UPDATE: As more information becomes available, we will continue updating this story.
UPDATE #1: TruckersReport has confirmed that the owner of Omni, Thomas Witt, was President at Arrow Trucking before working at Roehl. Arrow famously left its drivers stranded just days before Christmas in 2009. They stranded drivers all across the country and left their 1,700+ employees out of work with no warning at all. Read one of our many write-ups on the incident here.
UPDATE #2: Friday came and went, but drivers are still reporting they have not been paid.
UPDATE #3: All Omni drivers should have received a notice in the mail that Omni has filed Chapter 11. User TruckersWifeLife has posted the letter that she and her husband received which you can see here.
Omni Specialized has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In the TruckersReport forums, users have begun to report problems getting paid and difficulties with their fuel cards.
According to the FMCSA, Omni Specialized, LLC employs 163 drivers. Unfortunately, the future employment status of those drivers is uncertain. The details around Omni’s problems are still unclear, but here’s what we know so far.
Omni Specialized was purchased by former Roehl president Thomas Witt in early 2016. UPDATE: Witt also used to be president of the infamous Arrow Trucking. Then, in June of 2016, Omni bought Tennant Truck Lines for a reported $1.5 million. The money was to be paid over 10 years, with the first payment starting on June 1st 2016.
With all apparently going well, Witt then brought over an old colleague from Roehl, Adam Stein.
According to a lawsuit filed by Roehl against Omni, Witt allegedly encouraged Stein to steal confidential data from Roehl. The suit claims that the day before Stein resigned from Roehl on August 28th, 2016, he sent emails to his personal account containing more than 1,000 pages of confidential company data.
Whether it was due to the Roehl lawsuit against them or not is unknown, but Omni then seems to have encountered financial trouble. For some as yet unknown reason, Omni allegedly failed to make their payments from the Tennant Truck Lines purchase, resulting in two civil suits being brought against it by P2 Leasing and Tennant Logistics. Filed in late April of 2017, the suits are seeking just shy of $2 million to pay the remaining balance and cover attorney fees.
Just about a month the latest lawsuits were filed, Omni filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 29th, 2017.
Now, news is starting to surface that some drivers are reportedly having trouble getting paid, while others report that their fuel cards have been shut off.
In a thread in the TruckersReport forum started June 2nd, drivers and wives started sharing reports on the Omni situation. News of the bankruptcy filing was posted quickly, and others shared information about drivers who claim that their fuel cards were no longer working. Other truckers posted comments offering their help to any stranded Omni drivers who need a lift home.
In the week or so since the bankruptcy filing, a flurry of other notices, responses, affidavits, orders, and emergency motions were submitted. According to PacerMoniter.com, the website for Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), one such filing was an “Emergency Motion to Pay Prepetition Wages and Employee Benefit Programs” filed on behalf of Omni Specialized.
Given that emergency motion, it appears Omni has at least attempted to get permission to use its remaining assets to pay drivers their wages instead of seeing all of the money going to paying back their creditors. It is unclear whether the request was granted.
Conflicting accounts of what will happen now are all over.
According to TruckersReport forum user TruckersWifeLife, whose husband drives for Omni, there was a conference call on Wednesday, 6/7/17 at around 5:45 Eastern. Drivers called in to get an update on the situation. According to TruckersWifeLife, both Witt and Stein were on the call and told truckers that the pay that drivers were due last Friday (6/3) was supposed to go through that day (6/7), but hadn’t due to a new creditor coming forward that stopped Omni from making payroll payments. The drivers were to expect their payment by Friday (6/9).
It is still unclear when and if drivers will be paid what they’re due.
If you drive for Omni and have any other information, let us know what your experience has been in the comments section below.
NOTE: As this story is breaking, we will continue posting updates as new information becomes available.
Source: truckersreport, qconline, pacermonitor, businessbankruptcies, marshfieldnewsherald, truckinginfo, qconline
They won’t use the money to pay all the drivers back anyway. They would just make a claim that the trucks were dirty or damaged and keep the cash. No such thing as honesty in transportation…
Actually if they petition for pay legally that’s all they can use it for reguardless of the shape of the truck . Under bankruptcy laws and payment reduction would have to be approved by a judge prior to them being allowed . And secondly if they aren’t gonna use to pay driver then the amount would be reduced . Ex. They say driver S is owed $1500 but they gonna deduct $300 for damages or cleaning . The judge would only approve a $1200 deduction from assets and that would be required to go to the driver
These employers not giving drivers a heads up, is pathetic. They know weeks, months ahead of time they are going under. This happened to me while “buying” a truck. Owner hadnt paid on the truck in months. I find out from a driver via phone call, company is done. This industry is crap.
The whole shebang is craps usa and globally. Nobody trusts law enforcement anymore, banks, politicians, doctors, the legal system, or government in general.
dude you mean you didn,t bother to check on status of trk, while making payments to some guy that claims to be doing the honest thing??
Just checked the bank account….
Not surprised but wanted to share
NO MONEY FROM OMNI !
My husband is heading home after days of being told to sit where he was while things were sorted out.
We received a notice in the mail from US Bankruptcy Court and with that information we will have to file Proof of Claim and it suggests we get a lawyer (in the process of doing that) when our claim is accepted we become “creditors” under the Bankruptcy Court and then wait and see IF my husband ever gets paid.
Luckily my husband has a job ready for him when he gets home.
I’d say that 75% of companies are honest and do treat drivers well. I’ve been in the business as a driver for over forty years and have only had two bad experiences. It’s the 25% of the bad companies that get the news.
That sounds familiar. This happened to me and about a dozen other drivers working for synergistiks out of Akron. They had some day drivers deliver loads to Altoona,pa headquarters then handed them 80 dollars cash and said good luck find your way home.
It’s not the companies, it’s Witt! He is a criminal and has a history of leaving drivers stranded…. The only place this guy needs to be is behind bars in my opinion, forever
Glad you were able to get him home! Thanks for updating!
So sorry to hear of this. You, unfortunately, are probably right. I worked for a company that used our pension funds. I was due to receive 1300.00 per month. I ended up with 300.00 dollar in a class action claim.
We will be praying for you guys and all of those caught up in this dreadful situation
Good luck to your family. It isn’t fair and it certainly isn’t right. Hopefully Omni will get their comeuppance.
My husband is a driver for Omni. He personally spoke with Adam Stein on a few occasions since Monday when his fuel card was shut off and he insured him the card would be working by Wednesday and pay and advances would be back on track by then as well. He trusted him and continued to work untilWednesday night when I had to take off work and drive 500 miles to pick my husband up and bring him home. Omni not only left their driver stranded and without money, they subjected them to fines and penalties as well. With no money and the fuel cards being deactivated, the drivers were were not able to scale their loads or pay for tolls. Additionally, i have documentation that Omni was approved by the United States bankruptcy court on 6/8/17 to pay their employees, yet that still didn’t happen.
Wow. I almost went to work gor them.
Worked for Omni. Was told company was not going to close and pay would be here by today. Yesterday was told company was closed.
If yr stranded do to elogs unpkug it especially if u have fuel to get home make a wrecker puck up the truck
Exactly hell I’d buy my own fuel to get home & hide the truck till I got my money
You can’t do that. That’s considered hijacking, and falls under piracy laws.
jest go downtown and file a workers lien on the truck
Jeff you are sadly mistaken. He can Park the truck on his personal property and even the owner or Finance company can’t touch it. He can file a claim in Small Claims Court, and putting a lien on the truck. After 30 days he can have the truck awarded to him in a judgment if he isn’t paid. Learn the law, and it can help you, pay a lawyer if necessary.
That’s what I would do, file a lien against The SOBs
Be careful about doing that, with the new legislation on Auto- Ransom, you could find yourself with a grand theft auto charge in Federal court.
My boyfriend drives for OMNI, he is home, he was suppose to get a call from the office, and he has NOT received a call!!!! He is out on medical, now what happens with his insurance??? OMNI needs to call us A.S.A.P to tell him what is going on with all of this.
Your hubby will likely fall in under COBRA. I suggest instead of hoping, you immediately go file for Social Services and Medicaid since he has no income.
There is a fund for trucker’s that will help you with medical. I can’t remenber the name. But check with women in trucking web-site.
I hope everything gets better for you.
I think you may be referring to the St Christopher fund. They have a Facebook page also.
St Christopher fund
my advice is not to call omni but call a lawyer
Insurance is paid ahead so you should be okay, but i follow the advice and get a lawyer ASAP!
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the chance of you hearing from anyone from that Company would be like winning a lottery. The first thing a bankruptcy lawyer does is tell every DO NOT talk to anyone involved, that is my job !!! You will eventually get a letter from a court, telling you what you can do, and what the judge has decided about the lowlifes that you used to work for. Not very promising I know, but from experience, that is it in a nut shell. If your on medical care, and receiving disability payments you could be in much better shape if you provider is the state disability Insurance carrier. You should contact them though
THE TRUCKING INDUSTRY IS CORRUPT SINCE I BEEN IT FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. THEY COME TO WORK TO LIE TO THE DRIVER, IT’S THEIR JOB. I HAVE NEVER FOUND ONE HONEST TRUCKING COMPANY EVER! THEY ALL LIE.
Hi Jay.
I so much totally agree with you.
I been so shafted by the industry
The last 2 years.too many corrupt
Businesses out their.their always
Trying to cut corners.its unbelieable.
I you think that’s bad, wait til December when Electronic Logs kick in in for everyone.
Don’t know if all are unethical, major problem is most managers have never driven a truck and only know what they hear and don’t want to hear the truth.
If i was in this kind of situation personally…. when that day comes where they shut off the fuel card and don’t direct deposit my paycheck, i will drive their truck toward my home and try to get as close to home as possible! I will pull in to the closes truck stop before running out of fuel and park it. I would then find a way to get home either by flight or greyhound bus so that i can get my personal vehicle and then drive back to where i left the truck at. I would grab all my personal belongings out of the truck and go home!! I would abandon that truck and leave it where it’s at!! Whatever happens to it is NOT my problem anymore!!
You are responsible for the truck until the company tell’s you to park it. Make sure you have documentation that you have talked to the company and told them where the truck is and you put it in a secure place, because if you just up and leave it, that will show up on the paperwork report that companies run now instead of DAC so it could keep you from getting a good job later down the line. I am a Logistics coordinator for a small trucking company and will not even look at a driver that has an abandoned on his history without a good reason told up front.
That is probably the most sane answer I have heard, but at some jector of all of this, you need to communicate the whereabouts of the truck to local law enforcement, which you can do unanimously from a pay phone. Remember they have caller ID
could very well be your problem ,, shippers want their product receivers want their product and you have hidden it, don,t get stupid and make things worse for yourself, get as close to home as possible and make a recorded call to company as to where it is. and you are covered,, you,re not gonna hurt your company by hiding it that just lets them off the hook and puts you on
Willing to bet the higher ups in the company got their money.
You are incorrect. No one under Tom was paid. All of you bashing Adam, he was only going off of what Tom told him. Tom lied to all of us and had us fooled.
WOW. He did what TOM TOLD HIM= stealing proprietary information
from another company, including emails which are , for a long time,
legal documents??? No ethics/totally immoral /integrity= EVIL!
WOW…is office employee one of the suspects? This type of thinking is what got arro/roehl, etc. in trouble. Why would anyone in the know with any ethics,morals and integrity deal with these men?
They don’t care who they harm, and obviously have deep pockets backing their attorneys.
Take pictures of everything, including any dispatches, BOL’s, manifests, fuel, food receipts….IN OTHER WORDS…document everything. Send the company a certified letter stating where the equipment had to be left, due to the fact that YOU were abandonded! Definitely call a lawyer, and know you will not get anything out of it, as the lawyer must be paid. Call the local police and , as you use 911, it is recorded, tell them the situation, why and where you parked the equipment, and if you are loaded, you might call the consignee to see if they will pay the fuel to get you to them. Been there,done that.
New laws won’ t bust the monies’ chops, but you are the low man on the pole
so you get stomped on!
That dude already had the history with Arrow. Why would you even work for the clown?
Back in 95 I had the misfortune to work for a bunch of crooks. When my paycheck wasn’t where it was supposed to be, I parked the truck, took the plates, the BOL’s for the load and the bingo card home with me. They phoned all pissed off. I told them they could get that stuff when I was presented with a certified check. They weren’t happy but I got my money! And I have never worked for foreigners again!
You think only foreigners can be crooks?
you my fine fellow are not telling the truth
Pretty sure Tom Witt was president of Arrow Trucking when it left hundreds of drivers stranded, if my memory serves me right. A lot of innocent people find themselves in pretty deep holes when companies/a few people do this crap. Prayers, thoughts and best wishes to those who find themselves left out to dry because of this.
Wrong. He was gone from Arrow 2 years before they shutdown. Please at least know what you are talking about before posting.
Yes this is the same Tom Witt that finished off Arrow….
My folks both got the same treatment years ago from Transcon and Consolidated Freightways. Seems nothing has changed since then.
Do not think you have you facts straight about Transcon, The Company president told the driver if the did not agree to arbitrate, he would be forced to close the doors, everyone in Oklahoma knows what their decision was.
Driver gets no money from omni,,keep the truck and plant flowers in it. You know possession is 9/10 of the law. What are they gonna do, sue you for keeping the truck for what they owe you..
Omni probably won’t, but the bank that owns the truck & trailer will. Probably just best to drive near home or another carrier you want to go to, park the truck in a secure location and let Omni know where it is. They’ll have guilty consciences but at least you’ll be able to sleep knowing you did the right thing.
Put a lein on it.so when and if they sell you get your money. Good luck and best wishes.
When Arrow went under, buddy of mine took the truck home and charged them storage fees until they came up and picked the truck up. Paid for the fuel himself to get home and parked it. In the end he got the full amount of all the loads he was owed. Not cpm but the actual rate of the loads. Wasn’t right away but down the road. So you’re right possession is very important.
Yes they will sue you, and if you hamper with the recovery of the vehicle, the bankruptcy judge will issue a warrant for you detention until you explain where the unit is. You do not realize if that trailer is loaded, that unit has some very specific protections that will lead you to an extended vacation at a cross bar hotel. If it is not it is just a matter of grand theft auto. You recourse about money owed you from the Company is a civil matter, unless you make it a federal one
Tom Witt was a part of Arrow prior to their fiasco.
Isn’t that nice of Omni , they are going to give each of there drivers a truck and a trailer instead of there back pay. I would be very happy with that arrangement. Oh wait , most truck drivers are not smart enough to understand that , not smart enough to do this legally and don’t have enough money to fuel the trucks to get them home and start there new business they were just awarded. Yep trucking sucks
I’ve been in the industry for 85 years and I have been screwed more times than any woman I’ve ever met at a truck stop. I’ll be darned if this ever happens to me again, the last time a company tried to do this to me back in ’55 I dumped the trailer in the Pacific Ocean and drove the truck damn near to Russia and just left it. I bet ya the darn thing is still sittin there. Hell of a truck tho.
“COBRA does not apply, if employees lose their benefits coverage because the employer has terminated the plan altogether or if the employer has gone out of business. In cases where COBRA does not apply, some states have stepped in with state health insurance continuation laws, usually called “mini-COBRA” laws, which help employees continue their health insurance when federal COBRA does not apply.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_Omnibus_Budget_Reconciliation_Act_of_1985#Provisions
FYI
OMNI driver’s that have not already signed on with another company, have not officially been fired or quit so “IF” it came down to it at the most they would be considered out of route and in my thoughts….There will not be anyone to pick trucks up until the Bankruptcy Court decides on who gets these trucks/trailers back and this process could take a VERY long time to settle.
You probably should talk to some one with some legal experience. There are several president judgments concerning this very issue.FYI, some of the individuals that took part in what you are implying were awarded suspended sentences pending 5 figure restitution. There DAC file also was severely affected,also. Not a pretty picture. Anger and frustration are normal reactions to circumstances like these, but do NOT take the law into you own hands, you will regret it !
I know a driver that received a text message telling him to take the truck to the nearest yard and leave it there. The doors to the company are locked up.
As a trucker if we unite and stick together we are the most powerful group of people in this country,world. Without us there is no Wall Street or main Street or commerce conducted. We make the rich, corps rich yet, we do #$&+ for us or this industry. If we stopped for 3 days this entire country would be backed up. Imagine what 1 week would do? Yet, we still allow the Tail to wag the Dog?
And then what? Increased pay for everyone in trucking follows? Or, do they just speed up the plan for driverless trucks? Do shippers all of the sudden start valuing our time? In fairness, I don’t know the answer and at least you gave a suggestion. That said, effectively there is a hierarchy of carriers that allows the safest, most reliable and most hard-working drivers to earn (and keep) what just about anyone would consider to be a lot of money. There is plenty of dysfunction to go around in this industry but stuff like this certainly shines a well earned spotlight on some carriers. Hell, each of us in the industry more than 3 years could tell true stories about carriers, shippers and drivers that no one outside of this industry would believe.
Talked with a driver today that said a company wide message went out to bring the trucks to the terminals.
I worked for them the end of 2016. I can honestly say it was a rough company. Not a good one. The pay sucked. Miles sucked. And stein was a moron.
I would hope that at the end of the bankruptcy proceedings that the judge would then prohibit Thomas Witt and Adam Stein from owning, operating, or managing another trucking company. Especially Mr. Witt who apparently has a track record of bankrupting companies through unscrupulous practices.
I’m just gonna say this not lookin to start a fight or anything but I honestly don’t think Adam had anything to do with this or knew much more ahead of time then we did I’ve talked to him sence the doors shut he is pretty shooken up
Stein worked for 2 days for free to help get the word out to drivers. This is all Tom Witts fault not Steins. Get your facts straight before you post bs.
Take the plates off..take the registration..tell the co where the truck is parked and go home. find a legit company. There are good companies out there. Dont be lazy. You are responsible for your work life.! They dont care. When they pay u..send em the plates, etc. (Side note: my son has driven 2 yrs for Werner., his 1st driving job.They treated him very well, he made .32/mile. 2nd yr pay raise to .33/ mile. He took a 3month leave at Christmas & traveled 2 Asia & Bali. All paid for with cash.! Now, he got hired by a small firm with 5 brand new 2018 Frtliners. Pay is .45/mile. He can take his dog. He runs 48 gets home every 11-12 days.) He’s single & building an investment nestegg. So, there are ways 2 get ahead. Don’t be lazy & do those lease-purchase scams. Pay your dues, learn the industry. If The 1st day my pay didnt deposit, i would be gone. Build a savings acct with $1000 so u can be flexible.
I just pulled into the colona yard the offices and I mean all offices are empty simplex gave us fuel money but wanted us to deliver our load my attorneys said get your ass home so Omni take your load and deal with it the doors to the terminal are actually key locked not just electronically this place is shut down
If a company puts limitations on a fuel card and can’t keep the tanks full. They are just not worth working for.
This is like New Century Transportation. Back in 2014.
No warning they just shut down. That’s why I will never be a company driver. Used to be a operator to own took me a little over 21/2 yrs to pay the truck off and now owner operator. If I can do this than anyone can. Got my CDL in 2011. Enough said.
Don’t think anyone said to take a loaded trl. Just the tractor.
Take it from a person who knows first hand what happens when a company owes you and files bankruptcy.
If they offer you a deal of any kind you better take it . Sure it is screwing you but I can guarantee you that you will get nothing if you do not take it.
I been screwed twice. Last time 3500.00. Was offered a deal on something I really did not want but in the end the only people that get paid under the bankruptcy is the major debt holders. The little guys get nothing. That is how it works. Not bad luck but law.
Hashfast screwed me the last time. Lawyers said only the people that were owed a lot would get anything and the rest of us would get nothing. They were right.
I agree with the driver that said drivers have so much power and refuse to use it.If drivers don’t want to flex their muscle just expect more screwing.Drivers can run the show or not.They choose not, go figure.
Still no pay from omni…I still have the truck and trailer….got a email from Tennant/simplex…they leased the trucks to omni ace are willing to pay us for safe return of the vehicles
best option! make sure they have a plane or bus ticket for you home.
you can always send your stuff via fedex/ups type shipment home from one of their stores.
May God Bless You All!
I started driving as a company driver in 1997 and hated every mile. I realized there was a lot of money to be made in this industry but not working for someone else. I bought a new truck and signed on with a company as an O/O. One year later I got my own DOT Authority. I have not looked back since. Find a Broker you can work with, ( I went with CH Robinson) show them you are willing to work with them and treat them the way you want them to treat you. I am now hauling for my own customers. I learn something new every day and love what I do. Good luck to all. This is a great industry but you have to work at it.
TruckersWifeLife
Omni has now filled for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy.
Omni Employees have NOT been paid even if…
QUOTE
“In the week or so since the bankruptcy filing, a flurry of other notices, responses, affidavits, orders, and emergency motions were submitted. According to PacerMoniter.com, the website for Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), one such filing was an “Emergency Motion to Pay Prepetition Wages and Employee Benefit Programs” filed on behalf of Omni Specialized”
No free legal counsel for employees
We can’t afford a consultation with a private lawyer.
No Unemployment Benefits.
Who is going to help us ?
I left them in February didn’t have a good feeling about them
Why not post who the Creditors are that are blocking the drivers from being paid. Seems that they Need their names published too so that people will know who cares more about money they prob wont get anyways and taking it from those that EARNED it.
I was only with Omni for a month when they closed the doors. We had 5 conference calls with them and they lied to us drivers every time cause they were wanting us to deliver our loads that we were under. They left us and expected us to be on the road with no money and no food.
My fiancee worked for Omni last year and got ripped off to luckily he quit before he became like the other strandes Drivers. My question is does anyone know how to get your w-2 . my fiancee has been in contact with Josh the recruiter to try get his w-2 and has had no luck. Without it or a paycheck stub he can not file taxes. He went a month without pay while trying to become owner operater. Please help us with any info you have thanks in advance