
Two truck drivers were awarded more than $150,000 from their former employer, Marten Transport, after being fired for refusing to violate federal regulations.
On February 22nd, Department of Labor Administrative Judge Christine Kirby order the carrier to pay former employee Brandon Hopper $50,000 in punitive damages and $50,000 in lost wages for his wrongful termination in 2013.
According to CCJ, the company fired Hopper after he refused five loads in 2013 — two overweight loads and three other loads that would have required him to violate hours of service regulations.
This decision came just two weeks after Marten was ordered to pay another driver, Cedric Sinkfield, approximately $51,000 in back wages for firing him because he refused to haul an overweight load.
Marten Transport is one of the largest trucking companies in the world, with over $650 million in annual revenue. The company says they will appeal both decisions.