Heavy Equipment Hauling in Shelton WA

In the month of August, of 2008, my husband and I were conversing with William, owner of Heavy Equipment Hauling and Sales in Shelton, WA. We told him that we were working for pennies, he verbally told my husband that he had 12 loads with ATS for my husband. My husband told him that we are a packaged deal. He told my husband that the load paid $15,250.00 per load. He would pay my husband $3500.00 per load,23 % gross. My husband told him he wanted 23% gross on all loads that he would not pay fuel, escorts, or permits out of our money because it is Bills load, truck and trailer. Bill agreed. Bill also agreed to pay $70.00 per day for our hotels, for the both of us, because Bill told us he doesn't want his drivers sleeping in the truck, he wants his drivers to have a good night sleep, he won't sleep in his truck and doesn't want his drivers to.
Aug, 19, 2008 my husband and I had a conversation with William, He told us to quit our jobs to come to work for him. My husband told Bill that he would be turning down a load that paid him $1800.00 if he quit the next day. Bill said that he would compensate him for his loss. We also told Bill that we didn't have an escort vehicle, we sold ours 2 months earlier. Bill said he would help us get one. We told Bill we didn't have the funds to get to texas to pick up the truck. He said he would help us out. We both quit our jobs without a contract, but on his word as a gentleman. We scambled around for a week to get ready. My parents co signed a pick up for me to work in on Aug 28 or 29, 2008 for over $8000.00. Aug 29, 2008 bill wired into out account $1500.00. $1000.00 for partial payment on the $1800.00 and $500.00 for a bonus for the first load. The ATS loads paid $15,250.00, but added a bonus for the first load.

Aug 30, 2008 my husband and I drove to pick up a truck that he just purchased and to look at a trailer that was being sold to give our opinion if Bill should purchase that as well. When we arrived in Texas at our destination on the 2nd of Sept. 2008 the truck had not been purchased and Bill decided to purchase the trailer the next day on the 3rd. My husband told Bill that there were no saddles, teardrops, chains, binders, etc..... My husband told Bill that he could do it and get it done so that Bill could have some pressure relieved, but he wouldn't do it for free. Bill happily said he would pay Benny for his work. Bill knew our financial situation so he wired $5,000.00 in our account to run on.
Sat. 3rd or 4th Bill hit a bridge in Spokane, Wa. Bill enevatably lost the contract for ATS, and GE. His whole company was black balled from both companies. So we couldn't pull the loads that we were supposed to.
Sept, 08, 2008 Bill told us to dead head to Washington state and bring his truck there to pull loads. My husband told Bill he wanted paid $.35 per mile for dead head and my dead head milage. Bill agreed.
We arrived Sept, 11, 2008 in Spokane, Wa. and met Bill for the first time. The bridge he hit with the load were still there in Spokane, he had to take it back to Longview Or., but since he wasn't getting paid to take it back I agreed to help him out and charge him $.50 per mile to highpole, taking a $1.15 loss to help him out. My husband is also a certified escort and escorted him in the truck for nothing.
When we arrived in Longview Or. on the 13th of Sept, Bill left his truck and the load there, got his stuff, got in my truck and said we were going to his home. My husband followed in the other truck.
Sept., 14 the three of us went back to Longview to unload the trailer in my vehicle, sat there all day. We did this on the 15th and the 16th. Now, I didn't offer and he didn't ask if I would do this. he does have 5 more of his own vehicles at his own disposal.
Before Bill and I were left on the load, my husband told Bill that he would work on the truck and another trailer that Bill owned , but he was going to be paid for his labor, Bill agreed because it would cheaper than paying $70 or $75 in labor.

Sept17, Bill and I picked up a load chained it down, and didn't leave until the 18th to take it to Luverne, ND. So that was another trip from Longview or to Shelton.

On the 17th Bill and I talked business all day, he then told me that my husband had to pay for the hotels, and I asked how he could insist that his drivers not sleep in the trucks but wants the drivers to pay for it. He said "only drivers without sleepers he'll pay for not the ones with a sleeper" But Bills own truck has a sleeper, he sleeps in a hotel. He then asked if my husband would mind sleeping in his truck while we gone to save him money, the truck is a 48" sleeper crawl thru. I said "absolutly not, has no access for a shower or relaxing" Bill told me he could take a shower at his house and relax. Now Bill is married and she would be there when my husband would get done working at the end of the day.

That same morning my husband took the truck from Shelton, wa to Caterpillar in Tukwila, WA and sat there for 12 hrs, since he had no other means of transportation. He did this numerous times. During the time we were gone on the load, and worked on the trailer which was a week.

Bill pulled a load in Oct form Olympia to Yakima, it was a 2 day job and run, got it loaded, and chained the load while bill stood around, Benny rode with Bill to the destination and helped unload. I escorted and never charged him, and never charged for a dead head,

My husband continued working daily till Oct. 11, 2008. My husband kept asking when he was going to be paid for his work. My husband kept telling Bill to give him a figure of what he was offering to pay him. Later when benny would ask what he was to be paid, Bill would tell him to give him a figure, this went back and forth for days. My husband and i had enough and My husband blew up at Bill and Bill then said he didn't have any dollars till he got paid for his 6 loads, which was any day, and he would pay us off, and put money in our account to run his truck (fuel, repairs, etc...). He told us he received $65000.00 2 days after we left to go to texas to do the windmills for him, he gave us $2000.00. My husband never pulled a load at anytime during the time we were in the northeast.

Now a few days before we left, Bill insisted on payingMy husband dead head milage between loads, My husband said "no" and he had never been offered that before, but Bill insisted. My husband said "ok".

Bill also said he would pay his dead head back to texas from shelton.

Oct 16, 2008-Dec 06 2008 My husband and delivered 4 loads successfully, no accidents, or breakdowns.
Bill also changed My husband pay without talking to him in the middle of doing the loads. That he was no longer getting 23% gross, it would be net gross
Bill has nickled and dimed us from the beginning $2000.00 here, $3000.00 there, we even had to get a loan from Gary the lien hold on the truck to help pay our bills and live on the road. Which we have to payback. bill has deposited enough money in our account just to stay running, to make him money, with little, to no profit for us. Bill has recieved $60,000.00 for the loads we delivered. On Dec 6 or 7 he said that his figures say he only owes $13000.00. He put $3500.00 in our account on the 8, and said he then only owed us $10,000.00

We have kept the Bill of Lading from the fourth and final load, Gary informed us that we had no right to hold it, wanted us to leave the truck and trailer with Bill in iowa, clean out all our stuff and hand over all the keys, but we arn't fired, and go home because universal had to look and have the truck inspected, and there was no work for now.

Since sept my husband and I have been under a lot of stress and getting sick, headaches, upset stomaches from not getting paid for what we are entitled.
Fortunatley Bill agreed to let us record our conversation, and confirmed everything that we were owed, which will hold up in any court