Dozens of truck drivers in California claim they’re still waiting for payment after working for months to clean up the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles County.

From March to May, more than 40 drivers were contracted to remove debris from the burn zone. Many of them worked up to 16 hours a day under extreme conditions — yet say their paychecks never arrived.

“We’re all behind on insurance, mortgages,” said Alex Miramontes, owner of Gray Valley Transport. “We borrowed money thinking the payment would come on time.”

Drivers Worked Exhausting Hours

According to CBS Los Angeles, the drivers were pushed to the limit, with little time for breaks or rest. One contractor, Miguel Correa, said he had to stay in a hotel while his colleague commuted daily with barely five hours of sleep per night.

Miramontes says he’s received only $20,000 so far but is owed another $69,000. Correa claims he’s still waiting on more than $70,000. Others involved in the operation shared similar experiences and have pay stubs and logs to back up their claims.

Who’s Accountable?

The truckers say the payment issues stem from a complicated subcontracting chain involving the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a private firm called Chief Engineering. Although the company was allegedly paid by upstream contractors, it has not paid the truckers in full.

Chief Engineering told CBS Los Angeles: “We are working on payments to all drivers, and all payments will be made to them as they expect.” However, no specific timeline or explanation for the delays was given.

“We did everything they asked,” said Miramontes. “We delivered. Now we want what we earned.”