News · Rules & filings
Unpaid Freight Bill in Laredo Leads to Theft of Service Charge
An unpaid freight bill in Laredo led to a felony theft of service charge after a trucking company went unpaid for over $8,000. How to protect yourself.
Questions about how this affects your trucks? Talk to a licensed agent who ran his own authority.
What happened
An unpaid freight bill in Laredo has turned into a criminal case. Laredo police arrested a 53-year-old man on a charge of theft of service, KGNS reported on Sept. 22. The station's headline calls it a felony charge.
Here is what police say happened. A trucking company owner hauled cargo for the man in May and June. When the work was done, the bills went unpaid. The total is more than $8,000.
The trucking company owner tried to collect many times. The owner called and reached out again and again, but the money never came. Because the man kept avoiding payment, police got an arrest warrant.
The man has been charged, not convicted. A court will decide the case.
What it means for owner-operators
This story hits close to home for small carriers. When you haul a load, you pay for everything up front: fuel, tolls, the truck payment, insurance and your own time. If the customer does not pay, you still owe all of it.
For a one-truck or small fleet, $8,000 is not small money. It can be a month of fuel or a few truck payments. Two months of unpaid work can push a small company into trouble fast.
The good news is that the law can help. In Texas, not paying for a service you received on purpose can be a crime, not just a debt. This case shows police will act when a carrier has records and keeps trying to collect.
Still, a criminal case does not put cash in your account today. The best protection is to avoid the unpaid load in the first place.
What to do next
- Check every new customer or broker before you haul. Our guide on how to check a freight broker walks you through it step by step.
- Get the rate, the pickup and the payment terms in writing before you roll.
- Keep proof of delivery, signed bills of lading and every message about payment. Records are what let police and courts act.
- Think about factoring. A factoring company pays you fast and checks your customers' credit for you. With TCZ, filings can come at no cost when you factor with us.
- If a customer stops paying, stop hauling for them until the old bills are settled.
- Questions about your authority, factoring or your file? Call TCZ Permits at 956-526-6727.