Former drivers sue business

Two drivers who used to work for a Perkins Avenue trucking company have leveled serious allegations of scamming, false billing and other questionable practices against their former employer.Rickey Frost, of Cleveland, and Chester Dixie, of Sandusky, filed the lawsuit against Ohio Eastern Express and businessowner John Waldock Jr., in December last year, alleging when they worked for the company, their paychecks had been unfairly docked while Waldock pocketed the profits, according to documents filed in U.S. Northern District Court.Frost and Dixie, represented by Cleveland attorney James DeRoche, are fighting for a class action lawsuit to represent up to 80 other drivers, according to court documents.Waldock, represented by Toledo attorney Thomas Dillon, denied the allegations and leveled claims of his own against Frost and Dixie. He alleged they owe him $23,700 and $3,600, respectively.The case has been tied up in the courts for about a year as judges tried to urge attorneys toward a settlement agreement.Documents discovered under court order about six months into the case led Frost and Dixie to believe they were being shortchanged in their paychecks.Invoices obtained from Routh Packing, Ohio Eastern Express's largest customer, showed the business was charged more than what Frost and Dixie were led to believe — and each trucker's paycheck is allegedly based off the invoices Ohio Eastern received from its customers.In addition to the invoices that charged customers for driver's fees they never received, Frost and Dixie claim they were overcharged for fuel costs they were expected to pay and scammed out of investments they made for truck repairs and lease deposits for their semis.In court documents, Waldock denied the allegations.The case is set for trial in late 2014.