Complaint Review: GreatWide/Bulldog Trucking West

I contacted Ryan Cowen of Bulldog Trucking West in Peyton, CO through a recruiter for Greatwide.  After talking to Ryan, who seemed to be ok on the phone, and the recruiter seemed to endorse him, saying that he had five trucks and that he was just getting started with Greatwide, I flew from the east coast out to Denver, CO on Jan. 24.  I had to pay $60 baggage fees to get on the airplane (which was no problem, because I anticipated being reimbursed), and when I got there, there was a contact waiting to take me to the truck.  

Because Greatwide had not shipped the paperwork to Ryan, in a reasonable manner, I had to spend the weekend in Denver until the paperwork could be completed on Monday.  On Monday, everything seemed to go smooth...I got my paperwork, got my truck assignment, and my first dispatch, and was on my way.  On Feb. 6, I was making my way from OR to NE.  After delivering my load in NE I quickly reloaded, going to PA and continued on my way. I received a phone call from Devin at Greatwide, stating that they had run my MVR and that there was an issue.  We deduced that the problem was because I failed to send DMV a copy of my most recent medical certification.  I told Devin that I was to drop this load and pick up another one going to the house, and that I would be glad to take care of it on the following Monday, as this was Thursday. He seemed to be ok with that, and I proceeded on.  I stopped in Woodhull, IL to fuel.  At the pump, the card reader said that my card was invald, so I proceeded to the cashier who told me the same thing.  I then called Greatwide to try to get the problem cleared up, only to find out that I had been locked out.  On Friday, the following day, I spent most of the early day making phone calls to Greatwide and talking with DMV to get things cleared up, just to find out that the issue was from something that had happened in 2010.  Now, Greatwide ran my MVR on Jan. 15, while I was still on the east coast.  After obtaining a copy of that MVR, I realized that they had all the information to prevent this before I ever got on the airplane.  But because I'm now locked out and can't get fuel, and have no other way to get home, I'm forced to rent a car and drive to NC to have a duplicate license made.  I was promised by Mark Alfini that I would have a $300 comchek waiting for me when I returned to the truck, to help pay for the rental.  

After making the trip to NC, and making sure that I now had a clean MVR, I returned back to IL to get back in the truck, only to find that because of the -22 degree weather, the fuel had gelled.  Along with that, on a day in the previous week, I had an airline break, and I had to spend money out of my pocket to purchase new airlines and tools to fix it with, which I didn't really mind, because (again) I was anticipating being reimbursed, and I was doing what it took to get the job done.  Also, because the only air lines available at that time were the short ones, I knew that they would end up breaking again, which they did on Feb. 13.  And again, I came out of my pocket to make repairs. Because of the frozen truck, I had to get a hotel room for the night, which I paid out of my pocket, and Mark Alfini is neither answering nor returning my calls.  Consequently, no $300 reimbursement for a $515 rental car experience.  The next day I picked the truck up at the shop and proceeded on my route.  

On Feb. 9, while at home, I billed Bulldog Trucking West for my first two weeks' work and out of pocket expenses, which came to a little over $1700.00.  

After delivering my load in PA, I was dispatched to pick up steel coils.  But because Bobby Plowman failed to tell me what I was loading, I showed up at the shipper without coil racks.  By the time I got to a truck stop to purchase coil racks (which, by the way, they only had two and I needed four) it was too late to pick up the load.  By this time, I'm really getting frustrated with all of the things that are going wrong, and all Greatwide wants to do is push, push, push.  After sitting overnight Friday night in PA, Bobby Plowman has another load in Newark, NJ. After trying unsuccessfully to find the shipper, I call them to get directions, and tell the man on the other end of the phone that he'll have to slow down so I can write it down, he tells me that he has other things that he has to do and that he doesn't have time for this.  Frustrated, I hang up and call Bobby Plowman, and he doesn't answer so I leave a message.  I call Ryan, and he doesn't answer, so I leave a message.  After waiting approx. 30 minutes, I dead head to the house.  I got home at 7 pm Saturday evening Feb. 15.

After being employed for 23 days, on Feb. 16, I sent Bulldog Trucking bills for the third week of work and out of pocket expenses, and include a deduction of $400.00 to cover the cost of fuel for my deadhead, all totalling approx. $3215.00.  After arguing with Greatwide about responsibility for having to rent a car, they finally agree to send a comchek for $250.00, which they claim is half of the car rental.  On Feb. 17, I spoke with Ryan Cowen of Bulldog Trucking West, on the phone, and he told me that he had put a check in the mail and could not remember what day it was that he mailed it.  However, he sent plates for the truck out on Feb. 14, and I received them on Feb. 18.  To this day (Feb. 26) I have not received a check.  On Feb. 21 I spoke to Ryan on the phone and asked him again about pay.  He then began to argue as to why he should have to pay some of the things that I billed him for.  As the conversation became more volatile, I realized that he had no intent to pay me.  After hanging up, I sent him an email informing him that he owed me $2965.00 for work I had performed and money I had spent out of pocked to forward his business.  I would discuss nothing further with him until I was paid in full.  

I have had no response from Ryan Cowen, but his sidekick Cory has contacted me and threatened to report the truck stolen.  Greatwide has contacted me, and after finding out that I have not been compensated, their only response is from Randy: "Well I guess we'll come get the truck.".  There has been NO consideration for my financial needs from either Greatwide, Bulldog Trucking or anybody associated.  Their whole attitude is, well you haven't been paid, oh well, not my problem.