Driver abandoned truck and trailer.

Why would they, the truck wasn't stolen, it was abandoned.

By the way you had his address, you didn't call the sheriff of that county to ask them to stop by and see what's going on?

 

Yea I survived. Even went back to driving a truck after 8 months of rehab.

 

So obviously he was a crook playing the long con on you. He never had any intention of NOT ripping you off. Hiring guys off the street from some far off place to take off in your equipment...eventually your luck will run out there and you really only have your own greed to blame for clouding your judgement and allowing it to happen. It will be a costly lesson.

 

Not the "long con;" YOU did not yank the leash frequently enough,
got lax, and made yourself an easy target of opportunity.
It's YOUR truck, YOUR trailer and load, and YOUR cash.

Sorry, but the first inkling that something was possibly amiss,
I would have been on a plane and at his front door, like yesterday.
Screw what the insurance company says, that doesn't stop YOU.

To leave this on a positive note, another suggestion, but maybe nothing.
See if a bounty hunter (in that area) would take this,
to look for the truck and trailer, by first casing his house for clues.
like I said, YOU, and your actions, are the key.
I personally couldn't possibly sit on my hands for a month,
In 3 days I would be a raving lunatic out for blood.

 

I think he took the cash and ran...either ditched the broken transponder after passing the flying J and took everything -or- he parked it at the flying J leaving the keys on the dash and the door open in which case he ran away with the $$.$$.

Being in-comunicado for ten days, he could have been doing some side work to build up more cash.

Sounds like he was well versed in the local 'market' with a mechanical background he knew local people to get side work and possibly even made some bank unloading the truck too.

He crossed the line keeping the money and should answer for that.

I wonder if he has re-located his domicile too?

The truck and trailer may have been split up as I'd bet there are a few 'ranch trucks' of dubious origin in texas.

Multiple layers of baked on mud hides a number of sins.

OP keep the police after the driver for the theft of the cash and use legal pressure on the insurance as the 'abandoned' unit IS connected to criminal actions.