NORTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed suit against KLLM Transport Services LLC and its subsidiary KLLM Driving Academy Inc. on August 5, 2026, alleging the trucking company ran a driver training program that systematically treated female student drivers worse than male counterparts in three specific and written-down ways.
The case centers on the six-week over-the-road training period that new hires must complete before driving solo. At the start of that process, students fill out a form indicating whether they prefer a male or female trainer, or have no preference.
Three Policies at Issue
First, unpaid waiting. The complaint alleges that female drivers who requested a female trainer were told they would not be compensated while waiting if a male trainer was available. Male drivers who preferred a male trainer were paid during the same kind of wait.
Second, spousal consent. The form contained a section applicable only to women. Female drivers who were willing to train with a male trainer, or who stated no preference, were required to sign a line reading: “I certify that I have notified my Spouse and/or significant other that I have volunteered to complete my training with a Trainer of the opposite sex.” Male drivers faced no comparable requirement.
Third, male trainers could decline female trainees without giving a reason. Because most trainers were men, the EEOC alleges this created a structural disadvantage — fewer trainers were available to women, extending wait times and delaying when female drivers could begin earning their full rate.
Two Women Named in the Complaint
One driver who stated no trainer preference spent a month on a waiting list before being offered a trainer in Atlanta — more than 700 miles from where she lived and trained in Texas. When she asked why she was waiting so long, a student services representative texted: “Not all males can train females. We have 22 females waiting for a trainer right now.” When asked why men would not train women, the representative replied: “They can, some just choose not to.”
A second trainee who indicated she was comfortable with a male trainer was told her husband — also a KLLM student driver — had to consent before she could be paired with one.
Timeline
The EEOC issued reasonable-cause findings in February 2025 but was unable to reach a conciliation agreement with the company. The federal lawsuit was filed in August 2026. The case is a pattern-or-practice suit brought on behalf of a class of female applicants and employees.
The allegations have not been tested in court and no verdict has been reached.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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