why are owners so crooked

[MentalGiant]

I was told, thanks to us, Express one (which he also has trucks on with) told his drivers they had to start giving him 2 weeks notice.

Express-1 is who we starting driving for with this guy. There was another team that started the same time we did with him and we both bailed out the same time. At the time, Express-1 didn't have the two week notice and the other team and us were both called by main recruiter (not going to mention his name since I don't have his permission to do so) and told us, they are going to allow us to change owners this one time like this, but from now on we would have to give the owners and Express-1 two weeks notice when and if we are going to leave the current owner for a different one.

This all happened in the middle of November of 2007. The main recruiter asked us both why we did it and we both told him basically the same thing. He understood why after that. Other than that, we have a great relationship with Express-1.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Can't say I agree with E-1's two week policy. If someone is screwing you over, you should be able to leave immediately for another owner's truck.

 

[MentalGiant]

Can't say I agree with E-1's two week policy. If someone is screwing you over, you should be able to leave immediately for another owner's truck.

Well, after being with them for awhile now and talking with a lot of the people there, if your having a serious problem with your owner, they probably will verify whats going on and make a decision if you need to stay the two weeks. They won't go as far to tell the fleet owner what they need to do to make things right, but they probably will let the two week thing slide if they see it necessary to do so.

They just don't want drivers jumping from one owner to another owner every other week or month or two, just because it looks better with that owner. Because you have to admit, every owner does things different and not all drivers agree how their owners operate. But, when you are getting ripped off by your owner, its time to change and most carriers will not hold that against you.

 

[Yesteryear]

Express-1 is who we starting driving for with this guy. There was another team that started the same time we did with him and we both bailed out the same time. At the time, Express-1 didn't have the two week notice and the other team and us were both called by main recruiter (not going to mention his name since I don't have his permission to do so) and told us, they are going to allow us to change owners this one time like this, but from now on we would have to give the owners and Express-1 two weeks notice when and if we are going to leave the current owner for a different one.

This all happened in the middle of November of 2007. The main recruiter asked us both why we did it and we both told him basically the same thing. He understood why after that. Other than that, we have a great relationship with Express-1.

Was the other team Eric and Cin?

 

[MentalGiant]

Was the other team Eric and Cin?

Hmmm... I know who you are now. I guess you can figure out who I am now.

 

[Yesteryear]

NO, Guess I'm not as quick to catch on as you are. lol Eric and Cin are very good friends of ours. Love'em. Just talked to them this morning. PM who you are! lol

 

[pjjjjj]

None of my business, but since you are complaining about not getting your money Yesteryear.. and the holdback and everything.. just wondering if at least part of the reason is because you owed for truck driving training?
There was something posted about this company a long time ago.. they are also on ripoff.com, or at least they used to be. The more reports on there, the better for the newb who is able to check things out before leaping.
I think you might still have time too, to sue the guy.. looks like it's 6 yrs in IN.

 

[MentalGiant]

Are you willing to represent us as our lawyer pjjjjj? We wouldn't have a chance without a proper lawyer. Its a lot more complicated than what you may think, because its going to take more than a small claims court.

 

[Yesteryear]

None of my business, but since you are complaining about not getting your money Yesteryear.. and the holdback and everything.. just wondering if at least part of the reason is because you owed for truck driving training?
There was something posted about this company a long time ago.. they are also on ripoff.com, or at least they used to be. The more reports on there, the better for the newb who is able to check things out before leaping.
I think you might still have time too, to sue the guy.. looks like it's 6 yrs in IN.

No, Pjjj, I have held my CDL since 1992. I received my training in Key West Florida and took my CDL test in Miami Florida. We did our time with this company even though we had no legal contract. Not only was the contract not legal but they violated the contract on a minimum of 4 occasions which nullified it anyway. No one, and I do mean no one, gets their final FSC, load pay or 'savings account' back from this company.

As for a school, no this is not a school. He tries to call it that but he has NO certified cdl instructors at his 'school'. In fact only one of the 'instructors' even hold a cdl. That being Charles. Check Indiana law! As for the school located next door to them. They deny any association with them what so ever. The money owed to me is earned and really owed to me.

 

[DougTravels]

Could you turn it over to a collection agency let them file on their credit report and take a % if they collect?

 

[Yesteryear]

And for the record, I am not complaining about anything. I was trying to make a point on the issue of how drivers get burned by crooked truck owners who take advantage of new drivers in defense of the original post.

 

[Yesteryear]

Could you turn it over to a collection agency let them file on their credit report and take a % if they collect?

Well Doug that is an idea but would not have the slightest idea how to go about doing that.

 

[mhwhite9977]

I do not believe that it is always the drivers fault. In fact I feel like people have forgotten that some of us are out here because we coose to love this profession and that we have pride in what we do. I know some of you are smiling already but more of you know it is true. Our families have sacrificed through the years to continue this work and so we feel we have a personal stake in the market. I will say this that it does not help the owner-operator or operator because the companies we lease to are crooked and lie repeatedly to our faces. I am leased to one that has no shame and has lied repeatedly and openly about just about everything they have ever said. And of course that will change as the phone is answered by another. Their is NO honesty on the high end but those of us in the trenches can work together and maintain an integrity that no broker aka BS artist can take. Any of you that are new to expedite or trucking in general they all lie to you so you just have to decide who lies the least. Don't sell out but when in Rome act like a Roman when thay ask how much smile and stick it to them because if you think they will look out for you find any driver with more than 6 months exp and you will hear the story.

 

[mhwhite9977]

I just wanted to add a quick comment to my last post. I think we can bail out trucking if we all write stories about our own experiences and compile them into a national readers digest of sorts we could sell it and reasonably make a higher profit than on the road and no commission will be paid.

 

[greg334]

Maybe it is the alignment of the planets or just a very bad night's sleep but I am looking at this a bit differently.

Sorry this is going to sound very harsh, I blame the drivers.

This is a business, it always has been a business and to think of it any other way is.... well.... dumb. To think that it is a paid vacation, a retirement bonus or anything along the lines like that is wrong.

There is one important point that everyone seems to miss, everything runs on a contract in this business. The carrier has a contract with the shipper, the owner has a contract with the carrier and the driver better have a contract with the owner. The days of the hand shake being a valid contract has been long gone and the contract limits liabilities for all involved.

Once you get into an accident, or something equally serious, and have nothing to prove what you are doing, then you will learn a hard lesson by putting everything you own at risk.

I think a serious solution is to have the feds put into their little regulation book that sub-contractors must have the same rights as contractors and a valid contract must be in the hands of the carrier for that driver to drive under their banner. But again I also feel it is too easy for someone to get a CDL....

Oh as for loses, if you can't sue in small claims court, get your accountant to write the losses off over the next few years. AND then forget about them.

 

[Yesteryear]

Maybe it is the alignment of the planets or just a very bad night's sleep but I am looking at this a bit differently.

Sorry this is going to sound very harsh, I blame the drivers.

This is a business, it always has been a business and to think of it any other way is.... well.... dumb. To think that it is a paid vacation, a retirement bonus or anything along the lines like that is wrong.

There is one important point that everyone seems to miss, everything runs on a contract in this business. The carrier has a contract with the shipper, the owner has a contract with the carrier and the driver better have a contract with the owner. The days of the hand shake being a valid contract has been long gone and the contract limits liabilities for all involved.

Once you get into an accident, or something equally serious, and have nothing to prove what you are doing, then you will learn a hard lesson by putting everything you own at risk.

I think a serious solution is to have the feds put into their little regulation book that sub-contractors must have the same rights as contractors and a valid contract must be in the hands of the carrier for that driver to drive under their banner. But again I also feel it is too easy for someone to get a CDL....

Oh as for loses, if you can't sue in small claims court, get your accountant to write the losses off over the next few years. AND then forget about them.

Ya know, I think some of you are trying 'not to get the point'! Duh, last time I am going to try to explain this! You people are professional truck drivers! YOU know about trucks, trucking companies, owners and sub-contractors! The average person does NOT know a driver is a sup-contractor! When the 'average' or LAY person sees a Tri-State truck (example) they assume the driver works for Tri-State not a truck owner! GET ME! Therefore, when a LAY person decides to retire and become a truck driver they start checking out companys like Panther, Tri-State, Express One, Werner, JB Hunt, Schnieder, ECT! WHY? Because they think drivers drive for the company listed on the side of their truck. Now, they check out a company and everything seems great they call that company and get a recruiter who gives them an contact number for a start orientation date. Once they get to the orientation (and spent lot of money doing this and in some cases their last bit of money) they then find out about the owner/driver relationship. SEE! By now it is too late! They are basically trapped! Now if you don't understand then you never will! I guess we 'drivers' are just not as smart and perfect as some of you are!

I just thank the lord there are some really good truck owners for example Judd, Expediters, Wingnut, ect..... that look out for their drivers and make sure they understand! It is sad the 'bad' over-shadow the good!

 

[Tennesseahawk]

I understand what you're saying. To me, it still doesn't make the ignorance any less ignorant. When you have every available tool (recruiter, internet, drivers, owners, publications, etc.) at your disposal to find out about a subject, it's hard to cry foul because you "didn't know". If you went about it that way, and feel you've been given the shaft, then you have no one to blame but yourself.

 

[MentalGiant]

This is a business, it always has been a business and to think of it any other way is.... well.... dumb. To think that it is a paid vacation, a retirement bonus or anything along the lines like that is wrong.

I agree with you on this one greg, I have run into a couple of drivers who thought this was a vacation and was only accepting loads to where they were wanting to go. But, they don't last long with the carriers, because a pattern does start to build fairly quickly. As it is, the carriers are struggling to get loads for all their drivers and to have a few who are picky about where they go will not do.

I will admit, my wife or I will go into downtown NYC and some of the surrounding areas. That is just a accident waiting to happen and they don't pay enough to take the chance.

But, a lot of places make it sound like a paid vacation. Example, the place we started out at. We didn't call them to take a vacation though, I'm very money hungry, if I see a chance to make some money, I'm on it. But you do have to be wise about it. And that fleet owner was a bad decision on my part as many had made with them. I just chalk up to a life mistake and go on and not do it again.

 

[Yesteryear]

I'm very money hungry, if I see a chance to make some money, I'm on it.

Heeheehee! You ain't seen money hungry till ya meet me! Now I'm money hungurrrry! Yep that's me! Money hungurrry and as cheap as can be. . . heeheehee! Why I'm so money hungurry I'd go to hungry for a load! I'm soooooo cheap, my hubby carries a a a oil can with'em! heeheehee NYC you say? yep did that one! Canada? yep that one too! If it pays me I'll go! Go home for the holiday you say, uh-uh nope not me, got to make some moneeeey! heeheehee. Oh yea!

 

[Yesteryear]

I understand what you're saying. To me, it still doesn't make the ignorance any less ignorant. When you have every available tool (recruiter, internet, drivers, owners, publications, etc.) at your disposal to find out about a subject, it's hard to cry foul because you "didn't know". If you went about it that way, and feel you've been given the shaft, then you have no one to blame but yourself.

OH MY! Thank you Tennesseahawk! That is it exactly what I have been soooooo hard trying to say! WE WERE SOOOOO IGNORANT! See, guess hubby is right! Soooo hard for me to get across what I'm trying to say and you summed it up in one senctence! heeheehee "it still doesn't make the ignorance any less ignorant."