I am a recent grad from Roadmaster - I was unable to go to one of the larger trucking companies due to I had not had my license back for more than 6 months. I was reduced to working for a local trucking company by the name of Outlaw Trucking. {a 3 truck company - 2 local & 1 OTR}
Upon hiring me the owner - Bill Pollock - told me that I would be paid every friday. I was also a independent contractor. My wife was to pick up checks from him every friday, if I was not in town.
I did several local runs my first week and then was leased to RW Trucking where I did OTR. I was told by RW Trucking dispatcher that I would not have any down time. When sent out on my first run from OH to Ft Worth, TX I had the load there 1 day early. Once that was unloaded I sat for 2 days due to the dispatcher couldn't get me a load out. I finally got a load from Mesquite,TX to Brookhaven, MS - which I got there a day early as well. I then had another load from Jackson, MS to Indianapolis, IN - which once again I was a day early. I then deadheaded back to OH.
I was then placed in the middle, like a pawn, between Outlaw Trucking and RW Trucking. Bill called me and told me to keep the trailer until I heard from him. RW trucking called me and wanted to know why the trailer had not been returned yet. I told them to talk to Bill. The trailer was returned and I was sent to Mt. Sterling to pick up a check for Bill from RW Trucking. This all happened on a Friday I was to be paid. But I didn't receive my check until Saturday Evening. I then heard from Bill on Monday that the check that RW Trucking wrote was hot. And this only covered the first part of the OTR run I did for them. They then had another check from him later that next week - which he once again sent me to Mt. Sterling to pick up. I had to track him down to a local bar to give him the check. I was never given my pay for the rest of that OTR run.
Bill then switched the company we were leased to. Between leaving RW and this new transport company {RC Transport} he kept me busy with local runs. Which.... I was never paid for. Always promised to pay me but never did. My next OTR run was for RC Transport - from OH to Ft. Irwin, CA.
Prior to leaving I advised Bill that the tags needed to be reinstated. He never did that - he also sent me out again with no money in my pocket. Out of the kindness of his little bitter heart he bought me supplies that he thought would last me the 2 weeks that I was sent out. The following is what was in the truck: 1 gallon of water, 2 - 12 packs of Mt Dew, 2 - 4 packs of snack pudding, 2 pkgs of little debbie snack cakes and 1 jar of goober{peanut butter & jelly} - how he expected me to eat that I don't know because there was no bread nor crackers. I guess I was supposed to use my fingers. My wife and Mother-in-law begged me not to leave because of several reasons.. the first being no money and the second was I hadn't had sleep in over 12 hours or more. Being that the local run he had me do over the weekend got screwed up and then he had me doing errands for him all over. I was home long enough to grab a shower, my clothes and a bite to eat.
Once I was out on the road - I was stopped at a weigh station in OK where Bill received a ticket for expired registration. When I called him about the ticket he cussed me up and down and blamed me for the ticket and said that I was gonna pay for it. He later called back and said he knew it wasn't my fault... that it was his. I then started having trouble with the Truck. I was driving an 02 frieghtliner w/100,000 miles on it. He gave me stricked instructions that I was not to run the truck at night or when I was loading or unloading regardless of the temp. Especially if I wanted a bonus. I made it to Santa Rosa, NM when I got ready to leave the truck wouldn't start. I got a pull from another driver to get it started. When I told Bill about the truck not starting and that I had gotten a pull from another driver. He then told me NOT to shut the truck off and not to get another pull from a driver. So.... the truck ran constantly from Santa Rosa, NM to Ft. Irwin, then from there to LA to Colorado springs to Pueblo, CO, to Newton, KS, then to Concordia, KS to Flemingsburg, KY.
Bill called me at 4pm after I was unload in Flemingsburg,KY telling me that I had to have the truck to the shop in Delaware, OH by 5pm for it to be worked on for the starter. It is over 3 hours from Flemingsburg, KY to Delaware, OH.
I had had a conversation while out on the road with Bill telling him that if I did not have a check from the majority of my pay to current that I would not be working for him any longer. He promised and told me that I would have a check. He had also told me that he was giving me money for the weekend to take my wife to dinner, and that Saturday - first it was breakfast, then lunch, then dinner - that he said he wanted to take me out and show me how much he appreciated all the work I've been doing for him. He had me meet him at a small local dinner where he bought me a cheeseburger after all the busting of my butt for him. And..... NO CHECK! NO PAY!
I called the dispatcher I had with RC Transport and she had talked with her boss about hiring me as a company driver. She gave me her boss's number & I talked with him. I was hired at that moment. Bill found out that I was going to be driving an 06 volvo and assumed that it was RC Transport. Bill then called Bob {Owner of RC Transport} and told him that if they hired me he would take legal action against them. Bob called me back and said they couldn't hire me.
I then spoke with Bill's Step-brother - Eric - who also, used to work for Bill. He quit a week before I did because Bill wasn't paying him either. He told me of another company that was looking for a driver. He gave me the number and I was forunate enough that he hired me on and gave me a chance. Bill, also, owes him money. I went to work for this new company on Tuesday. I received a call from Bob at RC Transport telling me that he had had time to think and that he still wanted to hire me. I told him in no uncertain terms that I didn't want to work for him - especially if he was keeping Bill on and that I also, had found another job.
He then called back twice and left 2 messages...The first telling me that there was a truck waiting in MI for me to pick up and then the second one cussing me out and threatening my life if I ever came up to his state. Because He said I didn't have the balls to tell him that I didn't want to work for him. I had told him that he just didn't listen.
I went to the local police and they handled the situation for me. If he calls me again he will be brought up on harrassement charges and as for Bill/Outlaw Trucking - I will be filing a civil lawsuit for the almost $2,000 that he owes me.
Rebel cowboy
Delaware, Ohio
U.S.A.