what agency investigates possible COMPANY violations?

Hi,

I hope I'm in the right place, just joined these boards tonight. Everything I've read seems to be about truckers themselves violating the regulations which doesn't fit here.

Some of the stuff my husband's company pulls really makes me wonder about them following some of the laws. They're a pretty good size company so I'm guessing they're finding ways of doing things just around the edges in the grey area, but I would really like to find out because what they do really hurts financially and in other ways.

These are a few of the issues so that hopefully, someone can point me in the right legal direction to check further. I would really love some important agency (like the power of OSHA!) to investigate. One that could really make this company hurt for some of the crap they pull. I will explain a few of them so you have some idea of the problems which may help you send me to the right place.

My husband drives for this company, he's not an owner operator.

Like any company, they have a cutoff for turning in paperwork so the driver can get paid. If the driver doesn't turn in their paperwork, of course they don't get paid. So far all is understood and we don't have a problem w/that. However .... when the company keeps the driver out and doesn't route them to the yard or in any way allow them to get to one of only two locations they allow submission of paperwork from, the driver can't get their paperwork in on time and so they don't get a paycheck. We are not in a positition to go without weekly paychecks without some major consequences to US, not the company.

The driver can opt to submit the paperwork via one of those trip-pack services that you can pick up at truck stops ... but it really fries the butt for a person to have to pay to get paid if you follow me. Husband tried it once, company would not reimburse the expense.

Today was the real corker - husband advised his dispatcher for like the 10th time this run, one that he's been out 10 days on with no way to turn in his paperwork ... that he needed to get to a place he could turn in his paperwork. Dispatcher told him that him getting paid is his problem ... EXCUSE ME??????????????

There are other out of pocket expenses he's been burned with, too. They don't reimburse if certain things are available to a driver in their yard. This is all fine and dandy, except how does the driver get the stuff from the yard when they are several states away when the need arises?

They send out reminder notices regularly that all log books and trips should be run legally and turn around and load them on a run the driver can't possibly make legally or even close to legally. If he's takes it and gets stopped it's his butt. If he's late with the load it's his butt. If he refuses it because it's his butt either way, they leave him sit for days afterwards, like little children who don't get their way.

Yes, he needs a new job ... but that ain't easy to do these days especially when he can't get home for interviews.

So, what important agency do we go for help?

Thanks

jdc

 

Yes, he's a company driver. He's talked to these people several times, they are the epitome of the "I don't care - you're a number not a person" companies. You get that with just about any company in any business, but these people pretty much take the cake. The safety guy is an absolute idiot. I used to drive myself and some of the things this place pulls (I only gave a sampling) are on the highest levels of stupidity and lack of caring. They take "everyone for themselves" to new heights. I had better not give the name of the company. I know OSHA wouldn't cover this, I was looking for an agency LIKE OSHA that does cover the trucking industry. If you find the dyno, I'll hold it while you light it <g> Double Dear!

His dispatcher is the dispatcher from hell. He spends more time sitting wherever than driving. They left him sitting in OH for 4 days over the 4th when they could have got him back here. Another driver who lives about an hour from where he's at, offered him to stay w/him for the weekend and they wouldn't allow it due to the miles on the truck/fuel costs. People have complained about the dispatcher, nobody does a darn thing. Every driver b&^%$s about the dispatcher, too. I guess the other dispatchers are decent but this guy is a total whack job who does things his own way and not one supervisor steps on him.

I'll nudge him on the logs thing. He's threatened to do it the way he's run but always backs down in the end.