So here's the latest: During the month of November of 2013 I received a call from a guy. At the time I was driving for a different company but I was having issues with the way they was treating me so basically after several phone calls I decided that he would probably be the best fit for me.
At first he offered me a pay of 60/40 with me paying for the gas or .25 a mile and he paid for the gas. After a few more days he asked me how I felt about a 50/50 split...this included the pay, gas, insurance, payment of van. He spoke of how he wanted me to eventually run his company and this way I could learn all the ends & outs of the business. Because this is my goal to run my own company someday I figured why not but not before asking him if he was me what would he do if the question was asked of him? I asked this question because I wasn't so sure if this was really good for me.
He beat around the bush in answering the question and threw some numbers at me. Me thinking that it sounded well accepted...not thinking about how in reality he was really getting over on me in a big way. I just wanted to learn the ends and outs of the business of expediting.
A few days later He showed up at my apartment and had me sign a contract that I could barely make sense of. There were things on it that didn't pertain to me and he would just say "don't worry about that part". I finally got my first run on Dec 6th of 2013. By Dec 23rd of 2013, I got my first pay of $513 by this time I had driven almost 6000 miles.
I asked him about this. He basically told me that I got paid when the brokers paid him. I told him that this wasn't working for me but he convinces me to hang in there and I did. Of course, after paying bills and trying to contribute to the gas that $500 went quickly. The next time I got paid was on Jan 30th 2014 I received a payment of $1003 and then on Jan 13th of 2014 I got a pay of $409 by this time I've put in over 10,000 miles. By this time I've decided that I can't do this anymore because the pay isn't consistent and I'm feeling as though I'm being used.
On Jan 17th, while on a run I had an accident in Wisconsin. I hit a patch of ice (it had snowed the night before) and lost control of the van. I hit a semi-truck and eventually went into a median ditch. I called the police and then him. He asked was I ok and at the time I felt fine and I told him so. His concern was more or less about the condition of the freight and getting it delivered. After dealing with the police I was dropped off at a nearby truck stop and waited on the tow truck which eventually came about an hour or so later. During all this time I waited on another driver employed by this guy whom I was told he was 40 miles away from me.
The guy from the tow service had a conversation with him about the van and told him it looked as though it may be drivable still, provided there was a tire and rim change which he authorized him to do. He then wanted the freight transferred to the van that the co-worker was driving and then drive the van that I drove be taken to a Chevrolet dealership that was nearby. Because my co-worker couldn't of course drive two vehicles I was asked if I felt ok to drive.
Because I was still a little shaken from the accident I didn't feel comfortable driving but my co-worker assured me I could do it so I with hesitation agreed. By this time I am in a pain but I'm managing. A little over 5hrs my co-worker and I are finally off to deliver this load off to its destination in Minnesota which we got there around 11:30pm. My co-worker and I found a truck stop and slept in the drivers lounge that night...very uncomfortable. It snowed a lot that night and was very cold...very. I went to the emergency room the next morning and was giving pain medications.
Afterwards I called the owner who put us up in a hotel for the next two nights. Which we were both grateful for as again it was snowing and cold but the problem was that he put us in the room together. The day before was the first that I had ever had any dealings with my co-worker and prayed that he wasn't just some crazy person who had kept it together up until us getting in the room. I would have gladly paid for my own room but remember, my boss wasn’t paying. Anyways, after the 2 nights in the hotel we left and went back to the truck stop.
When we woke the next day my co-worker got a run towards Chicago. But let me add that since we was going back through Wisconsin, the owner called and asked me if I felt ok driving the van back to Georgia as he had been told it checked out to be ok and he knew I wanted to get home. Because it was starting to snow again and the roads were icy I again hesitated but I wanted to get home so I said yes. When my co-worker and I got to the dealership we were told by a guy named “Jeff” (whom I had given the keys to prior) that he had no idea what we were talking about. That he hadn’t talked to my boss and that he didn’t recommend I drive that van to Georgia.
My boss was called by my co-worker and when I spoke to the owner an argument took place. I felt as though he was just trying to figure out a way to get that van back to Georgia and had no concern for my safety. So my co-worker and I continued on towards Chicago where yes we ended up staying overnight in another truck stop. When we awoke it was plastered on the news how in some places around Chicago they had gotten anywhere from 5-10in of snow.
My co-worker and I both complained about how if we had been getting paid how he could just deadhead us out of there and head back to Ga. However, my co-worker did get a load going to North Carolina and called the owner to tell him that he was headed to Georgia after he dropped the load. I don't know how much gas was put unto my co-worker card for gas but I do know that I gave him $50 that I borrowed the night before in hopes of getting us home which I finally got to my home on Jan 29th of 2014. Which by the way was supposed to be the day that the owner told me that I would be paid.
He told I would be paid on the 15th of January before that but never did. He had told me that I hadn't gotten paid because one particular broker hadn't paid him. However, I have recordings of the owner stating that they had paid and therefore I would be getting paid on the 15th of January and then when that date passed by he changed it to the 29th of January. I also have recordings from the broker saying they had indeed paid him and I should have been paid.
Now, the owner is trying come up with a way to keep my pay. One of those ways is by saying I abandoned his van. We...my co-worker and I was told to leave the van at the dealership. When asked about him taking out the payment for the van and insurance he said he wasn't worried about that. I apologize for this lengthy email but can he do this? All I want to do is be a driver & instead getting crooked people trying to take advantage of a newbie...smh
At first he offered me a pay of 60/40 with me paying for the gas or .25 a mile and he paid for the gas. After a few more days he asked me how I felt about a 50/50 split...this included the pay, gas, insurance, payment of van. He spoke of how he wanted me to eventually run his company and this way I could learn all the ends & outs of the business. Because this is my goal to run my own company someday I figured why not but not before asking him if he was me what would he do if the question was asked of him? I asked this question because I wasn't so sure if this was really good for me.
He beat around the bush in answering the question and threw some numbers at me. Me thinking that it sounded well accepted...not thinking about how in reality he was really getting over on me in a big way. I just wanted to learn the ends and outs of the business of expediting.
A few days later He showed up at my apartment and had me sign a contract that I could barely make sense of. There were things on it that didn't pertain to me and he would just say "don't worry about that part". I finally got my first run on Dec 6th of 2013. By Dec 23rd of 2013, I got my first pay of $513 by this time I had driven almost 6000 miles.
I asked him about this. He basically told me that I got paid when the brokers paid him. I told him that this wasn't working for me but he convinces me to hang in there and I did. Of course, after paying bills and trying to contribute to the gas that $500 went quickly. The next time I got paid was on Jan 30th 2014 I received a payment of $1003 and then on Jan 13th of 2014 I got a pay of $409 by this time I've put in over 10,000 miles. By this time I've decided that I can't do this anymore because the pay isn't consistent and I'm feeling as though I'm being used.
On Jan 17th, while on a run I had an accident in Wisconsin. I hit a patch of ice (it had snowed the night before) and lost control of the van. I hit a semi-truck and eventually went into a median ditch. I called the police and then him. He asked was I ok and at the time I felt fine and I told him so. His concern was more or less about the condition of the freight and getting it delivered. After dealing with the police I was dropped off at a nearby truck stop and waited on the tow truck which eventually came about an hour or so later. During all this time I waited on another driver employed by this guy whom I was told he was 40 miles away from me.
The guy from the tow service had a conversation with him about the van and told him it looked as though it may be drivable still, provided there was a tire and rim change which he authorized him to do. He then wanted the freight transferred to the van that the co-worker was driving and then drive the van that I drove be taken to a Chevrolet dealership that was nearby. Because my co-worker couldn't of course drive two vehicles I was asked if I felt ok to drive.
Because I was still a little shaken from the accident I didn't feel comfortable driving but my co-worker assured me I could do it so I with hesitation agreed. By this time I am in a pain but I'm managing. A little over 5hrs my co-worker and I are finally off to deliver this load off to its destination in Minnesota which we got there around 11:30pm. My co-worker and I found a truck stop and slept in the drivers lounge that night...very uncomfortable. It snowed a lot that night and was very cold...very. I went to the emergency room the next morning and was giving pain medications.
Afterwards I called the owner who put us up in a hotel for the next two nights. Which we were both grateful for as again it was snowing and cold but the problem was that he put us in the room together. The day before was the first that I had ever had any dealings with my co-worker and prayed that he wasn't just some crazy person who had kept it together up until us getting in the room. I would have gladly paid for my own room but remember, my boss wasn’t paying. Anyways, after the 2 nights in the hotel we left and went back to the truck stop.
When we woke the next day my co-worker got a run towards Chicago. But let me add that since we was going back through Wisconsin, the owner called and asked me if I felt ok driving the van back to Georgia as he had been told it checked out to be ok and he knew I wanted to get home. Because it was starting to snow again and the roads were icy I again hesitated but I wanted to get home so I said yes. When my co-worker and I got to the dealership we were told by a guy named “Jeff” (whom I had given the keys to prior) that he had no idea what we were talking about. That he hadn’t talked to my boss and that he didn’t recommend I drive that van to Georgia.
My boss was called by my co-worker and when I spoke to the owner an argument took place. I felt as though he was just trying to figure out a way to get that van back to Georgia and had no concern for my safety. So my co-worker and I continued on towards Chicago where yes we ended up staying overnight in another truck stop. When we awoke it was plastered on the news how in some places around Chicago they had gotten anywhere from 5-10in of snow.
My co-worker and I both complained about how if we had been getting paid how he could just deadhead us out of there and head back to Ga. However, my co-worker did get a load going to North Carolina and called the owner to tell him that he was headed to Georgia after he dropped the load. I don't know how much gas was put unto my co-worker card for gas but I do know that I gave him $50 that I borrowed the night before in hopes of getting us home which I finally got to my home on Jan 29th of 2014. Which by the way was supposed to be the day that the owner told me that I would be paid.
He told I would be paid on the 15th of January before that but never did. He had told me that I hadn't gotten paid because one particular broker hadn't paid him. However, I have recordings of the owner stating that they had paid and therefore I would be getting paid on the 15th of January and then when that date passed by he changed it to the 29th of January. I also have recordings from the broker saying they had indeed paid him and I should have been paid.
Now, the owner is trying come up with a way to keep my pay. One of those ways is by saying I abandoned his van. We...my co-worker and I was told to leave the van at the dealership. When asked about him taking out the payment for the van and insurance he said he wasn't worried about that. I apologize for this lengthy email but can he do this? All I want to do is be a driver & instead getting crooked people trying to take advantage of a newbie...smh
