Swift Agrees to $4.4 Million Settlement Over Driver Class Action Lawsuit
The trucking company Swift Transportation has agreed to pay $4.4 million to settle a federal class action lawsuit over claims if failed to inform prospective drivers about their rights involving records used during the hiring process.
Photo: Evan Lockridge
Photo: Evan Lockridge
The trucking company Swift Transportation has agreed to pay $4.4 million to settle a federal class action lawsuit over claims if failed to inform prospective drivers about their rights involving records used during the hiring process.
The case was filed last summer by James Ellis III. He applied to be a Swift driver in 2012 but was turned away due to his background check.
He will receive a $5,000 settlement while seven other named plaintiffs will each get $1,000. The settlement includes more than 10,000 people who applied for driving jobs with Swift from July 23, 2008 through Sept. 30 2012.
The suit claimed Swift failed to people who applied for jobs they can access the same information as the company for background checks and question the information the company reviews in making hiring decisions.
It also alleged Swift violated the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act for several years by not informing Ellis and other driver applicants they had a right to get a free copy of the report used by Swift and could dispute any information on it.
Swift has denied the accusations all along but has reportedly clarified to applicants its hiring practices.
It is up to the court to give preliminary approval to the deal.
More Drivers
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 →
FMCSA Removes 110 Truck Driver Training Schools from Certified ELDT List
Federal regulators also are targeting more than 160 additional training providers and launching a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers as part of a broader crackdown on trucking fraud.
Read More →
Hours of Service Pilot Programs: FMCSA Readies for 2027 Rollout
Two pilot programs could eventually reshape hours-of-service rules, giving truck drivers options to pause their 14-hour clock or use longer split sleeper rest periods.
Read More →