A District Court judge in Indiana has granted the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association's request for two OOIDA lawsuits against a Missouri household goods carrier to be certified as class action lawsuits.

On Nov. 5, U.S. District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker concluded that OOIDA and the owner-operator plaintiffs had met all the prerequisites needed for class certification in both suits against Mayflower Transit Inc. of Fenton, Mo. The lawsuits were filed by OOIDA, with members Woody Chambers of Woodchuck Leasing Inc., Mark Dudgeon and John Neidig.
The first suit claims violations of the federal truth-in-leasing regulations by the carrier's failure to return fuel tax credits on a current basis and to return fuel tax credits and other funds held in escrow accounts to owner-operators within the required time period after their lease agreements had expired. The second suit alleges that Mayflower unlawfully overcharged the owner-operators for insurance products they purchased through Mayflower, which is also a violation of federal truth-in-leasing regulations.
Each suit is estimated to have a potential class of 1,000 members.