CRST Expedited $14.5 Million Truck Driver Settlement: Who Qualifies and What Drivers Will Get

Keith Huckaby, a CRST driver, sued CRST Expedited, Inc. and CRST International, Inc. under California law. According to the official settlement website, the lawsuit alleged CRST:

• failed to pay minimum wage for non-driving time, including waiting at customer sites, breakdowns and weather delays, layovers, sleeper berth time, and other time under CRST's control;
• failed to pay wages owed based on actual miles driven;
• failed to reimburse business expenses;
• issued inaccurate itemized wage statements and paid wages late; and
• violated California's Unfair Competition Law.

The suit also sought civil penalties under California's Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). The court has not decided whether CRST broke any law; the settlement resolves disputed claims. Piece-rate pay, such as pay per mile, is common in trucking, and California requires separate pay for non-driving work under a piece-rate system. For background, see our pages on trucker unpaid wage lawsuits and California wage and hour claims.

The court certified this class for settlement purposes: all current and former employees with a California residential address who worked as truck drivers for CRST Expedited, Inc. and were paid by piece rate from August 9, 2017 through April 10, 2023.

A smaller PAGA group covers the same kind of drivers paid by piece rate from August 9, 2020 through April 10, 2023. Both groups exclude drivers who took part in the earlier settlement of Montoya v. CRST Expedited, Inc., No. 16-cv-10095 (D. Mass.).

You probably are not covered if you drove for CRST without a California home address, were paid only by the hour or salary, or drove as an independent owner-operator rather than an employee. The notice mailed to class members lists the workweeks CRST's records show for you; if you did not get one and think you qualify, contact the administrator.

The $14.5 million gross amount must cover several items before drivers are paid, all subject to court approval:

Deduction	Amount
Class counsel fees (up to one third)	$4,833,333.33
Litigation costs (expected cap)	$410,000
PAGA penalties	$725,000
Administration (not to exceed)	$65,363
Class representative award (up to)	$15,000

By our math, that leaves roughly $8.5 million to be split among drivers by their Qualifying Class Workweeks (weeks worked from August 9, 2017 through March 1, 2026). Weeks beginning after May 1, 2023 are worth 25% of earlier weeks. Of the PAGA amount, 75% ($543,750) goes to the state and $181,250 goes to PAGA group members by pay periods.

For taxes, each class payment is split one third wages (with withholding and a W-2), one third interest, and one third penalties and liquidated damages (reported on a Form 1099). See our guide on taxes on settlement money. We have not found an official per-driver average; your notice shows your own workweek count.

1. Do nothing to get paid. Class members automatically receive an Individual Class Payment, and a PAGA amount if eligible, after final approval. Update your mailing address with the administrator at (833) 930-1150 so the check reaches you.
2. Check your workweeks. If the count on your notice looks low, mail a written explanation with documents to Huckaby v. CRST Expedited, Inc., c/o Kroll Settlement Administration LLC, P.O. Box 225391, New York, NY 10150-5391, by the deadline in your notice. CRST's records are presumed correct unless you provide clear and compelling documentary evidence, such as pay stubs or settlement statements, not just start and end dates.
3. Opt out by October 5, 2026 if you want to keep your right to sue CRST yourself. The signed request must be postmarked by that date. PAGA group members still receive their PAGA share and are bound by the PAGA release even if they opt out.
4. Or object by October 5, 2026 by filing a written objection with the court and mailing a copy to the administrator.

Our guide to opting out or objecting explains the trade-offs.

Event	Date
Class period (piece-rate pay)	August 9, 2017 to April 10, 2023
Opt-out and objection deadline	October 5, 2026
Final approval hearing	November 16, 2026, 1:30 p.m.
Fund deposit	Within 30 days of the Effective Date
Uncashed checks void	180 days after issue

The final approval hearing is in Courtroom 5D of the federal courthouse at 350 West 1st Street, Los Angeles. CRST deposits the fund within 30 days after the settlement's Effective Date, and checks follow. Checks not cashed within 180 days are cancelled and the money goes to the cy pres recipient, so cash yours promptly.

Pay disputes are common across trucking, from unpaid sleeper berth and detention time to misclassification of drivers as contractors. See our pages on independent contractor misclassification and unpaid overtime lawsuits, and read about wage and hour claims generally.

If you are in this class, watch the official settlement website linked above for the approval decision, and keep your address current. If you drove for another carrier and believe you were not paid for waiting, loading, or sleeper time, a free case review can connect you with independent attorneys who handle trucking wage cases. Those claims are allegations until a court rules or a company settles.