A Fort Worth–based trucking company has been ordered to reinstate and compensate a truck driver who federal investigators say was illegally terminated after reporting safety concerns.
The Department of Labor has ruled that Balkan Express violated federal whistleblower protections when it fired the driver, whose complaints were protected under the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA), according to agency findings released this week.
Following an investigation by the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Balkan Express was ordered to rehire the driver and pay back wages, interest, compensatory damages and punitive damages totaling more than $100,000, the agency said.
Federal officials said the driver was terminated after raising concerns related to commercial motor vehicle safety — conduct that is explicitly protected under the STAA, which prohibits retaliation against drivers who report unsafe conditions or violations of federal trucking regulations.
“Truck drivers should never fear retaliation for speaking up about safety concerns,” the Department of Labor said in its announcement, emphasizing that whistleblower protections are a core component of federal oversight of the trucking industry.
The ruling comes amid broader financial and operational challenges for Balkan Express. In May, the company and its brokerage affiliate, Balkan Logistics, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing debts of more than $25 million, according to previous FreightWaves reporting.
At the time of its bankruptcy filing, Balkan Express reported operating 159 trucks and employing 166 drivers.
Related: Texas trucking company, brokerage file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
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