong. As for the ones that cheated us, they tried to claimed we owed them $30,000+ for breach of contract. They lost and are no longer in the expedite business.
I think a lot of good drivers are forever lost due these shameful cons in the industry and as with me, we can't afford the time to persue these types in court, so they continue to get away with it. As so many say, get a contract and act quickly if things go wrong. As for the ones that cheated us, they tried to claimed we owed them $30,000+ for breach of contract. They lost and are no longer in the expedite business.
That's hilarious! Good answer tho! It's hard for me, and I'm sure many others who aren't in the position of dealing with an 'owner', to even imagine the things that must go on out there. Thanks for enlightening us!
I think that has to be one of the higher ups on a short list of 'the secrets of life'. That piece of advice goes for everything, whether you're checking out an owner, a driver, an employee, a carrier, a truck dealer, an accountant, a babysitter.. get references. Many will be amazed at what they could have missed if they hadn't done so.
Yesteryear
Expert Expediter
It is funny, however, when you have been there and been abused by a truck owner it becomes not quite as funny. I understand this poster as we also were abused by a truck owner. The first truck owner we drove for still owes us somewhere around 9000.00. This truck owner required drivers maintain 6000. in what they referred to as a 'savings account' (it is, for them), they require the driver to pay fuel but they hold back the first 2 weeks of FSC and then pay once amonth so they always owe the driver 6 weeks of FSC, then they also hold back 2 weeks of load pay. So at the end the driver is owed 6000 (from savings) 6 weeks FSC and 2 weeks load pay. Needless to say the driver never sees what is owed them on the last day of driving. (And that does not even include all the tolls, and other deductions that the truck owner cannot explain that were withheld from drivers checks) I know lots of you will say take him to court and sue him. It's not that easy. Biggest issue is the time and money involved in taking him to court. That is what these dishonest truck owners count on and why they keep getting away with. Unfortunately carriers do not back drivers on this issue, they also let these dishonest truck owners get away with what they are doing, which really makes them just as cupable as the dishonest truck owners. If the carriers would step in when there is repeat complaints on a truck owner then maybe some of this abuse would stop. 
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DougTravels
Not a Member
Yesteryear, that really blows. With that much at stake, I think that I woulda definitely sued . At the very least, that owner would understand that we were now at war, and I have never lost a war yet.
Yesteryear
Expert Expediter
Davekc, you have been in the expediting industry for 24 years, you know what questions to ask and are aware of the 'ins and outs' of the industry. Most drivers that are being abused by these unscrupulous truck owners have no clue what questions to ask or even how to check out a truck owner. Most would never imagine a company would treat anyone the way these truck owners do. It is nothing more than in-experience that let's this abuse take place. Unfortunately it cost the industry a lot of good honest people that would have made great drivers for some of the honest truck owners if not for these bad truck owners that take advantage of the drivers coming into the industry.
Experience may play a part on some operational issues, but the core value of information would be there even for the novice.
Just simple stuff.
How is the owner to deal with.
How long did you drive for them
Does he pay on time?
Who pays for what and at what percentage
Does he use a written contract
Is the equipment maintained
If a past driver, why did they leave
Were they paid all monies due
What does the carrier say about this owner
Check public records and see if there are any judgments against the fleet owner.
You could add another list as you are talking to them. But if you are talking to past and present drivers, you slowly start to develop a picture. Doesn't mean something wouldn't go south, but you significantly reduce the odds.
This link has been posted before, but is a decent guide.
Swimming with Sharks
Just simple stuff.
How is the owner to deal with.
How long did you drive for them
Does he pay on time?
Who pays for what and at what percentage
Does he use a written contract
Is the equipment maintained
If a past driver, why did they leave
Were they paid all monies due
What does the carrier say about this owner
Check public records and see if there are any judgments against the fleet owner.
You could add another list as you are talking to them. But if you are talking to past and present drivers, you slowly start to develop a picture. Doesn't mean something wouldn't go south, but you significantly reduce the odds.
This link has been posted before, but is a decent guide.
Swimming with Sharks
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bubblehead
Veteran Expediter
It is funny, however, when you have been there and been abused by a truck owner it becomes not quite as funny. I understand this poster as we also were abused by a truck owner. The first truck owner we drove for still owes us somewhere around 9000.00. This truck owner required drivers maintain 6000. in what they referred to as a 'savings account' (it is, for them), they require the driver to pay fuel but they hold back the first 2 weeks of FSC and then pay once amonth so they always owe the driver 6 weeks of FSC, then they also hold back 2 weeks of load pay. So at the end the driver is owed 6000 (from savings) 6 weeks FSC and 2 weeks load pay. Needless to say the driver never sees what is owed them on the last day of driving. (And that does not even include all the tolls, and other deductions that the truck owner cannot explain that were withheld from drivers checks) I know lots of you will say take him to court and sue him. It's not that easy. Biggest issue is the time and money involved in taking him to court. That is what these dishonest truck owners count on and why they keep getting away with. Unfortunately carriers do not back drivers on this issue, they also let these dishonest truck owners get away with what they are doing, which really makes them just as cupable as the dishonest truck owners. If the carriers would step in when there is repeat complaints on a truck owner then maybe some of this abuse would stop.
Sounds like a business opportunity! A DAC on owners! Its easy for companies to check on us...someone (or perhaps EO) needs to start a clearing house for drivers to check on owners. Using the federal guidelines for disclosure as in criminal and credit reports, EO can provide a great service to its suscribers under a seperate division...how about EO an official clearing house to help prevent abuse by owners similar to DAC which of course helps prevents abuse of drivers...
Yesteryear
Expert Expediter
No Davekc, your wrong on this issue. You have been in the business too long. You are assuming that these/ or we, drivers know we should be checking out a 'truck owner' , this is not the case. Take us for example. We did not understand the concept of 'independent contractor' for a 'truck owner'. We were just told we would be driving for Panther. We thought we were employees or drivers for Panther. Not that we actually were 'independent contractors', which is really employees of, a truck owner. We were trying to 'check out' Panther. Thinking that was who were were basically working for in conjunction with a truck owner. Not the case.
Do you understand what I'm saying here?
Most new drivers do not understand the trucking industry.
Wingnut
Seasoned Expediter
You should NEVER get in any owner's truck without FIRST having a contract. I make sure that all my drivers have a copy of my contract BEFORE they even go to orientation. I also encourage them to take the contract to their attorney if they want to before signing it. I give a copy of the signed contract to the driver for their records. This has been said time and time again on this site: there are alot of crooked owners and drivers out there BUT there are also alot of good & honest owners and drivers out there.
Yesteryear
Expert Expediter
But again Wingnut, ya'll are assuming new drivers know about trucking contracts. See were you and davekc are getting it wrong is because your honest truck owners that make sure your new drivers know these things. But new drivers that have no knowledge of the trucking industry don't know about the contracts between truck owner and driver and the dishonest truck owner doesn't enlighten them. They do not understand what they should be 'checking out'. It is sad but it is true.
Yesteryear
Expert Expediter
NOTE: Most new drivers don't know about EO. That you can come on this site and learn about the expedite industry.
I quess I am not following.
If I was to apply for a job or anything else at say Zelda's Widgets, I would ask current and past employees what their experience was. Probably follow that with a little research on the internet and the like to gather additional information.
I don't need to really know much about Zelda's Widgets to determine the basics of how they might be to work for.
Reputation of that business if they are worthy, should be obtainable.
I just think it is like anything else, there is a degree of risk, but a thorough investigation before jumping will likely address most challenges.
I also might add, if one is new and interviewing potential drivers in say any truck stop, I think in conversation EO will likely come up if they talk to a few.
If I was to apply for a job or anything else at say Zelda's Widgets, I would ask current and past employees what their experience was. Probably follow that with a little research on the internet and the like to gather additional information.
I don't need to really know much about Zelda's Widgets to determine the basics of how they might be to work for.
Reputation of that business if they are worthy, should be obtainable.
I just think it is like anything else, there is a degree of risk, but a thorough investigation before jumping will likely address most challenges.
I also might add, if one is new and interviewing potential drivers in say any truck stop, I think in conversation EO will likely come up if they talk to a few.
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mjolnir131
Veteran Expediter
I know people who have worked for Zelda's Widgets and they never get paid on time!
I like that
I just don't get this concept of "because someone is new"
To me it is no different than someone who signs a bad car or house loan, and then blames everyone else when they decide they can't pay it because they didn't understand what they were signing.. The bottom line is they should have researched it prior to signing, or found someone who understood it, and then could explain it to them and advise accordingly.