Companies closed their doors overnight.

[Chamberpains]

https://fox8.com/2019/04/28/falcon-trans...thout-pay/

This article just popped up on my phone. I've literally had this happen two times in my trucking career. I worked for a company for damn near a year and we left at 3 a.m. To pull containers out of Port Newark. Work was solid 5 days a week every single week two containers a day if not more if you care to run the logs out coloring book style. Then one morning midweek at 4:30 a.m. every driver in the company got a mass text on their company phone that said cease where you're going and what you're doing turn around and park the truck at such n such designated parking area. We are out of business the doors are closed all equipment must be returned immediately there is no more operations.

This happened when every single one of us was on our way to New Jersey with empty or loaded containers. A few intelligent guys immediately got together and we decided to hold on to their equipment until we got paid. It was the one thing we had left for leverage knowing that if they shut doors with absolute zero warning, then what was to stop them from not paying us. A week later we got our checks and they got told where the location of their equipment was.

I didn't tell this story to give people an idea to steal equipment. But it's just to give an eye opening true tale backed up by a current news article of how the trucking industry will treat you. Be prepared. Get your finances squared away. Because I'd hate to see another article like the one I posted, where a guy can't eat the next day because he had no money and the company shut their doors down on him. Don't ever allow yourself to be in such a situation or predicament. This happens a lot more than you would think, even to the largest of companies. They give absolutely zero warning when they shut down and cease their operations.

[Volvo8873]

Yup I seen that article too! The trucking industry is as capitalistic as it can get! Even doing what I do I will always have plan B.


On a short note though talk about a scummy trucking company. It is rather bad when even the D.O.T. number is no longer active.

[Lonestar10]

if your going to ransom stuff for your pay...make sure if its geo located to unplug the equipment before parking it. i totaly beleive in ransom for pay earned so thats my take if a companies going to screw you screw them first.

[dhirocz]

Ive wondered about this recently too...probably because Im in the middle of changing companies. Its amazing how much things can change, how much people can lie or how things can just go south when one company buys another.

[Evotrucker]

I remember back in 0-8 and 09 when the big trucking companies were closing and down sizing they gave no notice or explanation for months. ppl didnt get paid for months or anything.... a lot of families ended up losing everything or damn near everything.

[smorgan87]

Seen that on twisted truckers this mornin. Driver asking if anyone else's fuel card was shut off. Apparently they didnt bother telling the drivers they were out of work and to find a ride home.

[Chamberpains]

Didn't Arrow trucking do something very similar a decade or so ago? They left drivers all over the country stranded. I remember guys getting hit with abandoned equipment fines from that one. Which is a huge deal on a CDL background check. Those guys just didn't get paid and when the company closed and told them they were to return their equipment, guys just walked away and refused to move it because they were already not being paid. They got double screwed. I felt for those people big time.

[Waterloo]

Just happened to us... The owner of our company retired, son took over, he closed the doors on our US operations back on Jan 1st. We were paid, but told 90 day hold on our escrow, we shall see... Still waiting.

Long story, but three of us found a new place to work, finally, we will be starting this week. Been a rough year. Hopefully we found a decent alternative, call them the competition, hired the three of us on the spot. Hopefully they come through...

On a side note: So many crap jobs out here, and many of these companies have no problem telling you flat out lies. Nothing has changed in this racket.

[ynot]

These "sudden" closures of companies are usually far from sudden, waterloo's situation sounds a bit different then the usual we've gone bankrupt stories.

The closures are a work in progress for a couple years Bill's start pulling up fuel cards not working a day here an there or even constantly switching back an forth between fuel stops,maintenance on the trucks starts slowing down. On the road breakdowns take long too get fixed. A "smart" company will always make sure too keep the drivers paid cause as long as they're getting paid most of them notice the little signs of disaster brewing in the background.

When a company suddenly closes its doors it's usually cause they lost the battle on securing more financing extensions on loans ect. An the lawyers have told them it's over shut em down. I'm not defending these companies when I say this but they don't tell the drivers what's going on an try an keep thing going business as usual up an tell the last minute while they look for money hilding out hope it's not over, so they can stop everybody from jumping ship cause as we all know without us drivers their company is done for anyway.

I think when I gets too that point ya may as well go out gracefully get everybody home pay em shut the doors, cause if they do find some influx of cash it's only gonna stem the bleeding for a couple more months, very very few trucking companies if any ever manage too get back out that kinda hole.