A “60 Minutes” segment on chameleon carriers put a spotlight on Super Ego Holding. While the segment highlighted many shady allegations, a class-action lawsuit reveals exactly how truck drivers were defrauded by named motor carriers that appeared separate but were actually connected through a massive web spun by Super Ego.
Although truck drivers and trucking stakeholders have known about chameleon carriers for decades, “60 Minutes” exposed the widespread problem to the general public. In response to the report, Super Ego insists that it is an equipment leasing company, not a motor carrier.
“Super Ego leases equipment to more than 1,200 licensed carrier companies,” Super Ego said in a statement. “Those carriers employ their own drivers and dispatchers and maintain full authority over them. Super Ego does not hire, pay, supervise or contract drivers or dispatchers who are not employees or independent contractors. When a carrier’s driver arrives at a Super Ego facility to pick up a truck bearing the Super Ego name or causes dangerous conditions on the road, that driver works for the carrier and not for Super Ego.”
However, a class-action lawsuit filed in August 2022 explains how Super Ego had its tentacles around numerous motor carriers that operated interchangeably. Those motor carriers were owned and/or controlled by Super Ego and its president, Aleksandar Mimic, according to the lawsuit.
At the center of the lawsuit are Super Ego, truck leasing company Rex Trucking and eight motor carriers:
- Floyd Inc.
- Jordan Holdings, dba JHI Transport (inactive DOT number)
- Haidar Dawood
- Kordun (inactive)
- Rocket Expediting (inactive)
- Trytime Transport
- Twin Carrier LLC
- Windy City National Trans
While Super Ego itself is not a motor carrier, the lawsuit alleges that it controlled the above companies that worked in tandem.
Truck drivers hauled freight for several of those companies despite exclusivity contracts with just one in a scheme involving false load confirmation sheets and more than 1,000 owner-operators.
For example, Eugene Walker drove for Rocket Expediting. However, he found that at least three of the other companies were directly involved with his operations.
“For instance, Walker’s weekly settlement statements were sent to him under Rocket’s name, and Walker’s 1099 was issued by Floyd,” the lawsuit states. “Although Walker leased his truck from Rex, the truck was registered with the Illinois Secretary of State under Floyd, with Ego Express listed as the Lessor. Walker also regularly received altered load confirmation documents from Defendants listing different Carrier Defendants as the carrier for loads he transported, even though he was operating under Rocket’s MC Number and DOT Number.”
The Super Ego web
With Super Ego at the helm, the various entities worked together to defraud truck drivers from orientation to the day they terminated their employment.
Driving the lawsuit is Super Ego’s advertisements guaranteeing drivers 88% of every load and averaging 3,000 to 4,000 miles per week. A recruiter told one driver she would earn at least $2,000 per week after expenses. That would never happen.
Money was taken from truck drivers on Day 1. Recruits had to travel to Illinois for orientation at their own expense, including the cost of the mandatory drug test.
A Windy City National Trans truck pulling a Super Ego trailer parked at OOIDA headquarters days after the “60 Minutes” segment aired. (Photo by Nikohle Barnes)
After orientation, drivers would acquire a truck through a lease-purchase agreement with Rex Trucking, some of whom paid thousands of dollars on a down payment. From there, they would haul freight for one of the eight motor carriers named in the lawsuit as a leased-on owner-operator. Despite independent contractor agreements that were “substantially identical” across the carriers requiring drivers to haul exclusively for that carrier, drivers were instructed to haul for some of the other defendant carriers as well.
Problems began almost immediately. It took one driver eight days after orientation to get a leased truck, which needed significant repairs before she could drive it. That took another five days. During this time, she had to pay for her own lodging. At one point, she slept in a truck at Super Ego’s lot, which had no available bathroom.
Falsified confirmation sheets
The most serious allegations in the lawsuit deal with Super Ego companies telling drivers that the load paid less than what was actually paid.
According to the third amended complaint, the scheme was pretty simple. After receiving a confirmation sheet from a broker, Super Ego-affiliated dispatchers would send drivers an altered document with the broker’s letterhead that reflected a lower rate. Drivers would then be paid 88% of the falsified rate while the company pocketed the rest.
In one case, C.H. Robinson paid Floyd Inc. $4,800 for a load. However, the driver was given a confirmation sheet indicating the load paid $3,500, of which he received 88%.
Super Ego Load Confirmation Sheet by tysonfisher
Some drivers were never paid at all. Even worse, others actually owed Super Ego carriers at the end of the week.
One truck driver covered nearly 3,000 miles in at least 50 hours. He received no pay that week despite being owed more than $2,000. In another case, a driver was told he owed more than $2,000 despite having hauled freight for more than 1,000 miles over just two days.
Statement in Super Ego Lawsuit by tysonfisher
Truck drivers for the carriers associated with Super Ego discovered the scheme after calling the broker directly and asking for a copy of the confirmation sheet. Others found out by checking the load boards.
More than 500 load confirmation sheets were obtained by the plaintiff truck drivers. Multiple brokers on over 50 loads confirmed to drivers that the confirmation sheet they had was a fake. In the last five years alone, carriers linked to Super Ego contracted with more than 1,000 owner-operators.
But wait, there’s more …
Super Ego didn’t stop at lying about how much brokers paid for loads. The transport company found other ways to squeeze money out of truck drivers.
All fuel cards were issued by Floyd Inc., even if a trucker drove for one of the other carriers. Despite discounts at certain truck stops, drivers were charged the full, non-discounted price. The carrier kept the savings.
Owner-operators also claim Super Ego made illegal deductions from their pay. Those include:
- Escrow account (never recovered after employment terminated)
- Lease payments
- Trailer rentals
- Cargo insurance
- Maintenance/repairs
- Occupational accident insurance
- ELD and registration fees
The lawsuit argues that due to the level of control over drivers, independent contractor truck drivers were actually employees. In addition to not being able to haul loads for anyone else. Super Ego companies dictated which loads drivers hauled and monitored them through GPS tracking on electronic logging devices that were mandated by the carriers. LL
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