Benton Express, Inc. - Jacksonville, Fla.

Nothing serious Mack and no offence intended.

 

The people loading you should have had the proper placards, if they didn't or don't then I would question if the product was even packaged or loaded correctly...

 

I'm responding to this thread in general and wish to say hello to everyone involved in this board and I do appreciate the opportunity. I ran across this board by accident when looking for corporate info regarding my current employer Auto Truck Transport and the parent company JHT Holdings. The very first item/ thread that opened up was a complete load of misinformation that I will address at some later point in another thread.


I recognize a number of previous employers on this board; Benton being one of the most memorable. I was employed at one of the Florida terminals for about 4 years and was involved in constructing that terminal when employed several years earlier by the general contractor.

I had actually applied with Benton several years prior to this 'construction phase' very early in my trucking career; I was hired on the spot and was informed the next day my employment would not be consummated as they had just hired someone with LTL experience (I had none at this point) although they were known for hiring inexperienced drivers, including ones with no trucking experience or chauffeur's license of any kind. Yes, I did have a spotless driving record and immaculate work history as I always have had up to this very day. Little did I know this was a harbinger of things to come.


My employment highlights with Benton Express:

The only employer I've worked for to date where most employees carried loaded weapons to protect themselves from other Benton employees, customers, the general public and wanton criminals. Remember, this was Florida.

The highly active in-house 'thug squad' consisted almost completely of people hired with no trucking and driving experience of any kind. It was confirmed most, if not all of these folks had substantial 'histories' of the negative kind. These folks were also treated with kid gloves and given special status as they were used to rid Benton of 'troublemakers' meaning those wanting fair treatment. It was interesting to see these people have one accident after another, run out of fuel on a regular basis, disappear for several hours at a time with no explanation, damage trucks and freight with no coherent explanation, several arrests both off and on the job and people showing up on various Benton properties with weapons seeking various Benton 'employees'. There had been an attempt to bring in the IBT during a brief strike at the Atlanta Terminal; the Cordero Family was determined to see that event never happened again. More on the Corderos in a moment.

Witnessed burial of hazardous chemicals on the terminal property rather than hire an outside contractor to remove them. This property was heavily taxpayer subsidized as it was built in the 'blighted' side of town. Several of us did report this event to the Florida DER although I'm not aware of any action being taken. This section of FL has a high water table (like most of the state) so there can be no doubt all of this garbage ended up in the ground water.

Actually witnessed and heard with my own ears Cordero Jr. exhort the local employees to 'rip off the customer' and 'get over on the customer in any way possible'. A recording of this would have been priceless. This event was in conjunction with the very public firing and humiliation of the best man I've ever worked for to date and most likely Benton's best and most experienced terminal manager. This terminal manager's shortcomings were his high integrity and ethical standards and his 'inability' to 'pander' to a select group of owner-operator peddle drivers. Benton's use of owner operator line haul drivers had been a major failure but they were determined to see so called 'free enterprise'(?) work.

Cordero Jr. concluded the meeting in question by announcing that anyone who 'doesn't agree with Benton's business/personnel ethics can proceed toward the 'front gate'. I reported this event to a business reporter with a local television station and we spoke at length about my experiences. Roughly a year later the local newspaper ran a 'puff piece' exclaiming how Benton was a 'model trucking company' - go figure.

There was one of these so-called 'special employees' at my terminal who moved down from up north who seemed to know or be related the the head sales person. This individual seemed to meet alot of 'visitors' in their cars who drove onto terminal property; word was he was a dealer of illicit substances of sorts and kept a substantial part of Benton supplied as well. At another Florida terminal it was a driver's wife who worked at a local hospital pharmacy who kept that terminal's employees 'well lubricated'. The funny thing was these people were rarely ‘selected for the random drug test, they invariably passed when they were for some reason.

This 'driver' and husband of the 'pharmaceutical nurse' was also completely 'green' and of 'questionable background' when hired and delighted in showing off his pistol and multiple clips to any and everyone during normal business hours - the implication being anyone who opposed him had better 'think twice'. This individual's father had also worked for Benton previously and, according to knowledgeable sources, was far worse than his son. I never met the 'father' as he had left Benton under 'strange' circumstances - reportedly 'paid off' to leave. The bottom line was/ still is Benton tends to favor the 'inexperienced' and the 'troubled' over the better qualified and stable employee candidates.

Benton's purchase of Fredrickson Transportation doubled or tripled Benton's market to essentially cover the SE US. Fredrikson had a reputation similar to Benton; an excellent 'marriage' of sorts.


Regarding the Corderos:


The Cordero Family began moving from Cuba to NYC during the Battista regime when the handwriting was on the wall in the mid '50s. It was rumored the senior Cordero was a front man for the Cuban Mafia; Benton Express reportedly experienced a cash crunch with the onset of trucking deregulation - Cordero and Co. came to the rescue.

Needless to say I would avoid employment with a company that allows Benton to bump its' docks. I would give a written explanation after the fact; may possibly expose myself to 'defamation' charges. I strongly suspect this contribution will be heavily edited or completely deleted so I've saved a copy. Like on political discussion boards, anything not 'politically correct' is removed leaving the impression of no legitimate discourse taking place. E-mail me at my address listed and I will answer all questions to the best of my ability. Unless I'm blocked, you will see substantial contributions and commentary from me regarding my insight and experiences - past and present.

Once again, a heartfelt thanks to those individuals who have provided this forum for our use, the informed and experienced trucker's website.

 

WOW! Sounds like a bad gangster movie to me! :smt067 :smt026 Glad you survived -- although I don't know how you stood it for 4 years! :smt025

 

I care! The one of many purposes of this forum is to educate drivers on what companies are good and what ones to stir clear of. I don't understand what point of view you are coming from in your comment to this man. Who knows maybe someone thinking of joining this company will come across this post and decide to stay away. If one person is saved from a bad company is worth it.