Delivery number three turned out to be a scam. I knew that the transportation business in the USA suffers from scammers, but I didn’t expect it to be this bad. Out of three completed deliveries, only one was legitimate. The second and third ones involved scammers. Here’s how they operate:
First, someone calls offering dispatch services. Payment for these services is supposed to happen after the job is done, so you agree—it seems risk-free. Then, this dispatcher claims they’ve found a suitable load that needs urgent pickup. While you’re en route, they say they’ll set everything up with the broker and send a rate confirmation later. Okay, you drive, load up, trying not to disappoint anyone. Along the way, you receive something in your email, but you can’t check it because you’re driving.
Next, the broker (who turns out to be a scammer) calls, urging you to deliver the goods as soon as possible; the customer is already calling them. You comply, deliver the goods, unload, take photos, get documents, and send everything by email, feeling satisfied as you mentally count your earnings. It’s only later that you realize the dispatcher and broker both used Gmail emails, and the MC number belongs to another carrier—not even the broker’s. The company’s name isn’t found anywhere in searches.
In the end, you come to terms with the fact that you’ll never see the money you rightfully earned. This happened to me twice out of three cases, illustrating the harsh realities of the freight transportation industry.