Refusing to run illegal; How can I stop this?

[CHaracter]

Got a bad experience with a broker I leased to for almost a year; decided to move on, but I wouldn`t wanna let the guy pressure other o/o`s (plus he has some trucks of his own) and run them like crazy.
Would like to take a stand and report him, but where? Don`t really feel like walkng into a DOT scale...any advices?

[yoopr]

I think you've already settled your problem-you left
Let the others do it too when they've had enough of it.

[solo379]

I believe there is some number, you could call, to report it...or at least there was!

[LOAD IT]

Yoopr is right, you hurt him most by leaving, you hit him in the wallet. Now get others to leave him, ouch, now that hurts!! Or be a bigger man and just move on. He will get his, whether its at a DOT audit or the aftermath of a major accident due to HOS violations.

[allan5oh]

I know in Canada there are new laws that any broker/dispatcher cannot force you to drive illegally. This includes shippers as well.

In doing so, they would be as responsible legally for anything that would happen as you are.

[Rev.Vassago]

I know in Canada there are new laws that any broker/dispatcher cannot force you to drive illegally. This includes shippers as well.

In doing so, they would be as responsible legally for anything that would happen as you are.

In the US, the same holds true, but good luck proving it. :wink:

[thejunkman]

You did the right thing. Companies love o/op's because it costs them less than housing a company truck, since you bear the expenses, so if they are gonna pay someone say 1.25 a mile, the can take all the cheap freight they can as long as they cover your pay and what other small expenses they have.

[CHaracter]

Thanks for your wise advices, the thing is, this particular guy is doing this with all the o/o`s he has worked with, most of the time not even paying the last check -I am curious what my last check would include- but apparentely he loves to keep some money for himself, I know guys who he owes from 400$ to 3200$. He always acts, like he forgets to send that last check and then just not answer your calls...
I don`t think is fair, specially when the work routine looks like running like crazy 2-3 days team loads for one guy and then waiting 2-4 days in a truck stop for another load. Of course,you can refuse the loads he offers, and wait for another one; but the next load would be another team load, so is pretty much "take it or leave it" attitude.
When you beg for 2 hrs of sleep at 1600 miles and don`t get them ever... Another driver who used to work for him got a straight shot from L.A. to Buffalo, NY poor guy, that was his last trip he left after that.
Anyway, there must be a way to stand up for what`s fair and make sure no one else becomes a victim of brokers like that.
But you drivers are right, i`m glad I`m out of that mess, it`s time for a new start.
Happy Holidays to you all !

[jdg]

How can this guy force you to drive illegally?,
and why don't these guys he has shorted ding his surety bond?

It looks like you did the right thing by not taking his loads anymore, but as for the rest of it,....well,...give an inch, and the result is usually the same.

[classicxl]

one driver leaving is not going to hurt him he will just find a few others to replace you problem solved for him

[syl77dar]

goodluck

[GMAN]

The wage and labor board won't be able to do much with this guy, since he is not an employer. If I read the post correctly, these people are owner operators, thus independent business people and would not be affected by state labor laws. If he is a broker and has current authority, he will have a bond which you can file on. I don't understand why you don't know exactly how much he owes you. You stated he owes you from $400-3,200? You should know exactly how much is owed. No one can force you to run illegally, but you. You should have a contract with him stating how long he has to pay you. If you were leased to him, he can take as long as 6 weeks to send the final check. The final check could include any adjustments for advances, base plates, permits, claims or other deductions. The way I see it, if he complies with the agreement you both should have signed, then you have no recourse. If he fails to comply or breaks the agreement, then you can either file on his bond or sue him in court. OOIDA has a list of brokers and carriers that members have had a problems. You will need to be a member to file a complaint. If this is a problem with compliance with a contract, they may also be able to assist you. Some things they become involved in, others they don't. Good luck.

[CHaracter]

Well, GMAN, the broker doesn`t owe me 400 to 3k, it`s other o/o I know and he owes them, actually. My paycheck -wich accordind to him I will see after the 10 of Jan- should be around 2400$. Many loads we used to take with him, we had no clue how much they were being paid, but there was an unwritten rule that no load would be under 1.20-1.30$/mile (about 70% of them were around 2$/mile). If you would ask about how much the load is paid he would get nasty;
Oh, and about refusing a load, that was ok, I could refuse any load if I wanted, of course, but the problem was, after being in a truckstop for 2-4 days, believe me, you would take anything just to atleast start moving. The guy gets his loads thru NLMI most of the time, and those loads don`t come too often;
So, the only option you really have is take it or leave it, get stuck another 2-3 days in that place or drive a load wich is designated for a team normally. The broker doesn`t care you burn your fuel for days idling or spend you money on food or whatever you need while waiting, or if you have to drive empty 200-400 miles to get a load empty; he gets 25% of gross, not profit, plus of course we pay 100$/week for using his trailer -wich I guess it`s fair.
I guess what Im looking for is a phone number I could call or an email address where I could report him -many times driving down the road actually I was tempted to pull into a scale and have the officer pull me over for 10 hours, but that seemed too risky, but atleast I`ve could of taking a justified sleep brake
Once again, thx u all for trying to help. I will look into OOIDA list, I am one of their members.
Good luck on the big road!

[tweety bird]

How can this guy force you to drive illegally?,


It looks like you did the right thing by not taking his loads anymore, but as for the rest of it,....well,...give an inch, and the result is usually the same.

This is exactly what I was thinking. Our company steps out of the "forcing us" bit, but they'll ask you to do all kinds of crazy stuff sometimes. But we are contracted to them, not employed by them, so it's up to us to decide if we want to do it or not.

I don't put a whole lot of stock in "legal." IMO Legal is as maleable as play-doh sometimes. I go to this website: Weigh Station Info when I need to know what my options are. I understand that I'm the one left holding the bag if I'm heavy or over hours or whatever. But that's MY decision- not some company or broker's decision.

Yoopr is right, you hurt him most by leaving, you hit him in the wallet. Now get others to leave him, ouch, now that hurts!! Or be a bigger man and just move on. He will get his, whether its at a DOT audit or the aftermath of a major accident due to HOS violations.

I'm with the poster about doing something about this. Yeah you can let the others worry about it.. bla bla bla... Driving tired is like driving drunk. When someone is pushing drivers to drive like hell they are in esence ramming booze down their throat and putting them behind the wheel.

Would you not report that behavior either?

[BanditsCousin]

Go ahead and waste your tie reporting him. From what you say, hes a BROKER. He brokers loads to INDEPENDENT DRIVERS. The drivers accept the loads knowing when the delivery times are.

He's not liable, just trying to keep drivers busy. If you report him, how will you prove he makes you run illegal? Its your truck, and your booty on the line.

Your emotions are playing a role in this. As stated above, move on, and make more $$ elsewhere. It won't be long till nobody drives for him at the rate hes going.

[GMAN]

Whether you are an owner operator or company driver, it is up to you to decide whether you will run legal or not. With a career on the line, it is up to you to make that decision. Personally, I would not lease or work for anyone who attempted to force me to do anything illegal.