Need some urgent advice...
 

Okay, here it is... I just recently (on October 18th) went to work for a small company out of Plainview, TX. The people, the miles, the truck, etc. are good. The problem I am having is getting paid. I understand the holding back a week, but I was supposed to have gotten my first paycheck, last Friday. (Yes, I am on Direct Deposit) They told me the first two checks would be mailed due to the setting up of the DD. I said no problem. Well, when my check didn't show up in the mail on Tuesday, I called and she told me that maybe the mail was slow in getting it to me and not to worry as she promised that it was mailed to my home. It is now Thursday and still no paycheck! I am to deliver in Phoenix, AZ first thing tomorrow morning. Any advice on what I should do now?

Just keep working...and keep your emotions in check. If this resolves itself the day after you wig out on them...you will regret your actions.

Always keep your emotions like a Poker hand...close to the vest. Keep your office informed you have not recieved the pay...and if it goes another day...ask for them to track the mail, and cut you a new check. I'd talk to them everyday now...until this is resolved....but give them the benifit of the doubt...first.

No matter what happens, you will feel better if your actions are respectful.
Hope that helps.

If this becomes a pattern...you will need to look for another employer. Still, do yourself proud.

RH- I appreciate your advice. I definitely want to do the right thing. I'm not gonna do anything I'll regret later. I did forget one thing, last Friday, when I was trying to get fueled the card was denied, so I called Fleet One and found out that it was due to non-payment. :shock: I tried to call my after hours contact and he wouldn't answer the phone. This is the same guy who has promptly called me back every time I needed him to. I finally received a call from him the next morning, saying that the card was fine now and he's sorry, but he had "lost" his phone. :?

Re: Need some urgent advice...
 

Yes....sell the load, sell the truck, then go over there and kick the sh*@#t out of someone!!!

Seriously, If I were you I would call them again and not accept any more "the check is in the mail BS" (I can tell you I use it all the time on my creditors and it just a'int so baby!!!)
If they cannot give you a satisfactory explanantion as to why you have not gotten paid suggest that they:
1 Put a stop payment on the check and
2 Either wire you the money or give you a com check number, or EFS or whatever they use for the exact amount of your pay.

Explain to them that you understand holding back a week and that you are OK with it, but you need some money to at least live on (and you have already suffered through your waiting week and need some dough NOW)....oh and thewife and kids do SOOO like to eat as well...and baby needs diapers etc, etc.
If they are not extremely apologetic and accomodating I, for one, would become instantly suspicious.
If the situation cannot be resolved to your satisfaction (i.e. you get some moolah pronto) explain to them that it will be impossible for you to make your delivery without being paid.

I believe it was Captian John Smith in the Jamestown colony who quoted the bible.....if a will not work he shall not eat which is to say :no work=no pay...well the reverse is also true.....no pay=no work.

What I suggest is just a guideline, it might just be an honest mistake, then again, watch out there brother, you might be gettin' took!!! Take it from one who been took way too many times to tell!!!

Let your conscience and your common sense be your guide.

And, if you will, let us know what happens.

Re: Need some urgent advice...
 

exactly what I was thinking

i'll be sure to.

BTW-i WAS taken one time before, i think that's why i'm so cautious now. thanx for the advice

traveler...has some good ideas to resolve this. I too have been there with a small company continuely falling behind, and giving lame excuses. I don't know your company, and certainly don't want to excite you to do anything rash.

You sound very mature and in control, and I'm sure you'll be able to figure this out by discussing this with them. You should be able to sense BS...if like Trav suggested...they don't give you some money through a comcheck.

The company I worked for had trouble keeping fuel money on my card too. They also gave me run around with my pay. My situation became more severe than yours...but I was paid in the end. I don't have responsibilities outside of myself though....but...still...I agree...a man should be paid regularly for his work and delt with respectfully. If they are giving you the run around...that is not a boss worthy of your skills.

good luck....I am sure you will figure this out. Glad you are able to keep your shoulders square. Good man!!

although i would LOVE to do something rash, i must defer, as i am a better man than that.

BTW-just got off phone with the dispatcher and she told me that the woman who does payroll ( the dispatcher's soon to be daughter-in-law) went home for the day and wouldn't be back till Monday morning. She also let me know that she herself cannot do anything about payroll, as she only does dispatching. :evil: it's a GOOD thing that i'm a patient man. back in my early twenties i may have done something rash :wink:

Story of our life (hubby n' I); he hardly ever gets paid- his trip packs mysteriously disappear!

just waitin for that to happen :roll:

Wild K9-- If it dont work out with the Job, Try RT.Petersons, They are a good company, and I had worked for them. There address is 401 N I27 In Lubbock. They pay by percentage, I was home every 2 weeks, and a few times every week. Most of the runs I had where of course Texas, and the midwest. I spent most of my time in south and north Caralina, but I did get sent to other places and states. They are mainly flat bed, but do have some dry vans, that is what I did, was dry van.

Any way I hope this helps.

Slimland

thanx Slimland, i'll look into that.

Useless, much appreciated, never thought about that.

It is possible that the check was lost in the mail. I would contact them and ask them to cancel that check and either cut you a new one, or better yet direct deposit your pay in your account and see what happens.

gonna do that come Monday. payroll woman is supposedly out till Monday

I am sorry to hear about your payroll problems, WildK9. I agree that the check could have been lost in the mail. I am not sure where it was mailed from or when, but most mail reaches it's destination with 2-3 days unless it is going across country. I believe in giving people the benefit of a doubt until they abuse my trust. It concerns me that everyone seems to be avoiding you. There were also problems with the fuel card. I understand that things happen. If there are problems with the company it would be best to be up front with you. I would talk to some of the other drivers and see if they are experiencing the same problems. You deserve to be paid in a timely manner. I would see if someone could get in touch with the person who handles payroll and have her either cut you a new check or a Comcheck. If you can't get your money when promised I would start looking for another job. There are a number of companies in trouble right now. That may or may not be the case here. If this cannot be resolved Monday, at the latest, I would seek other employment. In fact, I would be very blunt with them. If it were me, I would ask them directly whether they are having financial difficulties. If they say yes, then you will need to decide whether to stay or not. I suggest telling them that you cannot continue to work without being paid. Good luck. Let us know what happens.

Set a deadline for your pay, including time for them to re-issue if they indeed did send you your check, and after the deadline ask them to put in on your ComChex card or whatever it is you're using.

thanx GMAN, i'll keep ya'll posted

good idea with the deadline. thx :wink:

okay, friday and still no pay(by the way, today is second "payday" since i started), so i told them to put a stop payment on the check and load the card with the money. she tells me that she doesn't remember how much the check was and that she doesn't have the paperwork with her to find out. i ask her how much this paycheck was for. she tells me to hold on and a few seconds later says $716.42, then says i hope i'm reading it right. :shock: i say how can you read it wrong, you DO remember HOW to read numbers, correct!?! well she says, yes, but don't quote me. :? HUH!?! don't quote you on reading the amount of MY paycheck? WTF!?! then she quickly says that she'll work on getting the stop payment on and load my card for that amount( only the $716.42, which is wrong, BTW) and to call back in an hour. guess what, she got me. :oops: i called back and she went home early according to the other girl and "forgot" to load my card. they don't work on weekends. :evil:

I admire your good sense and patience, but that certainly would have just crossed the line for me.

I'd be sending an urgent message to SOMEBODY that mattered and tell them I just forgot where that load was going...but the paycheck(s) OWED me might possibly jog my memory.

:evil:

called back, left a message(can't get ahold of anyone @ night or weekends, which wasn't what they told me when i started) told them that i'm not picking up ANY loads until they have the full amount of both checks loaded on my card.gonna suck for them, they had a good one lined up - Phoenix to Boston. oh well, don't push me too far or i push back. :twisted:

BTW-my fiancee thinks they just snow people as long as possible, due to the fact that i found out today that they are now on there 3rd business name. why else would they change names 3 times? things that make you go, hmmmm. :?

Have you looked into R.T. Petersons yet? If you do talk to David, He is one of the owners!

If you live around Plainview, there are about 5 or 6 trucking company's around and in Lubbock alone.

Having the same problems here w/swift; 3 months of him getting paid only once in a while, and never getting back pay OR reimbursed for scales, etc. How do these companies get away w/this? Do they think you guys work for FREE???? We are BROKE; and yet again, this coming payday, not even half of what it should be! I want to call swift- but who the heck do you talk to? Seems to me they just give ya the run around (thats what they have been doing to my husband anytime he tries to talk to someone). :evil: :evil: