Lawsuit says Forward Air violated California law by only paying truck drivers for miles driven

A lawsuit filed this week accuses a trucking company of violating California labor law by paying truck drivers only for miles driven and not for hours worked.

A proposed class action suit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on February 17 accuses Forward Air of wage and labor violations arising from an “improper compensation plan for its truck drivers.”

The suit was filed by Tiga Stevenson on behalf of current and former Forward Air drivers who resided in California going back four years.

The lawsuit accuses Forward Air of “pay[ing] its truck drivers based on milage-rate, which fails to compensate for non-driving time and commits other labor violations, including but not limited to, failure to pay wages, failure to reimburse business expenses, and other labor code violations and unfair business practices” in California.

Stevenson argues that Forward Air required drivers to perform non-driving duties, including truck and trailer inspections, waiting time, and other on-duty time, but failed to ensure that they were compensated for hours worked at minimum wage.

The lawsuit also accuses the trucking company of failing to compensate drivers for on-duty time during trips away from home and for business expenses, including the use of personal phones.

Other allegations include failure to provide timely and accurate wage statements and failure to pay all wages owed upon termination.

The suit seeks unpaid minimum wage, statutory damages, reimbursement of business expenses, and an order requiring Forward Air to comply with California Labor Code with respect to currently employed drivers.

Forward Air provides assets-light transportation services across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.