Got scammed by former boss

So a few months ago I started working for a small trucking company in Brampton, ON. I have very little experience in the trucking industry so I'm going to sound pretty dumb on the things I'm about to tell you. But if you're new like me this might be worth reading. Back in December when I met up with the guy he seemed pretty nice and down to earth. "We're a family here in this company" "I can guarantee you 3k miles per week if you don't turn down dispatch" "Our trucks are all new" Those were some of the things he said. I should have just left and never came back soon as he said 3k mile per week but I was being optimistic thinking I could turn down loads if they interfered with my HOS. So on our first trip out we had a load going to Lima, OH during the holidays and he tells me to be at yard 4am and I'm there waiting and waiting and the guy is no where to be seen and comes at 5am. Didn't want to complain, he did tell me he was tired from his previous trip and barely got any sleep so no biggie. We went to the yard and there was another driver coming with us on a different truck. So I'm paired with the boss for our first trip. He goes around the truck and does a daily inspection and tells me he cares about safety very much if there's something wrong with the equipment I should let him know first thing which I think is pretty obvious and I agree. But he does it in a way that was really pretentious it almost made me cringe and just added to my suspicions. So our destination was somewhere around 1000km round trip which in perfect conditions is a 10 hour drive it took us nearly an hour to get the load which was a couple miles out, and on top of that there's the snow. Despite skipping our break we still ended up near Windsor ON 5PM the same day and I was running out of hours so the boss took over. Then it hit me, how was the other driver going to come back in time if I don't have the hours to do it myself. He said, Oh don't worry he started his day in London ON. And my mind was screaming LEAVE AND NEVER COME BACK. But I was too desperate for a job so stupid me stayed.

So on my first week out by myself. First load I get and already the guy is pushing me to do illegal things for example calling me 4 hours before my 10 hour break is up and telling me to deliver. Yes there is an ELD, he made it so that you can change your driving hours. I know I have the right to not do what he tells me but he would not stop calling and he made me feel like I'm doing him wrong. On the second week is where the **** hit the fan. He calls me in on Monday to pick up a load, I'm at the pickup and the shipping office lady tells me I don't have an appointment. I get on the phone with the boss and he tells me we do have an appointment. And then he sends me some photo from his broker saying it's first come first serve. The lady gets off the phone with my boss and gives me a look and I'm like "did you resolve it with my boss?" she said " nope sorry, like I said you need an appointment for pick up and the guy on the phone told me 10 different stories in the span of 5 minutes." So I go back pretty disappointed cause I missed out on a day and I didn't get paid cent for it. Come the next day off I go on another load and this time the pick up was somewhere north of London ON pretty far from any fuel station and scales. And I picked up the load without a hitch, I used the onboard truck scale to distribute the weight 17000kg says on the paperwork, 33000 on tractor and thought it would be fine if I didn't go to a scale since boss told me the onboard scale was very accurate. So on I go thinking all is well and everybody is nice and would never lie on a piece of paper it's black and white so there should be legal implications right? nope. driver takes full responsibility and now I know a little too late but lesson learned. I get slapped with a 2500usd fine in IL weigh station. And you know what the boss man told me to do after? "Just wait till they're all gone and the drive to delivery man don't worry I've done it before too. There won't be a problem man hurry just go or I'll get a 1000$ fine if you don't deliver on time!" So there and then I decided that I was done with trucking it's just not for me. So a week before Feb I told him I was quitting and I'm waiting for him to pay for the month of Jan since he pays "bi weekly" so Feb rolls around and I get don't get a cheque, I call bossman and ask him what's up? He says "I'm deducting your pay to pay for the IL ticket because I don't trust you will pay for it and I've already talked to my lawyer, I have the right to protect my company". So being piss poor I couldn't afford a lawyer and I thought I was going to pay for the ticket anyway, if he's going to do it then so be it. He does pay me the rest of the money on the 15th. But that ####### never paid for my ticket. And I can't afford the dam thing since he took my pay and now there's a arrest warrant for me in IL. I probably will never go to IL again but still don't feel right knowing I've done all that illegal crap just to make a living. Trucking is a very dangerous job and truckers are way underpaid. Stay safe out there my friends.

 

I just wanna thank you guys first of all. I will file a complaint this weekend. I didn't sign any independent contractors papers but he convince me to register a corporation to save on tax. And he paid the undeducted amount to my business account. There was no written agreement of employment either. But i do have invoices that he gave me with the deducted amounts and all my miles and loads.

 

Yep he told me to incorporate...I don't think im his first victim, he seems pretty well setup every step of the way and he knows exactly what to say or not over a phone and through text to avoid any legal implications.

 

I stopped driving since Feb and now I'm working as a cabinet maker. Just going to hunker down for a bit and then see if I can pay what I owe by the end of the year.