Navajo Express kept paycheck of 1508 dollars after I quit Denver Colorado
I worked for Navajo Express as an over-the-road driver, for more than one year, quitting in June 2007. In the last 6 months, Jim Franklin, dispatcher, has ignored my original (and pleasant) working agreement, of 2 weeks out, and 4 days off, uninterrupted. He kept me out deliberately, frustrating my family plans, and keeping me out usually between 3 and 4 weeks.
On my last run, to Fort Worth for delivery and to park truck for hometime (I live in DFW suburbs), I called in when I was expected to come back to work. I called to discuss this hometime issue. I quit over the phone and in writing, because he became argumentative, and threatened to charge me "$1 per mile to return the truck to denver". I do not live in Denver, and didn't give them 2 weeks notice, because he can't get me home predictably, so I took another job. Besides, its 750approx miles to denver, and they wouldn't let me return it without "taking a load" which means working for them and not directly returning it to denver. I offered to drive it directly to denver but they refused to "deadhead" it.
I left their truck in good condition, in the Fort Worth navajo yard. They illegally deducted 1508$ from my last paycheck (the entire paycheck, including a mysterious 1200 "auto advance" reimbursement which I suspect was the money that would have been direct deposited.) and did not include the usual stub or paycheck voided out for direct deposit. I requested in writing my check by mail because I closed my account to prevent their theft. I believe they are spiteful because I quit without notice, which they cannot duly expect if they abuse employees and prevent them from scheduling 2 weeks to give notice!
Mike
Dallas, Texas
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Jerry
Needles,California,
U.S.A.
For the record.
#2UPDATE EX-employee responds
Sun, July 19, 2009
I just wanted to make a few comments about your post, at least the parts I find you at fault in and to help shed some light as to why you were charged so much.
While I cant believe you managed to get 4 days off for doing only 2 weeks at a time its no wonder why they would keep you out extra to help make up for the lost truck revenue. Its how they did it to me and I only wanted 4 days home after being out four weeks. Go out all month and then go home for 4 days. They 'changed the hometime' a few days after I signed on. I found out its common practice for them to tell you one thing, then actually do something else.
The charge was most likely a 'truck reclamation fee' which was for a driver to get in a rental car and drive all the way down to the DFW area to pick up the truck. Even though it was in the yard it can be considered abandoned since they requested it be brought to denver. They probably charged you rental fee, gas, hotel, and the cab fee for the pickup. They also charged you 200 for the truck cleaning and 'fumigation' which is a fancy word for de-stinking the truck.
You should have told them that you will sit there, with the truck in your front yard, till they have you a load going directly to denver. They would have eventually gotten you there. However I suspect you did not want to spend 2 days going up there and 2 days back on a bus which is the real reason why you didnt take it back.
I doubt they really cared when you quit so suddenly since they wont hesitate to fire someone (or force them to quit) as they did me. Navaho is a good company to those who 'know the bosses' and can use that as leverage against some asshat working behind a computer. My 2 year, approximatly, stay there was pretty good all the way up to the start of this year when i started getting harassed on the qualcom constantly. A common load this year was one of two setups.
1) A load which goes 1000 miles and have 4-5 days to get there. You pick it up late in the day and drive a few hundred miles to sit overnight. Drive 2 more days and then sit for 2 days when you get there. Your told they will take it early but find out they are closed on the weekends. Your told you'll get a better load next time and never do.
2) You get a load thats got just the right amount of time. Except the load isnt ready when you get there and ends up being late, wrong paperwork, overweight, or otherwise fubar'd. You spend all day sitting and then end up relaying it so a team has 1200 miles to go and dont have to sit around. You complain that they should reschedule and they say they rather have a team get it there on time. They then give you another #1 load.
I've had a few late loads and at the time of my 'dismissal' i had accumulated 4 service failures in less than a month over loads which had broad open windows of delivery yet because the computer wanted me there at a certain time i got a service failure. However last year i had 1 late load the entire year.
Oh, to make a long story short, when i was dismissed they disabled the qualcomm which disabled the truck. If you think your going to be terminated, clean out the truck before you leave it otherwise a sneaky b***h mechanic will disable the truck and you'll end up with a bonus cleaning bill for 'trash removal'.