Carrier Agrees to Settlement Involving Driver Applicants
The trucking company New England Motor Freight has agreed to pay $870,500 to settle a federal class action lawsuit that it failed to get proper authorization from truck drivers before checking their credit reports and then later denying them employment.


The trucking company New England Motor Freight has agreed to pay $870,500 to settle a federal class action lawsuit that it failed to get proper authorization from truck drivers before checking their credit reports and then later denying them employment.
A New Jersey federal court approved the settlement in late May in which 1,890 of 5,843 preliminary class members filed claim forms. Job applicants whose records were checked without their knowledge will get up to $333 each and a sub-class who were explicitly denied employment after the credit checks will get up to $800 each.
The lead plaintiff in the case, Leonard Smith, will receive $5,000, while 30% of the total award will go for attorneys’ fee.
The case was originally filed by lawyers representing Smith two-years ago, after applying for work at the company in 2011. It claimed NEMF did not notify him it was going to obtain a consumer report for employment purposes. When Smith contacted NEMF about the status of his job application, he was allegedly told that his employment was denied due to information contained in the consumer report.
New Jersey-based NEMF has not admitted to any wrongdoing.
More Drivers

Why Hiring Truck Drivers Is Getting Harder
Higher recruiting costs, a shrinking driver pool, and renewed pay competition are raising the stakes for fleets heading into 2027.
Read More →
Roehl Offers Truck Drivers $10,000 Retention Incentive
Payments begin after the first load and continue in mileage-based installments for eligible experienced drivers joining the fleet.
Read More →
Platform Science Adds Dispatch and Safety Tools
Four additions to PS Fleet help fleets monitor loads, manage driver coaching, share truck locations and adjust video system settings.
Read More →
When Language Stops the Truck: The Return of ELP Out-of-Service Orders
English language proficiency rules for commercial drivers aren’t new, but renewed out-of-service enforcement has raised the stakes. Here’s what carriers need to know before a driver reaches a roadside inspection.
Read More →
Samsara Launches Custom AI Agent Builder
Agent Studio lets fleets create AI tools for hours-of-service monitoring, reporting and driver support, including agents that communicate by phone.
Read More →
Trucker Path Expands Reserved Parking Network
Trucker Path has added close to 6,000 more truck parking spaces to its Trucker Path Reserved Parking Network with the addition of Safe Truck Parking.
Read More →
EEOC Sues Texas Trucking Company Over Driver Age Limits
The agency says Trancasa USA rejected applicants over 65 and applied tougher driving-record standards to those over 60.
Read More →
Nussbaum, Roehl Announce Second Driver Pay Increase This Year
This year has seen a swath of major truck driver pay increases as freight capacity has tightened.
Read More →
From One Generation to the Next: How Mentorship Builds Safer Truck Drivers
After three decades in trucking, Harold Perry shares what he's learned about driver safety, mentorship, and helping the next generation build confidence behind the wheel.
Read More →
Truck Drivers Need More Than Another Alert
Fleets have more visibility into truck health, safety events, and driver activity than ever. The next challenge is turning all that information into useful guidance for the person who has to decide what to do next.
Read More →
