D.O.N. Investments was the in-house carrier for Costco Warehouse. They would pick up and deliver freight for Costco. To the distribution centers and to the stores, and pick up other things for Costco too.

One of the major problems was deadhead. Deadheading is driving the truck empty. He did not pay us a dime for driving empty. If deadhead was limited to under 15% like most other trucking companies, it wouldn't be an issue. My deadhead miles ran about 35%-40%!!!! How do you make a living that way???? It is like saying that you go to work for 8 hours a day and get paid for 5 of them.

Long hours without pay is another reason. It would make me so mad that the way they dispatch there, makes it impossible for new guys to prosper. The old guys are doing very well. They get higher pay, and they get better loads, that pay more and are dispatched properly. Some loads pay better than others. Loads to Southern California deliver early in the morning 3-5am. The loads out of there back to Northern California load in the afternoon. The senior drivers get loads that load that morning, and start heading back. While I sit there all day waiting to load, then have to drive straight back to Tracy by 2am the next morning.

Number one, we don't get paid to sit there and wait.

Number two, the faster we get done with our load, the faster we can get on to another load and make some more money.

When we would take a load to Fresno or Visalia, they would deadhead us to So. Cal. to pick up a load going back to Tracy. It is a 5-7 hour drive down there and then wait for the load, then drive it up to Tracy by 2am the next morning. The average trip took about 20 hours and paid $112.20. That brakes down to about $5.50 and hour. That is all time working, driving, waiting, loading, etc... That is not including sleeping time. No overtime, all straight time. I could flip burgers for more money than that. Minimum wage here is $6.75hr.

Two weeks ago I delivered in Fresno at 5am then deadheaded to San Pedro to pick up Tuna. I got there at 1pm, waited to load and got loaded at 4:45pm. The first 12 hours of my day was for free. I did not earn a dime for those 12 hours. Then I drove 400 miles to Tracy and delivered it. Did I get a thank you? A Nice Job?

Nope... Not a word was said.

This sort of thing was going on the whole time I was there. (Jan 9, 2002-Feb 26, 2002)

The same week, I took a load to Eureka and they deadheaded me back to Tracy, then gave me a load to Fresno, then deadheaded me to Ontario to pick up a load. That is over 800 miles of driving for free. In two days...

The madness went on with no end in sight. I went into the office and talked to the safety guy that hired me and told him my problem. He told me that this was normal, and nothing could be done to change it. So I gave him my notice of intention to quit. If someone that had less than a couple years of experience, some tickets, accidents, and a DUI on their record, they would have to take any job they could, and would have to put up with this sort of nonsense. Or maybe someone that doesn't have any bills to pay, and drives a truck for the fun of it, would like it here.

I have bills to pay. I have to work hard, and want to get paid for it.

They dangled so many carrots in front of me to stay, "Freight is going to pick up." & "New trucks are on the way" & "Free medical benefits after 90 days" & "You get to spec your own truck after 3 years." Stuff like that. I told them that I have bills to pay now, this month. I can't wait for a year to make the good money. If I don't pay the bills I have now, it won't matter in a year. I will have lost my house and car and everything I am working for now.

When I left, I left with a bang. Yes, of course I took their truck back to them, and parked it in their yard. But, there were I few things left undone.

After I talked to the safety guy last Wednesday, the loads didn't get any better. I did a local pick up for 5 hours $20. On Thursday I delivered to San Jose 2 stops. $65. Went to Watsonville, loaded apple juice for Mira Loma.

Friday morning delivered 5am $112.20. Reloaded in Cerritos and went home to Fresno. 9pm.

Sunday night dropped the trailer at Tracy then sat there until 9am Monday morning and went to yard to fuel, they send me back to Tracy to pick up a load for Visalia, that delivers 4am Tuesday.

I went home and cleaned out the truck Monday afternoon. I pulled up to my house and just started throwing thing out of the truck into my driveway. I was mad.

Tuesday morning 2:30am, I got up out of my bed, drove the truck to Visalia to deliver on time. The computer in my truck said I was going to load in San Pedro, tuna going back to Tracy. I thought to myself, I am not going to go and get that load. I am not going to say anything to anybody about it either. I told the guy at the Costco store I was delivering to, that this was my last day driving here and it was nice to know him. I had delivered there many times and we had talked about allot of things on my visits there. He shook my hand and wished me well. He had seen allot of drivers come and go, he knew what was going on.

I told him I was heading back to the yard, not picking up the tuna in So. Cal. I offered to take the pallet trailer to Stockton for him. I told him that the truck was going to the yard, empty or loaded, I don't care.

I dropped that trailer and hooked onto a pallet trailer and went home and went back to sleep.

I stayed home with Kyler that day, and when Debbie got of work I had her follow me to Stockton, so she could drive me home after I dropped off the truck in the yard. I pulled into the yard about 7:45pm. I had been getting load information on the computer on the trip up there. Saying to take this trailer that should of been full of tuna to Tracy. Pick up another trailer there going to Fresno and Visalia for 5am, then load Oranges in the Valley at 8am and head for Mira Loma and deliver Thursday. I was smiling with every beep of the computer, because I knew that this was my last day, and all those loads would not get covered and it would make them look bad.

While I sat there in the yard that night, I saw the evening office people leave for the night. I tip toed into the office and dropped off my paperwork and left the keys on the desk, all without saying a word to anyone.

The next morning the stuff hit the fan. I had done what I was trying to do. Mess them up like they messed me up. When I spoke to my friend Mike, that worked there, about what happened after I left, I was smiling so hard my face hurt. I can't remember being so happy. He said things like, "He better not show his face around here again." & "What was his problem?" Stuff like that.

I did get my last check. It was correct. I kept excellent records of what I did there. I was hoping that it would be short so I could file a complaint with the labor board, and mess with them some more. As far as I am concerned, they owe me $1500-$2000 for all the empty miles that they didn't pay me for.

The pay was bad. But, even worse than that, I didn't get the respect I deserve. I have been driving trucks over the road for nearly 11 years. I have never been involved in an accident, nor do I have any tickets on my record. Nearly every company, besides this one, would fall over themselves to hire me back to work for them. I am better than this company. I write my own ticket, I decide who I will work for and they will negotiate with me what they will give me to come work for them.

I was talking it over with my wife about what job I should take. We both decided to go back to one of the companies that I had worked for before. Where the equipment was good, the pay was good, and I was given the respect I deserve. Brent Redmond Transportation, Hollister Ca.