Don't work for Chizek

Absolutely do not work for this company. They WILL rip you off and it appears as though the Wisconsin Department of Labor is now in cahoots with them. I recently sent a formal complaint form, with supporting documentation, to the department to show them that Chizek made unauthorized deductions to my last two paychecks, to cover their costs for transportation to and the hotel room for orientation. Chizek also failed to reimburse me for two scale tickets.

The department notified Chizek of my complaint and afterward Chizek rebutted, supplying the department with their own "supporting" documentation, like Page 16 of the Employee Handbook with an excerpt that reads as follows:

"Termination of Employment - If the driver terminates his/her employment with the Company within 90 days of his/her hire date, he/she agrees to have the cost deducted from the employee's wages upon separation for all orientation expenses. Those expenses, although not limited to, shall include: hotel, transportation, and meals."

In regard to the scale tickets, Chizek replied that they refused to reimburse for one of them because the load originated at the terminal, where they have installed their own scale. For starters, the load put well over 40,000 lbs. in the box and their little axle scale that probably has not been calibrated in years would not have protected me from an overweight fine. Cat Scale would have. For finishers, company policy clearly states on Page 7 of that same Employee Handbook that all scale tickets would be reimbursed, granted that the top copy was turned in with the necessary load information written upon it. The other scale ticket for a different load, which did not originate at their terminal, was never referred to in Chizek's complaint nor the issue pressed by the department, oddly enough...wink, wink.

The department sent me a letter stating that they are siding with Chizek and refusing to make them pay. Isn't it funny how the Wisconsin Department of Labor allows Chizek to protect themselves with their 90-day policy on page 16, but doesn't hold them to their own policy about scale tickets on page 7? Definitely something fishy going on there.

 

Hmmm..funny, almost every single company I have worked for required paperwork to be turned in by a weekly cutoff date to get paid for loads, whether it was by scanning, trip-pak, snail mail, or just dropping it off at a company terminal. One of them tried using the "honor" system, but that ended because drivers started to get lazy, BECAUSE SHIPPERS AND RECIEVERS WANT PROOF OF DELIVERY BEFORE THEY WILL PAY A COMPANY. Just seems to me there is more to the story on the original post.

 

Several years ago i talked to two of their drivers, who were laid over for the weekend in Chicago of all places, stuck that close to Chezek of Cheese-Hick however you spell it's home terminal. They talked of 2200 miles per week being one of their "better" weeks, and how the company won't pay toll roads. Yes, laying over with no freight, in Chicagoland of all places, that close to their home terminal in Lake Station, IN.

 

i know no company that would pay to scale if they have one at the terminal
and if the terms of employment are stated and not met by quitting before 90 days
what would you expect them to do

 

Oh, I dunno, Cranky. They could do something crazy like adhere to their own written policy regarding scale tickets. Every other company I've worked for with their own scale still reimbursed for scale tickets. There is no exception to this reimbursement policy stated in the employee handbook.

 

well Don Quixote you and the windmills have fun

 

This industry has gained a reputation of disgrace because of drivers with your attitude, Cranky. There was a time when truckers stood up against abuse from bad companies and didn't insult or degrade their fellow drivers for seeing something wrong and doing something about it. What the hell happened?