Company Driver: Dedicated Account & Not Being Dispatched

I am 3 months in at ... Trucking Company. It didn't start off good. I ended up having to request a Hotel Room day 1. I will jump past to the end and why I'm here.

So I'm on the Dedicated account and they will not dispatch me. I have sat a full week and was told I will not be paid for it. Only reason is they don't pay layover, he says. He tried it again this week. After sitting 3 days with all calls unanswered, no chats answered, and so on. I told the Company in the Chat and Email to either Dispatch me or send me home. They would not respond to anything. I said I will call the Police if no contact by Noon. Still no response. I emailed all parties, Dispatcher , his boss, HR, and anyone I could attach in the Email.

At 11:00 am I called the Non-emergency Police line. The Officer showed up and I showed him all of my calls and they will not respond, and I've been here 3 days now. I was afraid the Company was hoping I would just start driving towards home so they could call the Cops and say I was stealing the Truck. I wanted the Cop to call them and ask them what they are doing with me. While I was speaking to him, HR finally called. She said she wanted to send me a Bus ticket home. I said what, I have a Sleeper Cab with all of my Belongings. I asked if I was being Terminated. She said No, but when I get to the yard I need to clean out my Truck. I said if I'm not Terminated, why am I cleaning out my Truck. She said she just needs me to and she will followup with me in 2 days. I asked why can't I keep the Truck until she follows but but she just kept saying clean it out.

I was given permission to Bobtail home to clean out the Truck. I had been up all days trying to get Dispatched and the drove home with no sleep. She emailed me that morning asking where the Truck was and if I cleaned it out. I said I still have it. I got home late last night after being up all day dealing with them. I said I will have it in the yard by 14:00. She emailed back, no you were instructed to clean it out yesterday and you have til 12:00 to return it or they will send a Recovery person. I said it will be there by noon.

My question is; If I'm not Terminated. Is it legal to just leave me without work and I'm on a Dedicated account with no Company issues. Just the Manager decided he doesn't like me after I asked not to be dispatch by him in the beginning. My trailers were being tampered with in the yard, he would send me to the most difficult Receivers and they would give me the most difficult Docs. I was always being watched by the YD's as I backed. Never made a mistake. So he had to keep messing with me until he could get rid of my. The entire Clan joined in. They would not dispatch me, saying they will put me on the list, call back when such and such is in, where are you located, as if they didn't no. I would put my availability in the OBC on my way back, when arrived, and all throughout the day and they just refused to Dispatch me. My last call with the yard manager. He said he doesn't dispatch because they are afraid I will be in Traffic, wtf? I said there's no need for you to worry about how I deal with Traffic, I've been driving going on 4 years. Smh.

I googled what I can do in this situation, the only thing I saw was to File a Complaint with the FMCSA. As of now, I'm sitting here still Employed with the Company with no Truck. I still have access to the app.

No laws were broken here. There's nothing for the FMSCA to do here, because they didn't violate anything. If they don't want you there, why are you insisting on staying?

Just the Manager decided he doesn't like me after I asked not to be dispatch by him in the beginning. My trailers were being tampered with in the yard, he would send me to the most difficult Receivers and they would give me the most difficult Docs. I was always being watched by the YD's as I backed.

This right here. Davy A. recently posted observations about the community of drivers engaging in this forum, and how many are considered 'top tier' drivers within their respective companies. Having been a part of this forum for many years, and having read hundreds if not thousands of posts by them and others, one of the characteristics of top tier drivers, or at least drivers who have maintained a long career in this industry, is that none of them exhibited the type of behavior you are describing. You wrote that your trailers were being tampered with... do you think that your manager assigned you trailers, and then sent people out to tamper with them? Or that he knew who the difficult receivers were and held back those loads for you? That's quite the conspiracy theory. You also find yard dogs watching you while you backed disconcerting.. well, I've had plenty of eyes on me while delivering to customers throughout the years... guys watching me back, watching me offload, some closer than others... but I didn't let any of it bother me. Most of them didn't know me, but they did know my company, so they had every right to observe me while on their property, making sure I worked safely and followed the procedures correctly. And that doesn't even really matter. When you enter someone else's property, you are in their world and subject to their rules. If you are bothered because your work is being inspected by the customer, that's a you problem, and has absolutely nothing to do with your manager.

You're a new driver in a company, and right off the bat requesting a new manager for these reasons...and these are just the reasons you have shared. That is not the way to prove yourself, and you are certainly going to lose any and all respect you might have been previously given. Add to the examples above your calling the non-emergency police number for assistance, and I'd say your conflict resolution skills need serious upgrading. That's borderline wackadoodle. I jumped in a loaner truck once where the previous driver's messages were still in the Qualcomm , so I read a few. Because they were so entertaining. She mentioned aliens who were stalking her in the truck stops. Aliens from space, not foreign countries. I see some similarities here.

If I were you, and you want to continue driving, I'd cut my losses with the company you are with, reevaluate how badly you want to succeed in this industry and what that requires, and if you feel you are up to the commitment, apply somewhere else.

Well you've gone way left and the information I said here is cutting it shot. This is a very small Fleet and the Manager and yard dogs are friends. So of course there's a possibility of them working together against an unlikely Driver who they want to get rid of.

This is all happening now. I never said I wasn't looking to cut my ties. I have bills, just like you I suppose. Jumping from Company to Company doesn't happen in a day.

So if you couldn't respond with some positive advice, you may need to go be nosey reading someone else's chat messages that sound ridiculous showing you're one of those people who just need to be seen.

While at the Receiver, it's a Dedicated account. So again, of course that Manager has access to speaking to the YDs. I don't care that I was watched while backing. I'll hold the entire place up while taking my time being safe if necessary before I hit something. So the fact that there watching doesn't matter. I just know that they are.

Sometimes trying to say what someone is going through, goes right over some people's head.

Just the Manager decided he doesn't like me after I asked not to be dispatch by him in the beginning. My trailers were being tampered with in the yard, he would send me to the most difficult Receivers and they would give me the most difficult Docs. I was always being watched by the YD's as I backed.

This right here. Davy A. recently posted observations about the community of drivers engaging in this forum, and how many are considered 'top tier' drivers within their respective companies. Having been a part of this forum for many years, and having read hundreds if not thousands of posts by them and others, one of the characteristics of top tier drivers, or at least drivers who have maintained a long career in this industry, is that none of them exhibited the type of behavior you are describing. You wrote that your trailers were being tampered with... do you think that your manager assigned you trailers, and then sent people out to tamper with them? Or that he knew who the difficult receivers were and held back those loads for you? That's quite the conspiracy theory. You also find yard dogs watching you while you backed disconcerting.. well, I've had plenty of eyes on me while delivering to customers throughout the years... guys watching me back, watching me offload, some closer than others... but I didn't let any of it bother me. Most of them didn't know me, but they did know my company, so they had every right to observe me while on their property, making sure I worked safely and followed the procedures correctly. And that doesn't even really matter. When you enter someone else's property, you are in their world and subject to their rules. If you are bothered because your work is being inspected by the customer, that's a you problem, and has absolutely nothing to do with your manager.

You're a new driver in a company, and right off the bat requesting a new manager for these reasons...and these are just the reasons you have shared. That is not the way to prove yourself, and you are certainly going to lose any and all respect you might have been previously given. Add to the examples above your calling the non-emergency police number for assistance, and I'd say your conflict resolution skills need serious upgrading. That's borderline wackadoodle. I jumped in a loaner truck once where the previous driver's messages were still in the Qualcomm , so I read a few. Because they were so entertaining. She mentioned aliens who were stalking her in the truck stops. Aliens from space, not foreign countries. I see some similarities here.

If I were you, and you want to continue driving, I'd cut my losses with the company you are with, reevaluate how badly you want to succeed in this industry and what that requires, and if you feel you are up to the commitment, apply somewhere else.

I'm not insisting on staying. I'm reaching out to other Companies. This is all happening now.

My question is, what can I do since they won't Dispatch and are saying I'm unpaid while not doing so?

I am a Company Employee with bills to pay. I sat the 1st week and said nothing. He is just now refusing to pay me then stopped answering my calls while trying to sit me in their town another week unpaid.

I'll never return to that yard. They are telling me I'm not terminated. That alone should show that it's not a performance issue, it's personal.

No laws were broken here. There's nothing for the FMSCA to do here, because they didn't violate anything. If they don't want you there, why are you insisting on staying?

No laws were broken here. There's nothing for the FMSCA to do here, because they didn't violate anything. If they don't want you there, why are you insisting on staying?

“If I were you, and you want to continue driving, I'd cut my losses with the company you are with, reevaluate how badly you want to succeed in this industry and what that requires, and if you feel you are up to the commitment, apply somewhere else.”

Pete’s last paragraph sums this situation up as well as it can be summed up. I second his advice: cut ties with this company, fix what’s wrong with you and move on. A lot of what you relate in your story doesn’t make sense. Try to start over.

Within the first week, knowing it was unpaid, and since it sounds like you weren't under load, you should have simply thanked them for the opportunity, returned the truck to the terminal and pursued work elsewhere. Polite, professional and to the point.

If you've been driving as long as you have, with no incidents or accidents, you should have been able to forsee the issue. In fact, I'm guessing that when you were hired, no layover was part of the deal. You also should be able to be working elsewhere the same day you quit.

From a business standpoint, it makes absolutely no sense to take an asset and not have it working. I'm guessing that there may be more to it on the employer's side as well. Notwithstanding though, why not just quit now?

From an objective point outside, it sounds like you want to force the company to bend to your will. The preferred method would be to simply find a different company. And at the new company, learn a lesson from this one. Learn how to work under staff that you don't like.

All of us have, at some point, had to work under management that we didn't get along with. You learn how to deal with it and if you can't, pursue work elsewhere.

This sounds like a very small company. They either are making you miserable so you will quit or they have serious management issues and are not getting loads consistently and want to keep you available.

Either situation is not good. If you quit then they are off the hook for unemployment benefits. If they terminate you you can apply for unemployment, hopefully they have been paying into it.

I would do exactly as they ask because if you don’t they can ding your career. Apply elsewhere and if someone hires you then give notice and move on.

From your descriptions here they don’t appear to have violated any laws the police can do anything about. After your gone you can file a complaint with the Better Business Buerau but those usually don’t go anywhere from my experience.

Wish you the best and let us know how it goes. Others can learn from your experiences.

Dispite the negative responses, I depart this Site with saying.

I never applied to this Company. I am hired by a Company who sent me here.

While sitting unpaid the 1st week. Another Driver approached me and asked how I felt it was going here. We are all new. I told him what was happening. He gave me his card and left.

I called him yesterday to tell him what happened. He said he quit right after speaking to me because he was going thru the same thing.

I looked up the Company Reviews and an Owner Op who used to work there explained it all. Said the Company hired the Company I am at to replace them or lower their pay. That's why I'm here, not being Terminated. And am waiting on them to place me on a different Fleet, if I stay here. If a different Company contacts me Monday. I'm out!

And I'm sure they will. I have no Customer Service issues. I was targeted and they suceeded. I'm sure it's not his 1st rodeo.

Thanks for the positive responses. Have a great day.

I am 3 months in at ... Trucking Company. It didn't start off good. I ended up having to request a Hotel Room day 1. I will jump past to the end and why I'm here.

So I'm on the Dedicated account and they will not dispatch me. I have sat a full week and was told I will not be paid for it. Only reason is they don't pay layover, he says. He tried it again this week. After sitting 3 days with all calls unanswered, no chats answered, and so on. I told the Company in the Chat and Email to either Dispatch me or send me home. They would not respond to anything. I said I will call the Police if no contact by Noon. Still no response. I emailed all parties, Dispatcher , his boss, HR, and anyone I could attach in the Email.

At 11:00 am I called the Non-emergency Police line. The Officer showed up and I showed him all of my calls and they will not respond, and I've been here 3 days now. I was afraid the Company was hoping I would just start driving towards home so they could call the Cops and say I was stealing the Truck. I wanted the Cop to call them and ask them what they are doing with me. While I was speaking to him, HR finally called. She said she wanted to send me a Bus ticket home. I said what, I have a Sleeper Cab with all of my Belongings. I asked if I was being Terminated. She said No, but when I get to the yard I need to clean out my Truck. I said if I'm not Terminated, why am I cleaning out my Truck. She said she just needs me to and she will followup with me in 2 days. I asked why can't I keep the Truck until she follows but but she just kept saying clean it out.

I was given permission to Bobtail home to clean out the Truck. I had been up all days trying to get Dispatched and the drove home with no sleep. She emailed me that morning asking where the Truck was and if I cleaned it out. I said I still have it. I got home late last night after being up all day dealing with them. I said I will have it in the yard by 14:00. She emailed back, no you were instructed to clean it out yesterday and you have til 12:00 to return it or they will send a Recovery person. I said it will be there by noon.

My question is; If I'm not Terminated. Is it legal to just leave me without work and I'm on a Dedicated account with no Company issues. Just the Manager decided he doesn't like me after I asked not to be dispatch by him in the beginning. My trailers were being tampered with in the yard, he would send me to the most difficult Receivers and they would give me the most difficult Docs. I was always being watched by the YD's as I backed. Never made a mistake. So he had to keep messing with me until he could get rid of my. The entire Clan joined in. They would not dispatch me, saying they will put me on the list, call back when such and such is in, where are you located, as if they didn't no. I would put my availability in the OBC on my way back, when arrived, and all throughout the day and they just refused to Dispatch me. My last call with the yard manager. He said he doesn't dispatch because they are afraid I will be in Traffic, wtf? I said there's no need for you to worry about how I deal with Traffic, I've been driving going on 4 years. Smh.

I googled what I can do in this situation, the only thing I saw was to File a Complaint with the FMCSA. As of now, I'm sitting here still Employed with the Company with no Truck. I still have access to the app.

Thank you so much, you're the best response thus far. I guess it takes someone who's been thru it some what. Most of these SuperTruckers have never been thru anything in industry so they can only point the blame ignorantly, it seems.

Thanks again.....

This sounds like a very small company. They either are making you miserable so you will quit or they have serious management issues and are not getting loads consistently and want to keep you available.

Either situation is not good. If you quit then they are off the hook for unemployment benefits. If they terminate you you can apply for unemployment, hopefully they have been paying into it.

I would do exactly as they ask because if you don’t they can ding your career. Apply elsewhere and if someone hires you then give notice and move on.

From your descriptions here they don’t appear to have violated any laws the police can do anything about. After your gone you can file a complaint with the Better Business Buerau but those usually don’t go anywhere from my experience.

Wish you the best and let us know how it goes. Others can learn from your experiences.