For Eric Bawuah, the road to success was supposed to be paved in mattress deliveries. Having just returned to the U.S. from Ghana, Eric was determined to be his own boss. He didn’t want to just be an employee; he wanted to be a contractor. He wanted the keys to his own destiny—and the keys to his own truck.
That’s when he met Eric McELROY .
The $3,000 Handshake
McELROY was a manager at a delivery firm who offered Bawuah what sounded like the perfect deal: a contract and a truck. The terms were simple (or so Eric thought): a total price of either $6,000 or $9,500 (depending on who you asked), starting with a $3,000 down payment.
Eric handed over his life savings, believing he was now a truck owner. But the “dream truck” turned out to be a mechanical nightmare. It had no heat, no air conditioning, and faulty kingpins. Eric spent another $500 just to make it roadworthy. He was out on the road, making stop after stop, trying to earn back his investment.
The Nightmare Behind the Wheel
In the courtroom of Judge Faith Jenkins, the defense told a very different story. McELROY painted a picture of a disastrous employee. According to him, Bawuah was a “nightmare” who begged for gas money, had no insurance, and let his driver run the truck over a curb, flattening the tire.
McRoy’s office manager, Heather, claimed their records showed Eric only made 84 stops. Eric, holding his own logs, insisted he had made 120. The tension spiked when McELROY refused to show the official company “manifest” to prove the numbers, claiming he would “get fired” for taking copies out of the building.
The “Double Dip”
The real shock came when Judge Faith dug into the finances. Not only had McELROY taken Eric’s $3,000 down payment, but he had also repossessed the truck after only four to five weeks, claiming Eric “defaulted.”
Even worse, McELROY admitted he had been “docking” Eric’s company paychecks to pay for repairs on a truck that Eric was supposed to own.
Judge Faith’s eyes narrowed. “You went into his paycheck and deducted from a personal agreement… You’re double-dipping!” she exclaimed. McELROY had treated the truck like it was his when it was convenient (repossessing it) and like it was Eric’s when it was expensive (making Eric pay for repairs).
The Final Ruling
Judge Faith had heard enough of McELROY ‘s “slow your roll” attitude and convenient excuses. Because McELROY failed to produce the official manifest, the Judge took Eric Bawuah’s word on the number of stops.
She ruled that McELROY had breached the agreement by taking the truck back so quickly while pocketing the down payment.
The Verdict: * $3,000 (Refund of the truck down payment)
$1,260 (Back wages for the disputed delivery stops)
Total Judgment: $4,260 for the Plaintiff.
Eric Bawuah walked out of the courtroom with his head held high, finally getting paid for the miles he’d driven. Eric McELROY walked out with a stern warning: you can’t run a business on verbal traps and “convenient” record-keeping.
Understanding the Dispute: The Delivery Manifest
In the shipping and delivery industry, a manifest is a critical document. It serves as the official record of every item on the truck and every stop scheduled.
As seen in this case, when a driver is paid “per stop,” the manifest is the only legal proof of work performed. Without it, a contractor has no way to verify their earnings.
