Kenan Transport Settles EEOC Lawsuit over Pregnancy Discrimination
The tanker trucking company Kenan Transport will pay $27,000 to settle a pregnancy discrimination and retaliation lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency announced Thursday.


The tanker trucking company Kenan Transport will pay $27,000 to settle a pregnancy discrimination and retaliation lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency announced Thursday.
EEOC had charged in its lawsuit, filed last October, that Kenan Transport violated federal law by discriminating against a female employee because she was pregnant and by retaliating against her because she made complaints about pregnancy discrimination.
According to the EEOC's lawsuit, Jessica Williams worked at Kenan Transport's Spartanburg, S.C. terminal as a billing clerk. On Feb. 23, 2012, at seven and one-half months into her pregnancy, Williams had premature labor, which her doctor was able to stop.
The EEOC alleged that when Williams notified the terminal manager that her doctor had excused her from work for a few days, the terminal manager told Williams she would not be allowed to return to work until after the birth of her baby and Williams was placed on leave.
The suit further charged that Williams complained to the company that she was being forced to go out on leave because of her pregnancy and indicated intent to file a pregnancy discrimination charge. The EEOC said that Kenan fired Williams because of her pregnancy or in retaliation for her complaints about discrimination or both. Ultimately, Williams gave birth to her child on March 15, 2012.
Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, according to the agency.
The EEOC saus it filed suit after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.
In addition to the monetary damages, the settlement requires Kenan Transport to revise its anti-discrimination policy, which will be distributed to all employees. The company must also provide annual training to all of its managers, supervisors and employees at its Spartanburg terminal on Title VII and its prohibition against pregnancy discrimination and retaliation in the workplace. Kenan Transport must also post an employee notice about the lawsuit and on employee rights under federal anti-discrimination laws, as well as provide periodic reports to the EEOC.
More Fleet Management

How Innovative Trucking Leaders Turn Change Into an Advantage
As the pace of change accelerates in trucking, the fleets that adapt best have more than the latest technology. They have cultures that embrace improvement.
Read More →
Freight Broker Bonds Just Got Harder to Get. Here's What That Means for Your Fleet.
When it gets harder for a freight broker to prove they are financially sound, the ones who cannot clear that bar get pushed out of the market. And those are exactly the brokers who used to leave motor carriers holding the bag.
Read More →
Long-Awaited Canadian Border Bridge to Open in Detroit
For trucking, the bridge opening should offer immediate improvements in efficiency and reliability, with new customs facilities, expanded inspection capacity, and direct freeway-to-freeway connections.
Read More →
Aurora Rolls Out Next Generation of Driverless Trucks for Commercial Freight
Aurora's latest autonomous trucks it's rolling out with International feature lower-cost hardware designed for a million miles as the company expands commercial driverless freight operations across the U.S. Sun Belt.
Read More →
Freight Tonnage Down, Rates up, as Lower Capacity Powers Trucking Recovery
The recovery from the freight recession continues to be driven by reduction in capacity rather than by increased demand.
Read More →
Think Your Trucking Fleet Isn't Using Much AI? Think Again
Shadow AI — the use of unauthorized artificial intelligence tools at work — is becoming increasingly common, putting sensitive company data at risk. Learn how trucking fleets can protect sensitive data while embracing AI.
Read More →
ArcBest Consolidates Brands, Cuts Workforce
The company will bring three business units under the ArcBest brand, eliminate about 2% of positions, and expects the changes to generate $40 million in annual savings.
Read More →
Trucking Fleets Faced Record Operating Costs During Third Year of Freight Recession
ATRI's annual operational cost report shows carriers trimmed fleets, delayed equipment purchases, and ran older trucks as expenses continued to outpace freight rates.
Read More →
Michelin Adds AI Assistant to MyConnectedFleet Platform
Michelin’s new generative AI tool delivers instant fleet insights, helping managers analyze fuel use, tire maintenance, vehicle status, and operational performance without manually creating reports.
Read More →
LytxOne Platform Now Features AI, Compliance, and Asset Tracking Tools
New enhancements add AI-powered insights, asset tracking, compliance automation, and configurable privacy controls to Lytx's all-in-one fleet management platform.
Read More →
