News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports | End Of The Road: Former Arrow Truck Driver Loses Job, Home
Paul Hoiland said he was fortunate. He had enough gas to get back to Tulsa from Texas.
The Tulsa company closed suddenly last week, leaving drivers stranded and about 1,400 unemployed.By Chris Wright, The News On 6
TULSA, OK -- An Arrow Truck Company driver speaks out about the company's collapse that left more than 1,400 people out of a job last week. Paul Hoiland was in Texas when he was told that Arrow had shut its doors.
He says he was more fortunate than many other drivers. He had enough gas to make it home.
"We'll make it; I know we will," said Paul Hoiland, a former Arrow Trucking driver. "But yeah we're hurting. It's just kind of a crappy way to spend a Christmas."
Hoiland was one of hundreds of drivers scattered across the country when Arrow Trucking suddenly ceased operating Tuesday. He was delivering a load in Freeport, Texas, and says he was lucky to have enough fuel to return to Tulsa.
Hoiland says it was not a fun trip.
"In the back of my mind it was going through my head, ‘what's my next step? Who do I call?' There wasn't anyone in the company to call," the trucker said.
Hoiland, who worked for Arrow for six months, was living with his wife in his big rig. He now has no home, no car, and no affection for Arrow Trucking.
Related Story 12/26/2009: Court Records Reveal More Arrow Trucking Difficulties
"You know the people in the corporate got paid," said Paul Hoiland, a trucker who lost his job when Arrow Trucking went out of business. "They should have taken care of the drivers too. Got them home, made sure they were all home safely."
Until he gets a new job and a new truck, Hoiland and his wife are staying with relatives. He wants to put the Arrow collapse behind him, and at the very least, says he won't forget this Christmas anytime soon.
"One of my favorite shows every year at Christmastime is Scrooge," he said. "I definitely know what it's like to work for Scrooge right now."
This is the second trucking job Hoiland has lost this year, but he says his record is clear, and he's confident he will get another job soon.
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