Since the time of our previous article, in which we exposed a trucking company, we had gotten several complaints about others. Being that we believe in your right to support your family without being abused or treated poorly, we are going to look at a complaint that immediately caught our attention. The complaint we received earlier today was against Arkansas based company Transco Lines, Incorporated (TLI.) Before we get into the actual complaint, we want to point out that we have received complaints about this company prior to the one we will primarily be discussing, thus we are going to include the previous complaints also.
Transco Lines INC., is a company based out of Russellville Arkansas. However, that isn’t the location to which this article is about. Instead, we are going to be discussing their Maintenance terminal, which is based out of North Little Rock. Transco Lines is the “sister” company of Riverside Transportation, a company based in Kansas City, Kansas. While they are separate entities, as we have been informed, they operate using the same systems, programs, and even share trailers.
Looking deeper into the company, one would believe it to be a rather decent place of employment. Of course, if that were the case, we wouldn’t had composed this article. Upon looking into the reviews, we found some common themes: Pay, hostile work environment, abandoning drivers who leave the company, and behaviors that demonstrate narcissistic tendencies. To one such comment, the company had made the following reply:
Good morning. Can you please provide us with your first and last name? Our team would like to gather your contact information from our system and then follow up with you on your experience.
What makes this reply something worth nothing? If you’ve looked at critical reviews, especially on Google, it’s not uncommon for companies to leave replies such as the one shown above. However, there is a consequence to providing this information. As we have already seen, especially within the commercial driving industry, replies such as these open doors for retaliation. In some cases, we have seen these companies attempt to “black-ball” the individual who left the review. Does this pertain to the company to which we are discussing? Let’s get into the complaints.
Hostile work environment
Among the emails we have gotten regarding TLI, the hostile work environment takes precedence. While the company claims to have a zero-tolerance policy, from the common theme that we’re seeing it appears this policy does not apply to the office staff. Among the various complaints we’ve seen/obtained, the office employees are known for creating a hostile work environment. This fact is especially true if a driver is terminated or resigns.
Multiple individuals have told us about an intimidation method that TLI utilizes when a driver is no longer employed with the company. According to these individuals, an employee of the office will silently follow the former employee around until they leave the premises. If the former employee says anything about it, the TLI “grunt” denies following them, although they continue to do so. The employee then begins to make derogatory statements towards the former employee. As if this wasn’t enough, the employee will only cease once the former employee has gotten into their vehicle.
While the company will maintain that this is not creating a hostile work environment, that would be far from the truth. In fact, they are utilizing a method commonly known as “intimidation with presence.” The basics to this is very simple: You intimidate the person into leaving by quietly following them, making the person uncomfortable. That method, within itself, is the creation of the hostile environment that the company claims to have zero tolerance for that other drivers in their terminals may be witness to. But the accusations don’t stop here.
Deceptive/Unethical business practices
Naturally, given what we’ve investigated thus far, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. The company has accusations going back years. Of course, from what we’ve covered in the past, it seems to be a rather common trend within this specifically industry. The accusations that fall into this category range from leaving drivers stranded, deceptive business practices, to providing misleading information. Though there are many other claims we could cover, these are the three we’ve decided to focus on.
The idea of being stranded far from home can be overwhelming at best. However, this is an all to common reality for those who keep America supplied. While many of us could lose our jobs, we can simply drive home. For these individuals, however, the reality of losing a job means being stuck in a city hundreds of miles away from their homes. This is because the companies refuse to help in getting them home. The worst part of this reality is in the fact that this practice is completely legal. TLI, from countless reviews and the emails we’ve received, is among the companies who allegedly utilize this practice.
When it comes to deceptive business practices and false information, one would think that a simple misrepresentation case would motivate against this practice. From what we’ve investigated, that does not appear to apply within this industry. According to one of the emails provided by a former employee, the company charges their drivers for their drug testing, physicals, etc. In the trucking industry, drug testing is a requirement for starting a new job. This is an aspect that neither the company, nor the driver, can control. So why is TLI charging their drivers for a test that is required? The simple answer to this: money for the company at the expense of what should be their most valued employees.
A company wanting to cut costs isn’t a new concept. When that company wants to forward their expenses to its employees, that’s where the problem begins. There was a time when companies could get away with this sort of behavior. There was also a time when companies could abuse their employees without consequence. However, those days have long since passed. With the modern world of technology, these employees now have a means of fighting back. A simple review can go a very long way into making or breaking a company’s reputation. Whistleblowers talking to independent media platforms can have the same effect.
While this is the second company we’ve decided to cover, primarily due to our existing knowledge of this industry, it isn’t the last. In our fight to help employees fight back against tyrannical companies, our war in this arena has just begun, and our war isn’t isolated to just this industry either.
Editorial Notation
This article does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the “War on Corruption” platform or its associates. The article was composed with the assistance of multiple sources, former employees, and online reviews. As per our policy, all contacts who have assisted with the creation of this article will remain anonymous. War on Corruption will not entertain questions that are intended to obtain such identities.
