I contracted with a large carrier between Thanksgiving and Christmas to help them transport retail merchandise for the busy holiday season. I sent them invoices and signed BOL's immediately after delivering the loads. However, when the dust settled and the money was disbursed, I found out that they shorted me over $1800. This company didn't even send me settlements; just ACH deposits into my bank account. This made it impossible to track down what was paid and what was not.
After countless phone calls and emails over a two week period, I finally received settlements explaining what was paid. Thanks to my record keeping, I was quickly able
to determine the loads that I wasn't paid for. I was able to resubmit them with all required documentation and provide the original emails where they were sent the first time. I scan all delivery documents and save them on my computer and I have a back up.
I was very disappointed that the carrier mishandled my paperwork and didn't pay on time in accordance with our agreement and told them so. The representative told me that they were a big company that dealt with thousands of outside carriers like myself. NO EXCUSE! An agreement is an agreement. As owner-operators, we are the little guys who can operate more efficiently than the big boys. We need to keep accurate records of everything we do because you never know when you'll be asked to provide the information because the big carrier/broker lost your paperwork.