Hunt transportation(devision of crete)

You did the proper thing. Many drivers don't take time to do what you did. However, the right thing is to return the tractor to the terminal you got it from unless you were picking up a unit that belonged to your terminal.

Several companies are doing this type of thing. It's a shameful trick, but many are doing it. This is why. In their mind, they must pay to get the unit back to their terminal. Most drivers will turn in a unit at the terminal nearest their home, as I have done in the past (because it was no problem).

The reason this is a problem is due to 'a little white lie' many companies tell us. They tell us that we are all equal parts of the same company, no distinction between terminals. Not true. In many cases, any expense that gets charged to a terminal, gets deducted from their profit sheet. Even though it should NOT matter where you park your tractor, it often does.

It's OK as long as we drivers are the ones getting screwed!

I used to work for Crete. Back a few years ago when they were still a company everyone wanted to work for as a driver. (After the big lawsuit, Crete got screwed and everything changed).

 

Well, I've got some bad news and some good news - and maybe we can end up making you smell like a rose when this is all over and done.

The bad news -- you screwed up. You signed a paper stating that you would turn the truck in at Omaha - NOT Wilmer, TX or any other company facility. You said that an Ops Manager said you could turn it in at Wilmer - of course s/he would, they'd much rather have you turn it in at a company terminal, than leave it at the K-Mart in Clovis, NM and tell them to come and get it.

But, "Abandonment" is one of those catch-all terms used by DAC / U. S. Information Systems (DAC/USIS). And, I'm sure you'll agree that there is a huge difference between turning a truck in at a company location and leaving a truck at a K-Mart and walking away from it.

So... here's the good news.

DAC/USIS is considered to be a consumer reporting agency (CRA) under Federal law, because they compile information on you and sell it to outside parties. As such, they have to act in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Under the FCRA you have certain rights, the first of which is the ability to appeal anything you find in your DAC/USIS file that you believe to be incorrect.

Write a letter to DAC/USIS and explain that the truck wasn't "abandoned" per se, but was instead turned in at a company location other than where originally issued. DAC/USIS is required by Federal law to contact Hunt and verify if the information they've reported is correct.

One of three things will happen --
1) They'll delete the abandonment off of your DAC/USIS report.
2) They'll amend it to read "Turned in at company location other than where originally issued". Or,
3) They'll do nothing, and leave "Abandonment" on your DAC/USIS.

The first is the best you could hope for, the second isn't as good as a deletion, but is still better than the third, which is nothing.

Let's say that they stick to their guns, and claim that you did abandon the vehicle - they won't modify your DAC/USIS report. According to the FCRA, you now have the right to add a 100-word statement to your DAC/USIS report. You could write "Hunt can kiss my ###!" twenty times, but that isn't really going to help your situation any.

You need to explain the situation as simply as possible, so that anyone looking at your DAC/USIS report can easily understand what happened. For example, write: "Vehicle wasn't abandoned, vehicle was turned in at company facility other than where originally issued." Fifteen words, and a simple, straightforward explaination of what happened.

Now, here's where you begin to come out smelling like a rose --

Hunt doesn't have the right to amend, dispute, refute, or add their rebuttal to your statement. They made the allegation that you abandoned a vehicle, you provide a 100-word statement telling your side of the story, and that's where it ends.

So... expound on the story.

You can write that "Vehicle wasn't abandoned, vehicle was cleaned out and turned in at company facility other than where originally issued."

Sounds better, eh?

How 'bout, "Vehicle wasn't abandoned, vehicle was cleaned out and turned in at company facility other than where originally issued, due to unforseen leave of absence."

See where this is going?

Better still - "Vehicle wasn't abandoned, vehicle was cleaned out and turned in at company facility other than where originally issued, due to unforseen leave of absence as a result of death of immediate family member."

Now instead of sounding like a hothead who would get P.O.'d and leave a truck at the K-Mart in Clovis, NM, you sound like a guy that had some unfortunate family problems and got the short and dirty end of the stick by his former employer when he decided not to come back to work for them.

If I was reading your DAC/USIS report and I saw the above comment on there, I'd definitely consider hiring you over someone who has just "Abandonment" on their report with nothing to explain the situation.

I'm not a lawyer and this isn't legal advice, but if I was in your shoes, it's what I'd do! Hunt has it's version of events, you have yours, and it's up to your future employer to determine if you're worthy of hiring.

Good luck!