2 issues: "Conflict" preventing job move from LTL to another LTL

I'm not sure how best to word the title, but once I explain hopefully you will get the full picture.

I currently am employed by a smaller LTL, but very unhappy due to low pay, less than honorable business practices, and their efforts to alter documents/timestamps to make me, the driver, be the one causing delays in my freight load/transport. I having an applied to more reputable well known LTLs, one in particular, and was really looking forward to an interview and subsequent hiring.

Now I spoke with a close business associate of my LTL, who is "in the know" about my current LTL's inner operations & dealings, who tells me that the prospective LTL will not even consider hiring me if they see on the application that I presently am employed by "my LTL". The reason stated was that my LTL and the other LTL do business regularly together, in handling (networking) freight, and that they have an agreement (presumably handshake/unwritten) that either LTL will not hire current employees of the other, to prevent an employee loss to whichever "originating" LTL.

This highly upset me. Does this mean there is NO chance for me to be employed by the prospective (better) LTL? Mostly tho, can this even be legal to do to a worker??

2nd item in question,
I also recently learned that it was verbally spread virtually throughout the company to all levels of staff/drivers that I was "very slow & screwing off" after getting most all my load dispatches, causing my runs to take longer than normal. First off, it's a blatant lie. In the past few months, on many occasions, I have observed that my LTL has been timestamping my load dispatch looong before my trailer is even finished loading. (Info: I only drive, I do not handle any loading/dockwork)

Just yesterday, my manifest was time-stamped 9:15 pm, however I watched my trailer still being loaded at 10:05 pm and was finally finished at 10:10 pm (almost 1 hr later). It had been always known to me that the manifest should NOT be time-stamped until that trailerload is 100% loaded and ready to be pulled from the dock. My LTL is "fudging numbers", so it appears.

This only points to one thing, any way you cut it... it sure looks to me like solid evidence that the company is purposefully trying to slander me, discredit me, and blatantly falsify documents to make it certainly "appear" that I am the one lolligagging for that extra hour or so, after load dispatch, before pulling out of the terminal.

Tired of this crap... Do I have a strong case, or what?

 

I realize that my present company has legal guidelines about what they can disclose about my employment. Most go by these, but when it comes to two "close" companies, I'm sure there's no telling what "extras" can be communicated "off the record". As for proof, seems like that would require a deposition, unless the person doing the informing would be willing to testify to the same words, on my behalf. That's what I understand you are saying.

Not quite sure how/what "relative" relates or means, in this, as an "out" against a suit. Records are the documents by my company (timestamped manifests), same with the receiving company, and my log of dates and discrepancies between timestamp & actual time loaded. My DOT log is part of that, but not sole documentation. Seems to me that when an employee is discredited in this manner, in whole or part by falsifying load timestamps, that would be a huge legal "no-no".

 

I wish I could go OTR for however long I wanted to, but unfortunately I have to be home daily for a loved one's medical condition.

I figured it wasn't the first time this type of "employee stealing" agreement has happened. Thx for confirming (via rumor anyway) of that one. I dread a year "dead-zone" without being able to go directly to the company of choice. It wouldn't be bad if I could just leave here and be at the other within 30 days, max.

 

I'm pretty certain that wouldn't be an issue in this particular case. The two companies are like night & day. Total opposites in management, reputation, how they operate & treat their employees, and virtually every other aspect, except "they both transport freight". The management of the prospective LTL has no real love for my present LTL, except for that possible mutual employee "hands-off" agreement.