A trucking company run by a former Arrow Trucking executive has allegedly failed to pay drivers and deactivated fuel cards, leaving several drivers stranded around the country.
The company, Illinois-based Omni Specialized, is owned by Thomas Witt, who purchased the company in 2016.
Witt was the President of the infamous Arrow Trucking, which abruptly closed its doors just days before Christmas 2009. Now, reports from current Omni Specialized drivers allege that a repeat of Arrow Trucking may be underway.
Complaints of deactivated fuel cards and missing paychecks from Omni drivers began to appear on the popular trucking forum Truckers Report on June 2nd.
Several forum users were reportedly stranded at truck stops after their fuel cards were disabled with zero warning from the company. Other drivers claimed that paychecks for the last several weeks failed to show up in their accounts.
One user, Rkurtz, says the company ordered him to deliver a load even after disabling his fuel card and failing to make payments.
“Omni is so broke they had to send one of their drivers to siphon the fuel out of his tank so I could make it to a fuel stop. Then after all of this they expected me to still deliver that load. I am not going anywhere until I get paid,” he wrote.
Another user, TruckersWifeLife, the wife of an Omni driver, says Witt got on a conference call with upset drivers on June 7th, promising that payments for past due paychecks would be made on June 10th. Those payments never arrived, she claims.
Some drivers say they received emails from Tennant Truck Lines, who leased trucks to Omni Specialized, telling drivers to leave their trucks at company terminals and return equipment.
“Got a email from Tennant…They leased the trucks to Omni [and] are willing to pay us for safe return of the vehicles” posted William LaFollette on June 11th.
“Take parts, take registration, park truck, [tell] company where it is, [find] new job,” the email reportedly read.
Omni Specialized has suffered several financial blows in recent years, including a lawsuit from Roehl Transport, claiming they stole company secrets, and a lawsuit from Tennant Truck Lines, who agreed to be purchased by Omni but never received payment for the deal.
Omni filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 29th, but promised there would be no disruption of ordinary business. Based on the current reports from drivers, however, that does not appear to be the case.
According to Pacer Moniter, Omni has also filed for an “Emergency Motion to Pay Prepetition Wages and Employee Benefit Programs.” This motion would allow for Omni to temporarily bypass paying the creditors what they’re owed, and instead use the money to pay their employees what they are due.
It is not yet known whether this request was granted or rejected.
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