Multiple trucking companies and truck drivers say that they were never paid for their months of overtime cleanup efforts following the Palisades Fire. 

The Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, California burned for most of January 2025. After the destruction, nearly 37 square miles of destruction were left behind – And that’s where the truck drivers came in to help clear the debris. 

Now, after months of 12 to 16 hour days from March through May, multiple owner operators and truck drivers say that they were never paid for their cleanup work. 

“We’re all behind on insurance, mortgages,” says Alex Miramontes, owner and operator of Gray Valley Transport, to CBS. “We borrowed [because] we thought the money was going to come in on time.”

Several owner operators say that they were contracted to do the work through a convoluted system that started with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, trickled down through multiple subcontractors, and eventually ended with a company called Chief Engineering hiring Miramontes and about 40 other truckers and owner operators. 

“They didn’t want us stopping to eat,” said Miguel Correa, who runs Correa Trucking, in Spanish CBS. “I stayed at a hotel, my coworker drove back and forth daily, sleeping no more than five hours a night.”

“We did everything they asked, what they expected from us,” Miramontes added. “We took care of it, we did it.”

“I’m fighting for what I worked for, for my money, just like my colleagues are fighting for theirs,” Correa said. “We’re not asking for handouts.”

Miramontes says that he has been paid $20,000 for his work so far, but is still owed about $69,000. Meanwhile, Correa says he’s been paid only $12,000, and is still waiting for approximately $72,000. Other truckers were also able to show time logs, pay stubs, invoices, and other paperwork to prove the validity of their claims, reported CBS. 

Chief Engineering has reportedly been paid already, but has either failed or simply refused to fully pay the truck drivers that actually completed the work. Chief Engineering has since made the following statement to reporters: 

 “We are working on payments to all drivers, and all payments will be made to them as they expect.”

A timeline, explanation, or further details were not provided by Chief Engineering.