C.R. England has been ordered to pay $2.35 million to a large group of California truck drivers for failing to pay at least minimum wage for all hours worked.
Under California law, an employee must be paid at least minimum wage for all work activity. Because C.R. England drivers are primarily paid by miles driven, the drivers’ attorneys claimed that they were essentially working for free during required non-driving tasks such as a pretrip inspections and mandatory breaks during trips.
The lawsuit was originally presented in a California state court in February, before being transferred to a federal court in Utah.
In total, 6,336 drivers will receive part of the $2.35 million dollar judgement. Each driver will receive approximately $273 dollars and more than $600,000 of the settlement will go towards lawyer fees and court costs.
The case is similar to a lawsuit won by Walmart drivers in California, who recently received a $54 million dollar judgement after the company failed to comply with the state labor laws.