Melton Truck Lines are crooks!(((((DONT GO THERE)))))
 

They got me for $530. and somehow legaly they have their a$$ covered and theres nothing i can do about it.


I returned their truck in perfect condition and they charged me for a truck recovery that never happened.



PM me for the details but they are like all the big companies that have ways of ripping off the driver to make up for their lack of freight. They are crooks. They got bean counters charging the driver for evey little thing.
They are not worth going to. My best check at 2200 miles was 850. and the worst check at 850 miles was 250.
They suck.

Sounds like they are going to hit you with an abandonment. If they are charging you for the truck recovery, that's exactly what's going to happen. :? Did you take the truck back the terminal they wanted you to? Or did you just drop it at the nearest terminal?

Seems odd to me. :roll:

I sure wish you the best that you can get the matter cleared up

I wont be getting it back, but thanks.




And yes, i took it to a terminal. These big companies(like yours) want you to babysit the truck cause they cant get you loaded and pay you the layover rate witch is poverty level once you rack up so many in a week.
And you wonder why drivers get frustrated.

I did not abandon the truck, and there was no recovery, but i got charged $530.

I don't know how I got dragged into this...I was simply making a neutral observation. :roll:

Maybe you should get out of the industry if you're that jaded toward it. We're talking about being responsible for the security of the equipment and the load. I'm not sure that's asking a whole lot as it's a major part of the job description. I'm also not sure what that has to do with the point of the thread.

That goes on both sides of the office window. Just sayin' :P

So, back to the issue, I was simply pointing out that if they charged you $530 for a recovery, they are most likely going to hit you with an Unauthorized Location Without Notice and it would be in your best interest to check into that.

Here's why it gets dicey for a driver to simply drop a truck off at any old terminal and I apparently can't say this enough. Find out WHERE the company wants the truck, which terminal they want it at, and then take it there when you quit. Get it signed off that the truck is where they want it, then suck it up and get on the bus home or have someone pick you up. I understand the disdain for Greyhounds, but come on...isn't a 14 hour bus ride an acceptable hardship to ensure that you maintain your job history and an easy job change process?

Getting back to the charge and the likely reason for it, basically if you dropped the truck off at a non-orientation terminal, then the company has to get the truck to a terminal where it can be picked up by another driver. When that happens, they will charge you typically a dollar a mile to get the truck to the correct terminal. But many companies will then hit your work record, both on DAC and on faxes, with the Unauthorized Location. That's the killer and will throw up huge roadblocks to getting on with another company, OTR or local. It's going to come up, either way.

I'm not trying to argue...there's enough ammunition on both sides of the fence to fuel a long debate on what's right or wrong about the whole situation. My only point in getting involved with this thread was to explain why they probably charged you and what you may need to look for. That's all.

You know, I have learned a long time ago there are 3 sides to every story. 1) the employee's, 2) the employer's, 3) the TRUTH.

One other question. When you dropped it off at the terminal, did you properly clean it out, clean enough for another driver, walk inside, give them a written notice of termination? We have had drivers think they were doing the right thing by just sticking their truck in the back of the yard and leaving. They still abandoned the truck because they didn't clean it out, and did not notify anyone of the truck being abandoned even though it was on company property!

HEY, can somebody fetch me a bag of chips and a 12 pack of mich. ultra. this here has the starts of a bash otr, local is great debate...i dont wanna miss a minute.

It's all the work of that TF guy Jed. :wink:

Don't worry, we have him on the list! :wink:

I'm on everybody's list and don't ya'll forget it. :P

But seriously, that Unauthorized Location and charge-back is a killer...drivers have to really watch themselves because there are some companies (not many, but some) out there that don't play nice that way at all.

Basically, when you are quitting a driving job, ask them where they want the truck and take it to that terminal. Make sure that it's a dispatch terminal and make sure that when you drop it off, you get a signed form that you dropped the truck where they wanted it.

If a company says it's not a dispatch terminal or if the company says "don't worry about it, we'll come get it," by all means, don't agree to it UNLESS they fax or give you a letter stating they want the truck there or are picking it up of their own free will and will NOT charge you for the miles or give you an abandonment on your record. That letter will be your rock, should they get nasty.