Hoosier Tradewinds -- STILL stealing drivers $$$

WOW! 1 whole week and Bakers Dozen and Big Charlie haven't shown up to defend this BFI as that is the only times they show up! But then it can be hard dispatching and whatever office pukes do and keep checking to see if someone has offended the good name of Hoosier Tradewinds!

NOW! I guess everyone reading in here and the newer people who are just discovering TTR and online trucking forums are figuring out that to NOT research a company is not a very good way to make a living! It's a way to get bent!

I'll address 1 problem I saw and that was the part about needing a printer, converter and wireless card and the inverter to run them.

The computer and wireless card and the small inverter to run the computer and printer/scanner can be carried as carry on on any aircraft or bus or packed in the luggage. It should NEVER be "left at home" to be picked up later as only the Gods above know when that will happen!

Take what is needed with you. The rest of the junk can be had later. I have always advocated that if it doesn't fit (you have to read my what you need post from way back) if it doesn't fit in the FREE luggage for an airline or buss then you really do NOT need it unless you can either afford the $50 extra baggage charge to leave it behind or sold on the CB when you get "bent" and put out on the curb!

There are some portable scanners and printers on the market that will fit in your luggage but if you don't want that then with that first advance these BFIs always give you make your first stop at Walleys Place and buy a cheap printer scanner. They are throwaways anyway as it's gotten cheaper to buy a new one than buy ink!

The wireless card you already have so you do not have to subject yourself to their whatever they want to charge you extra for it and that they darn sure will as they are doing you a "favor" aren't they? Besides YOU get the tax break at the end of the year AND you know it's always paid for and you do not get that surprise when they "forget" to pay the bill! It's also your entertainment while waiting for those loads and off duty time.

A cell? These are now an everyday item so they are no problem but NEVER give them your number if they have any satellite or other in truck communications! IF they want it then tell them to produce their OWN cell or PAY IN ADVANCE for the use of your number as the tales of them not honoring their commitments to you for the use of your cell for their wallet is not a good business practice if a company driver. O/Os it's a different story. Just have a good minutes plan,

Now for you who always send in that paperwork without keeping a copy of everything.......... If it has a dollar amount or can have a dollar attached to it COPY IT! Scan it into your computer!

EVERY PIECE OF PAPER THAT CROSSES YOUR FINGERS COPY IT!

I can't tell you how many times one certain company in Olathe, Ks would tell me they didn't get something worth money! My answer to them was where do you want a copy sent? But they kept it up thinking I would not notice it wasn't paid. Morons to the letter!

You do not need to print out a copy, just scan it until they need it. This goes for new LP or O/Os.

Back it up!
Not the truck but that copy file! If that laptop takes a dive or walks away because it found someone who it likes better then all your stuff is gone!
Ways to back up your copies:
-Get one of those 'cloud" services. It's tax deductible!
-Use a flash drive that stays on your pocket key ring. This is the key ring that stays attached to your belt or in your pocket NOT in the ignition of the truck!
-Email the copies to your email account every day when done doing paper work! It stays on the server until you delete it IF you know how to set up email properly.

As to how to handle paper work, I'll ask a question or two and you'll see where I'm going. It has been a while since I've been in here and as some of the older members know I'm able to get on a roll and write a book and disguise it as a post but here goes!

-Do you put BOLs, scale tickets, receipts and other paper that has money attached folded up and in a pocket?
-Do you put paper work on the dash, in an over head compartment loose?
-Do you throw it on the floor or on the bunk or the jump seat?
Do you throw money in those places? Ok coming out of a toll is a little different except the receipt!

None of those places are a safe place for paperwork! The ONLY place is in a note book with sleeved pockets like in the front of your loose leaf logbook, in a steel BOL carrier or an envelope.

That paper is worth MONEY so treat it as such! I NEVER put paperwork in any of those areas! It stays in my hand until I sit back in that drivers seat.

The first thing I do when I get back in the truck is my paperwork! At the fuel island I put it in the folder AFTER writing the info on a trip sheet. The guy behind you can wait 1 more minute because unless you took time to hit on the fuel desk attendant, go shower or eat or just stand around and BS and not be considerate to the guy behind you then he has NOT fueled up but stopped to pee or whatever so he can wait the same amount of time it takes to fuel. Sorry, but for anything other than fueling at busy times at a truck stop they can go park in the lot.

Anyway, write it down and put it where it's safe! Safe is not on the dash or floor where it can blow out of the truck or slide down behind the dash or do that disappearing act that trucks are known for!

At the end of the day when you are taking that 10 nice hour break it's time to do the days paper work and this is when you scan it all into the computer and as each piece comes off the scanner it goes into that Trip Pack, FedX or UPS envelope. If you do not use them then buy a pack of manilla envelopes of whatever size you like and put them in their new home all safe and together!

Do your paper work the same way every time every day and no matter what happens you have a copy to dangle in front of payroll for your money back OR to use to get your paycheck you worked hard to get!

Now for a little legal advice!

If at all possible get a company check as soon as you can after hiring on.
NOT a com, T or whatever check not from the company. This is like a hand written one you have at home. Those routing and account numbers are what you'll need after winning in court and that BFI still refuses to pay you what the court told them to pay! With those numbers when the time comes to go back to the court house to garnish their account you have what they need to take to their bank! Without those bank account numbers all that time wasted in court is just that. Productive time lost because BFI could care less what a judge and court tells them to do! If you can see if there is some place in town they have screwed and you "ask politely" if they would give you a copy after telling them what you need it for, they just might! I know a truck stop close by that a BFI had screwed with a few bad checks and a few drivers that didn't get their pay and the truck stop gave them the routing and account numbers and the drivers got their pay! That was sweet revenge watching that company bounce checks because they thought the drivers did not have that information.

Ok that's it for now! Hope this helps a little especially for you new guys!

 

I'm assuming this was in reference to my post. He was never told he needed it. He was a company driver before so none of that was necessary except for personal use. So for us it was something that could be picked up later since he had bought a crapton of stuff with him already. Basically one less thing to carry. I probably should of specified more if you do have those items be sure to bring them with you we got away with the wireless card because we ended up using hotspot on our phones which was less expensive $30/mo compared to the $60/mo HTW wanted to charge. They are really trying hard to keep him now finally giving him the miles that he has been asking for since day one to bring home a decent paycheck but like I said earlier a little too late for that and I'm sure they would make everything great for the next few weeks and then be back to the same crap of making sure they got their truck & fuel $$ and leaving the drivers with nothing.

 

They will report to the irs the amount they said he made gross even though he didnt get a fraction of it. You will get a 1099 and see. We were lucky if we made 80.00 a week without the check bouncing. And plus you will not get any money back from escrows maint. etc.... they will find a way to screw you out of that. They owe us 6000. not including the miles skimmed off. Some miles were off over 150 miles one way.

 

Their mechanics SUCK and they way over charge for service and supposely parts. That will be the other thing they do to you not to pay you anything they owe you when he turns the truck in. They will say all these repairs etc.. were done and not give you a receipt for it or show what was actually done to the truck. You are screwed like the rest of us. and then charge you 100 dollars for turning their trailer in their yard.

 

Yes it was and even as a company driver TAKE IT WITH YOU! That is the ONLY way to back up your paycheck unless you sit and wait to get to the truck stop and pay for copies. I've carried a computer for years (at least the last 15 of my driving years) and it's saved me or I should say PAID me many times over with BFI companies! The computer and card should be with you no matter who or what the job is. The printer scanner as I said can be bought with the first advance IF you take one which is never a good idea unless he knows how to be careful until the first check but there are nice portable scanners as you really do not need a printer what with all the ways to email or even fax from the truck.

I posted this a "few" years ago and a little of the information has changed such as cost of meals at truck stops. They have gone stupid! Airlines are now pushing charging for you to carry on your carry on! One airline is charging $100 if it won't fit under the seat! no Kidding "Spirit' in Fla! But the rule still stands. IF it doers NOT fit in the one big bag (and is below the 50 pound checked limit and your carry on you really do NOT need it! It works like this. IF you get thrown off the truck in BFE by the trainer or company where or how do you get all the crap and junk you accumulate and have no real need for home? Is it worth all that money to box it and ship it IF you can do it with NO money?
No it's not!
Anyway here is a link to what you need. http://www.thetruckersreport.com/tr...ivers/16652-packing-list-for-students-17.html MY post is on page 17 post #168 but there is some good info in there!

The only other way to take all the crap you think you need to a truck is to drive your own car to the yard and fill it up, lock the tank, and hope you are allowed to return to the yard to drive to your next job! But rally you only need those 7 pairs of clothing, map book, CB and computer, scanner and ditty bag. The rest if you so have to have it can be sold or trashed before hitting the bus!But that's just my over 30 years of experience. Yes I carry the inverter, cables, circuit breaker with me in my big bag and buy a coffee maker unless they get me home asap to get my good one and other disposables.

 

We've only ever had to scan in papers to the companies he was a company driver for he still has all the originals so backing them up on the PC wasn't a necessity before. Had HTW said he needed that stuff I would of surely packed it and paid the extra baggage fee on Greyhound would have rather spent $35 then $700. Thanks for all the other info though I think your list is a great source for newbies out there that have the extra $$ to pick up the extra stuff on the road.

He should have one more settlement after today's which as of now looks like we'll get paid for we'll see next week. I really hope they don't screw us over since they already have. As of today they have $3439 in maintence escrow & performance bond and if they take it out next Friday's settlement which isn't necessary since they will have possession of the truck this weekend then it'll be over $4K. There really should be NO reason why we shouldn't have those returned with the 45 days as stated on the lease. I read what summerland wrote (btw how long ago did you go through this?) and I've read similar stories on other Tradewinds posts I'm just hoping that they have changed since cause they have really put us in a hole that is going to take a while to dig out of. I pleaded with my husband to turn away after all the stuff I read but he wanted to give them a try after Misty reassured us over & over that they had changed when he called and said he was turning down the offer and Josh said the miles were out there. This is how his mileage went during his course at HTW

596 ( 3/3 )
2297 ( 3/10 )
2757 ( 3/17 )
2137 ( 3/21 )
3147 ( 3/2 )
2467 ( 4/7 )
2491 ( 4/14 )
2106 ( 4/21 )
2204 ( 4/2 )
3200 ( 5/5 )
3077 ( 5/12 )

Remember the magic number to at least bring home a pay check that could actually pay something was over 3000 he only hit that 3 times in his 11 weeks he was there. I hope that by sharing this information along with other information others have posted throughout the forum it saves another family from going through this. This is truly one of those deals that if it sounds to good to be true then it is. I also hope that if whoever from Tradewinds is reading this wakes up and starts treating their drivers better if they plan to stay in business or just close their doors because what they have done in the past and continue to do is incredibly horrifying. You are messing with peoples lives here that's not something to take lightly. These drivers do what you ask of them the least you can do is return the favor.

 

Sorry jen but they will your husband will not see a penny of it. They were after the escrows. Most the time when drivers escrows are built up they look for a reason to fire them. They will actually put him in the hole. Then not back up any reasons for putting them in the hole. You will not see a penny.

 

small claims can be up to 6000.00

 

We shall see I will keep everyone posted good or bad. He got put a day behind so dropping the truck off in the morning. Then onto hopefully a better company at the very least he'll be a company driver so no insane negative checks should be in our future.

Also I forgot to mention anyone who still works there check what kind of mileage program you are on if I'm not mistaken there are two one for practical mileage, the other is actual mileage pretty sure those were the names. When the hubs talked to DJ a couple of weeks back they changed from practical to actual it made a BIG difference instead of being off a lot of miles it was fairly close so something to look into