Haworth v. New Prime, Inc.

**Truck Driver Loses Fight Over Employee Status and Wages** Haworth was a truck driver who worked as an "owner-operator" for New Prime, Inc., a trucking company. He claimed the company was treating him like an independent contractor when he should have been classified as an employee. As an employee, he would have been entitled to minimum wage and overtime pay under federal labor laws. He sued the company for wage theft, arguing they owed him money for unpaid wages. The court ruled against Haworth. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals decided that owner-operators who drive commercial trucks for New Prime are truly independent contractors, not employees. This means they are not protected by federal wage and hour laws that guarantee minimum wage and overtime pay. The court rejected Haworth's claims that he was misclassified and owed back wages. This decision matters for truck drivers and other workers in similar situations. It shows that courts will sometimes side with companies on worker classification issues, even when workers believe they should be treated as employees. Workers in the trucking industry, especially owner-operators, may have limited legal options to claim employee benefits and wage protections under federal law.