A truck driver has been awarded approximately $30,000 after a federal investigation concluded he was wrongfully terminated for refusing to haul an oversized load without the necessary safety escort. The Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) mandated that Hagerstown, Maryland-based Truestart Transport LLC pay the unnamed driver $9,698 in back wages and interest, along with $10,000 in punitive damages and $10,000 in compensatory damages.

"Our investigation found TrueStart Transport wrongly fired the employee for insisting they follow safety requirements, which is a protected right under federal law," stated OSHA Regional Administrator Michael Rivera. "The company’s actions were inexcusable and illegal and undermined an employee’s rightful concern for their own safety and the safety of others on the road."

According to OSHA's findings, the incident occurred in December 2023 at a Tennessee rest stop. The driver contacted his dispatcher, Alex, to report that his upcoming route involved an oversized load requiring an escort. However, the dispatcher instructed him to proceed with the load and "not to follow the permitted route that required an escort," a directive the driver believed violated U.S. Department of Transportation regulations.

The investigation report noted, "Complainant was told he was not going to get an escort vehicle and complainant relayed he was not moving without one." The report further details that Alex then stated if the driver...