Ok you make some good points... But here is how breaks down in real life...
Really OK ...
You can come to whatever agreement contract whatever you want to call it... And you think you have all your I's dotted and T's crossed... And you go to work for said owner.. And if they do not want to pay you.. fix there trucks.. leave in the middle of no where to find your way home or where ever you want to go.. there is hardly anything you can do to them. legally..
Actually there is a lot you can do, the problem becomes if you can afford to do anything at all. Many will get a lawyer at that point and that point is a bit too late to have that legal advice behind you. One thing that gets laughed at is what I tell anyone getting into this business - get a lawyer before you need on.
So all i'm saying is this contract gives off false hope that there something you can really do to them.. legally.. Other than going to small claims and spending your time effort..
Actually not really true, false hope for what?
The contract as I keep saying helps with two things, protects both parties and helps define responsibilities.
My contract in the past did exactly that, which I have been using with this new fleet I am managing. The contract spells out who is who, what the pay is, who does what and why, when they get paid and what happens if something goes wrong. There is an arbitration clause in it and a legal venue defined.
WITH that there is a 'cheat sheet' of sorts that has questions and answers for the driver (and their lawyer) to use PLUS with every driver I go through ever line of the contract with them. I have traveled 300 miles last month to meet with one couple and their lawyer for this, it was important for all of us to be together to build the trust needed to let them drive a $190k heavy haul tractor.
And the only time in this whole process it becomes criminal is when someone doesn't show and then they have you for not showing and a bench warrent can be put on them.. Up until then its all civil.. Just an agreement between two people
I understand, I can't see any warrant being issued for anything outside of pure neglect.
See here is the thing the guy that i work for now is just a man of his word.. And i am a man of my word.. He does what he says he going to do and do the things he ask me to do... Pretty simple when you think about it.. But so many of these owners and drivers are no longer men or women of there words...
That is the entire point, the problem is first this business is an easy one to get into, the vendors who supply the trucks push it as one that you too can own a fleet yada yada yada so many of them become fleet owners. The carriers are also at fault too because they are not liable for what an owner does but then you got the drivers themselves who some are so desperate they start to believe it is an easy buck and the BS of being on the road.
They have things like contracts that make people feel more safe or makes them feel like people are going to do what they say there going to do.. When really for some its just a way to rob and cheat some people out of there money.. Do all do this i'm sure not but i have seen alot on here that say they do
But again many set themselves up to be cheated by being desperate. This is a business, too many people take it too personal, from complaining about the company to having people tell them to their face they made mistakes. The one thing I learned, being broke and almost losing my home is I was not going to drive for anyone because I didn't want to risk losing more money. I survived and did very well but others who listen to those who keep saying "drive for someone else" don't add - this is not a business for everyone.
Just my too cents!
