WARREN, MICHIGAN — Central Transport LLC, a nationwide trucking company based in Warren, Michigan, will pay $5.5 million to resolve a federal lawsuit accusing it of systematically refusing to hire qualified female truck drivers for at least a decade across locations throughout the country.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced the settlement on May 15, 2026. The $5.5 million will be distributed to the four original complainants and a class of other qualified female truck drivers who applied for positions but were not hired.
What the EEOC Found
According to the lawsuit, Central Transport repeatedly passed over qualified female applicants in favor of male truck drivers — many of whom were hired despite being less qualified or having less experience. Female applicants at numerous locations reported being subjected to different hiring procedures than those used for male applicants.
Several female applicants observed company personnel throwing their job applications in the trash at local truck terminals. The Phoenix and El Paso locations did not hire any female truck drivers for a number of years despite having numerous female applicants. At a Dunbar, West Virginia terminal, a dispatcher told a female applicant that corporate offices had instructed him not to hire any female truck drivers.
The EEOC received reports of gender-based discrimination at locations in Atlanta, Georgia; Bartlett, Tennessee; Blue Springs, Missouri; Cheboygan, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Dunbar, West Virginia; Horn Lake, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; North Jackson, Ohio; Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; and Springfield, Illinois.
What the Settlement Requires
Under the consent decree signed by Central Transport, the EEOC, and Arizona Federal Court Judge John J. Tuchi, Central Transport must allow affected applicants to apply for positions and participate in the company’s recruitment and hiring processes free from sex-based discrimination and retaliation. The company must also hire an outside consultant to review its hiring policies and procedures for Title VII compliance, institute anti-discrimination training including recordkeeping obligations, and appoint a monitor to verify implementation and report compliance to the EEOC.
“Unfortunately, sex discrimination in hiring continues to be a problem in some industries. It is illegal for employers to refuse to hire women because of their sex. We appreciate Central Transport’s willingness to resolve this case with an early settlement. We hope that through this consent decree, Central Transport’s efforts will result in a hiring process free from sex discrimination,” said Mary Jo O’Neill, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Phoenix District Office.
“Female workers who are qualified for a job should be given an equal chance to compete for the position with men. We also remind employers that they need to retain job applications and hiring records, particularly when they have received charges of discrimination. The EEOC is committed to fighting for the rights of all qualified workers, including women,” said EEOC Phoenix District Director Melinda Caraballo.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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