Can anyone help me out here

Going to TX right now is like stepping tail-end deep in quicksand. You get in easy, but gettin' out is TOUGH! Can't help ya with the brokering thing, but if PGT does any business w/ Landstar, Schneider or JB Hunt or one of them, then maybe he could check THEIR load boards and see what they might have? I know that sometimes when hubby was with Landstar, they'd have the option to haul freight for another carrier. It wouldn't be much, mind ya, but it'd be somethin'!

Good luck and I'm afraid you guys might just be looking at that hit or him sitting a few days, unless you get lucky soon!

 

Werner is good about farming out some of their loads, in Laredo.

Not sure how you would go about contacting them, that was above my paygrade.

 

My brother needed a week off because he was feeling really stressed, angry, frustrated, etc. and went to the doctor. She told him (after looking at his log book and seeing that he was being forced to work about 40-50 hours a week over what was legal but only allowed to submit the legal hours on his timesheet each week) he needed at least a week from behind the wheel of a truck so he wouldn't be a danger to himself or others. He was certainly open to some other type of work in the meantime or just taking the week without pay. I found something on their website about short term disability pay and called them to inquire (I have Power of Attorney for him) and they told me they had no such thing. The next day they called him and fired him. He would have been back to work on Monday for God's sake!! Furthermore, they said they needed the truck so my brother offered to drive it in that day but they said they had someone in the area and would just have one of the drivers drive it back. My brother desperately needs/ed this job as he had just declared bankruptcy, lost his house and is living with my parents, is behind in child support and trying to catch up, etc. He would NEVER have quit a job with no job to go to. My brother has his faults but he's honest to a fault and he's very responsible. Not to mention, I was present for these conversations so I know first hand what transpired. When he filed for unemployment it was rejected because PGT said he quit! He did not quit, he was fired because he needed a week off, per doctor's orders. Furthermore, I read the report PGT submitted to unemployment and they said they offered him light duty and he refused it (another blatant lie) and that he refused to bring the truck back so they had to pay someone to tow the truck. Again, I was there when he offered to bring the truck in (because I was going to follow him) and they turned him down. Plus, I was there when the employees came and picked the truck up - it was NOT towed and there is no way they could produce a bill saying it was. However, he had his first appeal hearing this week for unemployment and PGT missed it; however, they'll reschedule it for them and make my brother drive in there again. The guy at unemployment told my brother flat out he was going to lose and that he couldn't bring any evidence (such as his log books proving how many hours over the state maximum you're allowed to drive). This is making me sick and infuriating me, not to mention tearing our entire family apart. These people are absolute liars/crooks and I guess I'm so naive I didn't see how they could possibly get away with it. Has anyone else had this problem with them? I'm so angry I'm going to contact a lawyer on my brother's behalf because I just can't let this go when I was present for all these conversations and know the truth for certain. Shame on them and shame on unemployment for already making up their mind to side with the company so it's one less claim they'll have to pay. Absolutely appalling! I was hoping if I could find enough other former employees who were forced to work over the legal limit and can still prove it or other's who were fired and then denied unemployment, maybe we could get a class action lawsuit started. I would be happy to do all the legwork and meet with everyone and they their sworn statements and meet with the attorney. PLEASE let me know if you've had a similiar situation with this repulsive, disgusting company. If you've never worked for them - DON'T...RUN FOR YOUR LIFE...MAYBE LITERALLY SINCE THEY ONLY ALLOW YOU TWO TO THREE HOURS OF SLEEP A NIGHT!!!

 

And here is what that Lawyer "should" tell you if he is honest himself.

Your brother should have taken at least 10 days off, under the family medical leave act. This would have offered him job protection under that Federal Law.

Your brothers doctor, failed him. By not explaining this. Even though it wasn't his job, he could have done it anyway.

It's your brothers obligation to know this law, and understand it.

Additionally, short term disabilty generally does NOT kick in the first week. Nor does it generally cover just ONE week off.

Good luck with the issue. Hopefully, your brother finds something.

 

It would have been ten days off by the he returned - I was just saying one work week (Monday-Friday). He actually had an appointment with a Psychiatrist the Monday he was supposed to be returning to work to make sure they would clear him to return to work. Unfortunately, as soon as they got wind of that (when he told them he would be coming in late on Monday because of this appt.), he got fired. Because he got fired, he lost medical benefits that day and had to cancel his appointment. Now, on top of all that, they think he has something neurological wrong, brought on by stress, but he can't afford any of the tests or specialists. He is in excruciating pain in his head and one side of his face and one of his eyes is almost closed and his pupil is fully dilated while the other one is fine. Sadly we're all tapped out trying to keep him afloat the past several years hoping he wouldn't have to declare bankruptcy and lose the house. Now I'm out of work and back in school so I can't help much financially, I can only offer moral support and see what info I can find out.

 

Your brother needs to see another Doctor immediately, insurance or not.

You're describing symptoms of a stroke.

 

Go after these guys with a lawyer. No doubt, if your story is true. Call the state labor board and report this. Dont wait and document everything you can. As always there could be more to the story but if it is the way you said it shouldnt be hard to report it. A lawyer could get your bill of laiding, Fuel receipts, food receipts and other info which could prove he was running illegal. Just keep in mind if he was running illegal it his ultimate responsibility to say no. Good luck

 

I'm going to start contacting lawyers early next week. He's at the point where he trusts no one and thinks fighting does no good so he's just ready to give up but I can't! I was a witness to these phone conversations and am just amazed that someone would sit there and blatantly lie on the forms. Why would they bother fighting his unemployment anyway? They know they were wrong (they ABSOLUTELY fired him and I was right there when they did) and really how much does it cost a company that size? My brother wants to be working, but unfortunately now until he can get the medical attention he desperately needs, he can't. Since they fired him and he has no medical insurance he can't get the tests and medications he needs. It's all a nasty Catch-22 and I refuse to sit by and watch these crooks get away with this. I'm hoping I find someone else they did this to because I can't imagine he's the first.

Thanks for the response and advice. You really made up my mind as I was kind of on the fence since I don't believe in all these "sue happy" people these days but this just seems so wrong on so many levels.

Have a great weekend.