$5.5M Central Transport sex discrimination settlement

Central Transport LLC has agreed to pay $5.5 million to resolve a nationwide lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that accused the trucking company of refusing to hire qualified female truck driver applicants because of their sex.

The settlement benefits women who sought employment as a truck driver with Central Transport by submitting a paper or electronic application at any terminal or facility nationwide from Jan. 1, 2016, to the present, who held a Class A commercial driver’s license at the time of their application, and who were denied employment as a truck driver by Central Transport at least once during that period.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, Central Transport engaged in a nationwide pattern or practice of sex discrimination in hiring, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, by failing or refusing to hire qualified female truck driver applicants because of their sex.

Central Transport is a nationwide trucking company based in Warren, Michigan, with more than 200 regional and local terminals across the country.

Central Transport denies the allegations but agreed to a consent decree, which was signed and entered by the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on May 14, 2026, to resolve the lawsuit.

Under the terms of the Central Transport settlement, eligible class members or payees may receive a monetary payment, allocated 25% to backpay wages, reported on IRS Form W-2, and 75% to compensatory damages, reported on IRS Form 1099.

No estimate is currently available on the amount each eligible payee could receive. The EEOC retains full discretion to determine eligibility and to allocate the settlement fund among eligible payees.

Class members who wish to participate can submit a claim form and release either by mail or online. To file online, claimants can log in using the claim number and PIN provided in the email they received or on the claim form mailed to them.