Is It Legal To Use PC To Make My Delivery?

Is this legal to do ? The owner of the company told me to do a PC so I could deliver my load the next morning. So I said ok & after I got to thinking about it I asked him if that was legal & he never did answer me. So I didn’t do the PC because if the owner of a company wants you to do something for his company and then you ask him a question about what he’s asking you to do and he won’t answer you it seems like something is wrong ? I’m new to the trucking business thnx ! Oh and he ended up taking money off my check for not making the appointment on time, considering that I got held up where I got loaded there was no way to make that appointment on time but he charged me because I didn’t do the PC.

Any advice would be helpful Thank you !

Hello James!

It's obvious you're working for a very small trucking company. What you're experiencing is very common when working at a small trucking company where the owner is also in charge of operations. The owner seriously needs the cash flow and is willing to cheat a little to make it happen. It's just the realities of a very tough business. It's only worse during these difficult economic times.

What he asked you to do is illegal. What he did on your paycheck is also illegal. I would assume you can only expect more of the same. What caused you to get your start at this company? Is it possible for you to get on with a major carrier?

I work for one of the largest trucking companies out here. I am constantly getting messages from my employer telling us to not feel pressured to use PC for making deliveries. If we get detained at a place that's loading us, we get paid for that time, not punished. Then our dispatchers will get our delivery appointment rescheduled so we aren't considered late.

If that sounds good to you, then I recommend you start looking into working for a major carrier.

Hey thnx Old School you are right I am working for a very small company. I’m an old Pipe welder and Welding Inspector & Covid messed everything up for me & I just don’t want to weld any longer. ..

I have tried to get on with the larger companies the biggest thing is my work history in the last 3 years I haven’t worked much and that’s why I got my cdl so I could go back to work plus I’ve had a lot of jobs because I always worked out in the field where 100% of my jobs are temporary jobs and when that job was over we had to ding another one it’s just the nature of the business. ..

I have my Doubles & Triples / Tankers & Hazmat endorsements but no experience, I’ve been doing Reefer for about 5 weeks going to Phoenix, AZ and back to Dallas, TX

I have proof of everything I told you about what he has said and done

Do you have any advice about what I should say to him ?

Lol thnx for your input

James, I wouldn't worry about saying anything to him. I suggest you just start applying elsewhere. You show your location as Denton, TX. That's a great area for hiring onto many major carriers.

Let's talk about your work history issue. It's okay if you haven't worked regularly during the last three years. Here's the purpose of the work history requirement. Homeland Security came up with this requirement.

The purpose is to weed out any possible terrorist attacks by people using big trucks in a similar way they used airplanes in the 9/11 attack. So... they are more concerned with a timeline of where you've been and what you've been doing for the past three years. They are not trying to determine whether you are good at keeping a job.

If you can create a timeline with no gaps in it you will really help yourself in the hiring process. I understand your position. I was in a similar situation when I started. I hadn't worked for more than a year, and prior to that I was self employed. I gave them specific dates like this...

September 12, 1989 through July 15th, 1991 working as independent contractor on pipeline job in Phoenix, AZ.

July 16th, 1991 through August 23rd, 1991 unemployed but looking for work due to pipeline job shutting down.

August 24th, 1991 through November 5th, 1991 worked a temporary welding job through Manpower Temporary agency. Their phone number is... 999-999-9999. My contact their was Mary Jones.

November 6th, 1991 through January 14th, 1992 unemployed again, but looking for work. I have friends who can verify I was not working at this time. Here are three notarized letters from them (with contact info) verifying what I was doing.

Do you see how I covered every date and made it clear what I was doing? Did you notice I went to the trouble of getting three friends to verify the information in a written letter including their contact information? That's a critical step in this process. Take those letters and have them notarized - that's important.

The trucking companies need to be able to verify your history. If you just tell them you were doing a welding job with no way for them to verify it, your application gets denied. They need an accurate timeline with some ability to verify it. If you can't accurately get every date, just do your best to recreate a timeline close to what you were doing. That's what they need.

I think that's a big part of what's holding you back. It's not your age or your lack of work history. You just have to make the effort to get them the verifiable information they need. It will take some effort, but you'll really appreciate the end results. You'll be much happier working with a company that appreciates your efforts and your understanding of how to do this job legally.

James, what Old School said is very true.

The Dallas/Ft Worth area is loaded with trucking companies and freight. You should be able to find a bigger company that plays by the rules. However, if you leave your current job, try to leave on good terms. It never benefits anyone to burn bridges. As you accumulate experience as a driver, you will have more and more opportunities with bigger companies. Most of the really big companies should be favorable towards Texas residents. I think Schneider has an OC near Dallas.

Hey thank you both for the replies, I’m on Driver Pulse where I have filled out the majority of all my applications because of how they will auto save & auto fill your applications using a confirmation text to access your information. So I have 10 years worth of work history documented, times I was unemployed everything but have still been turned down by 95% although there has been two or three companies trying to pay me very low wages like .37 cents per mile, I’m getting .50 right now and I feel that’s very low. .. SORRY I’m used to making $3500.00 a week welding & six to seven thousand a week inspecting, yeah you might say I’m not a happy camper being force fed these low wages

“THAT HUMBLE PIE!” has got a hold on me 😂

You can earn more money in a trade like welding than you will ever make as a trucker. The big difference is you are far less likely to have your job pulled out from under you. I've been with the same employer for more than eight years. I make good money and I am quite satisfied with the relationships I've developed here over the years. My dispatcher has even requested that I let him know ahead of time if I am going to leave. He claims he will leave with me so he can keep me as one of his drivers.

I get it but all I can really do is tell you my experience in life and what I’m dealing with & where I came from and the difference ! Thnx for the advice it all seemed like sound advice, just to let you know I wasn’t trying to brag or offend anyone by bringing up the kind of money I was used to making and at the same time neither was I lying about it ! Just seems like your attitude changed when I brought up the money and if it did and if I offended you I would like to apologize and tell you that was not my intention whatsoever !

No offense my friend. I drive a truck because I'm passionate about it. I made a lot more money in my previous career.

A good trucker can usually break into a six figure income, but only barely. There's definitely more income in skilled trades. Don't expect to make a comparable income in trucking.

Ok thnx man, have a great day and I appreciate your time and patience with me sir

God Bless !