Western Express Class Action Lawsuit

As much bad press as Western gets you would think people would learn

 

I was told to go to the shop in Fort Dodge for service since my truck was acting up in Wisconsin. Got to the shop and was told "the part would not be til Wednesday (1/3/2018) and there are several trucks in front of you." DM gave me a load to be delivered on the 2nd toward home. Went to pick up the load, and the glad hand snapped off. Called breakdown to get it fixed and the tech that the shop in Fort Dodge snapped of the other glad hand then left and never came. Called breakdown several times, got a response that someone would be out, but that tech never showed. So I was told to take the trailer as is with out breaks by the DM. Very unsafe. So, I left the trailer sit and went home. Got in to town, then the truck went kaput. Called breakdown, got the truck towed. DM then had it towed to Fort Dodge on Thursday stating that it would be looked at today (Monday 1/8/18). Truck is still not in shop, still busted. Western Express does not pay Breakdown Pay, I have been sitting 9 days, no money, and kept out of the loop of what is going on. Got two other offers from better paying companies that pay breakdown pay, but Western Express stated "Oh, He is under contract." Tried to get a hold of someone at the Nashville office, and got the run around. Cannot wait to get out of this piss poor company, and go somewhere better.

 

So ARE you under a contract ? And DID you agree to NOT be paid for down time ? ....Because if you made this agreement or signed a contract , guess what ?

 

Depends on how long he stayed. When I worked for Western Express you were under contract for a year. If you kept your record clean (no tickets or violations),did your time you could move on to another company that was better. When I was there most of the drivers quit after 2 to 3 weeks on average.

I survived 1 year and 5 months..
(They still try to call me to come back).

A few of the drivers would also make the mistake of taking advances on their paychecks, and would wonder why they end up in the negatives. Working there you had to learn to live within your means. Some drivers didn’t have a choice but you had to watch your spending.

 

Somebody from Western Express hurt me with his words.

 

That wasn’t the intention,just stating from my experience working there.

 

A mountain can be moved.

One shovel ful at a time.

 

I am under contract, but I did not know that I had signed a contract since they had never said it was a contract. And they did say that they do not pay for down time. They just pay for miles driven, and 1 week of vacation after 1 year.

 

(Fiancee writing) He did take advances but the lowest amount possible. His check usually ended up paying all the bills, and paying people that he owed money to. So in the end he would have around $20 to $30 left. He is also trying to save what is left of the checks to get a car for me to use when home and for appointments. Plus the starting pay was crappy, and now he is still on the low end at .37 cents per mile.

 

That’ll do it. I never took ANY of WE’s advances just on the general principle that they would’ve put drivers like myself in the hole. When I started with them initially I was at 26 cents a mile,they later increased it to 37 cents a mile, I eventually topped out at 41 cents a mile.
To a fault they are (finally) updating their (horrendously outdated) trailer fleet (been seeing a lot of new Hyundai and Wabash trailers with their name written all over it).