Pre Advice if Company does not Pay! Another Chicago Horror Story

Hello, first I am only here for advice or steps to follow if anyone here has it and thank you in advance for any knowledge, not the "let me get the popcorn, or bashing I see on here all the time without giving any answers, just drivers calling posters idiots or they should not be in this industry...etc, about their situations.

This will be a pretty detailed post so I can get the facts all out there.
BACKGROUND INFO: I have been a driver for about 5yrs, been to or talked to several companies, all as a company driver or potential company driver, also left or not continuing with them after listening to the recruiter or showing up to orientation and it not sounding like anything such as what the recruiter told me, due to me being extremely speculative and learning if they lie to get me there its only gonna get worse when I get in the truck.

THE LATEST VENTURE: I tried one of the dreaded Chicago/Eastern European Companies, I was definitely skeptical as I have heard the rumors watched lots of videos and read the reviews mainly negative but with some saying how they did okay, made some money and moved on, and talk with one of those particularly directly through email from MB Global Logistics, he's got a youtube video, but has really good insight and owns his own truck now.

The Company I went to is called LB INDPENDENT CORP, so please stay away but I am sure almost all are similar in their practices.

GETTING THERE: I told them I would come out there if they paid for my ticket which was agreed, after I spoke with them for some time and let them know I am a hard runner. I got there on a Monday which I was told I would get my truck Tuesday Morning, but I started driving on Friday as I had to wait for them to get the truck there. We talked about all the below contract details before I left and I asked if I could get the rate con on every load I would take which was agreed.

CONTRACT DETAILS/DEDUCTIONS: 80/20% SPLIT in my Favor, with Weekly Deductions being as follows: $1300 for truck and Maint or $260 a day for Truck/Maint as I started on a Friday should only have $260 for that week deducted, As Well as $120 for Insurance and $35 for IFTA again weekly, with Fuel and Tolls being my cost.

GETTING STARTED: They have you come in office above a Mechanical shop with all others drivers and have you fill out long contract, after reading over contract, seeing the atmosphere and hearing how these European women were talking to drivers and just trying to hurry them along with bad attitudes, guys signing away not reading anything, and with every question I had about the contract I was told "don't worry just sign". As I said I had a bad feeling at this point and was ready to leave but they had the recruiter call me and after telling him I think I will just go back home he persuaded me swearing I won't regret this and don't worry you will make lot of money. "Just trust me on this one", So being I had already flown all the way out there, I gave in and said fine I will give it a shot, thinking worse is I don't make very much and have this as another first hand experience of learning, and I could judge for myself and see how these companies operate.

STARTING MY DRIVING EXPERIENCE/EQUIPMENT: First I was told constantly I could not get a copy of the contract until they gave in as I let them know I am not going anywhere until I have a copy of everything I just signed, so after seeing I was serious they got me a copy of everything. At this point it is Friday Late afternoon (5pm ish CT) I have been up since 5am, I did get a 2021 Freightliner with 105,300 miles, I went to inspect everything along with the 2019 Trailer and had them sign off on any little deficiencies I found.

DISPATCH AND LOGS: First they have you download an App Master Elogs, that is your logging device whether it is on your phone or if you happen to have a tablet, Once I had signed for the truck I had a Dispatcher calling me, saying he is finding a load, after telling him I had been up all day, he explains "well if we don't take Load tonight you will sit all weekend as its hard to find load then". So I agree and say ok let me know what you find. I get a text about 15min later with a load out of Bridgeview IL - Phoenix AR, hes already booked load, I ask him to send a rate con, which they say they don't do that but he will text me everything.

LOADS/RUNNING ILLEGALLY: So First Load I picked up 9pm Friday after being up all day, Then he texted me I have to go low altitude route down to I-20/I-10 so that adds a few hundred miles, and load has to be there Monday 1,931 miles. text me load pays $4200, broker sends request for me to use tracking app so they can track progress, Anyways I got that load there by 2am Monday Morning. Not saying I was running fully legal either.

Second Load: I am not expert but I am looking up Van Spot rates and loads going out of Phoenix AR for good high $$, well they book me load going to Castorville CA, again text me not showing me pdf of rate con but tells me $1800

Third Load but Cancelled: I am already suspicious that they are cutting off what loads are really paying but next one is from Salinas CA-Denver Colorado, text me pay is $3300, Now this load cancels while I am backed into the door, I let dispatcher know and he say he will get me $150 for TONU, well as I am waiting for dispatcher to call back with next load, the broker calls me directly and is asking what happened and wants to know if I could put him on phone with manager there at facility. I say sure buddy, but ask him by explaining my dispatch forgot to send me the rate con, asking how much are you paying us for this load agian? Not to my surprise he says $5200, so these scumbags were cutting almost 2K off the load straight into their pocket.

Next Load: I get from same facility but up to Wapato Washington, text me load pays $2200, again I speak to this broker who tells me he is paying $4k for this so stealing $1800 off the top again.

At this point I am pissed, but have not called them out yet because I want to get their truck back first.

Last Load: At this point I tell them I need to get home for a family Emergency, saying I don't know how long it will be so I need to turn the truck in back to the yard. So I deadhead to Seattle to pick up Load going to Cedar Falls Iowa, they text me pay is $3,500, well this broker like the first one sends me tracking link/app to use as I look through it I see the actual signed rate confirmation pdf loaded in there showing the broker really paying $4,800 so at that point I look back at first load I took in different tracking app and see how that one paid $6500 yet they lied and told me $4200.

So out of the 4 loads I did take I know they were ripping me off thousands of dollars on 3 of them but I am sure that Second one they did as well I just don't have the proof.

GETTING OUT OF THERE: I turned the truck and trailer in had it all signed off that it was in same condition I took it. and flew out of there.

MY TOTAL TIME THERE WAS 9 DAYS DRIVING AND A CHUNK OF IT ILLEGALLY: So I have proof of them lying about what loads paid, I also have all text, a copy of the contract, all BOLS, and fuel receipts, and have written down what I should be owed based on what they lied and told me loads were paying and off what I really grossed, after all deductions.

NEXT STEPS: At first I was not even gonna mention to them the thousands of dollars they were stealing off top,and just get the $5,500 they owe me off what that said I grossed and not more around the 10k they really owe me, but when I called first they don't answer many times, next when they do they start talking about 90-120 days to I will be paid. When in the Contract it states Contractor should be paid within 15 days of all loads being delivered, and upon contractor leaving up to 45 days IF Contractor has not returned all equipment, which I have done and have everything signed off on.

FRUSTRATION: After knowing how big of thiefs and liars these people are I went off over the phone telling them I know how full of it they are and how they were taking thousands off each load, and not so many other kind words, to which I all of sudden hear a group of all these scumbags laughing, and saying I'm not getting SH!#.

TIMELINE: This was all within the last 3 weeks from today 8/16/2021.

WHAT I HAVE DONE SO FAR: I found and have email addresses and Physical Addresses and phone numbers of most of these scumbags, and talked to a few Employment Attorneys which directed me first to put in Complaint with the DOL of IL, which I have 3 days ago on Friday and waiting to hear from. Not only do I want to get the money I worked hard for, but just principle at this point and knowing a lot of other drivers may be at these companies for a lot longer than 9 days maybe months or yrs not knowing how much money they are stealing and have stolen, if I was there 9 days and know for a fact at least 6k in 9 days that they skimmed, just imagine being there for a few months how much they've already robbed one driver of, buying their new mercedes and what not. Anywhere not willing to show you the Rate Con when you are working contract is stealing if they have to hide this.

NOW: Just wondering if anyone else has dealt with this, also giving anyone a first hand of my 9 day experience working for one of these places, but I do not intend to let this go until all options are exhausted and already have new local job(hourly pay), until this is settled, and I feel like the DOL does not really go into IC stuff so this will come down to a litigation issue, but advice is welcomed, and I might have forgot some details as this post is getting long so message me, if there is something I may have missed that would pertain to helping go forward.

THANK YOU

 

Simple mistake, just typing fast

 

Waiting now on DOL to get back with me, I was responsible though for truck payment/fuel/tolls/Insurance/Ifita, I had a couple attorneys already say they were interested but, they first wanted to see how the DOL handles this first

 

Driver classified as an IC, basically like going to Ryder or Penske and renting a truck then going under a carriers authority, I was responsible for almost all payments, Can find this setup all over, MB Global/GoldCoast/Eljim/Pava/Mega MIle/Easy Express/US Cargo/Rafa/Rakmark/AAA Freight/MDJ/......etc