CRST Expedited Driver Wages Settlement Up to Amount for California Piece-Rate Claims

CRST Expedited is a trucking company that, for a period of time, paid some California drivers using a “piece-rate” system—meaning drivers were compensated based on completed work (such as deliveries), rather than an hourly wage. In California, piece-rate pay is tightly regulated to ensure workers still receive minimum wage and are properly compensated for time worked. This class action alleges that CRST Expedited drivers who were paid under a piece-rate model were not always receiving required wage payments in the form and manner California law demands, particularly for work performed during the covered time window (August 9, 2017 through April 10, 2023). The settlement is designed for California drivers who were paid piece-rate at any point during that period, reflecting a specific wage-and-hour dispute grounded in state labor rules. The lawsuit was filed to address whether the company’s pay practices complied with California’s wage regulations—especially requirements related to paying minimum wage for all hours worked and correctly handling piece-rate wages for non-exempt employees. Its significance lies in how it turns a complex, statewide pay-practice dispute into a structured resolution: eligible drivers may receive settlement payouts, with the amount “varying” by circumstances, and the agreement sets a deadline (10/5/26) for the process described by the settlement notice. Like other California wage-and-hour class actions, it underscores how employers across industries that rely on per-job or per-unit compensation can face exposure when the pay structure fails to meet statutory standards, even if workers are compensated for output rather than time. Broader implications include reinforcing that piece-rate pay is not simply “pay by the job,” but must be administered with careful compliance under California’s Labor Code provisions and related Industrial Welfare Commission wage orders. Similar cases have targeted logistics, construction, manufacturing, and other sectors where employers use piece-rate, commission, or productivity-based systems—often focusing on minimum wage, pay timing, and the proper calculation of earnings for all hours worked. For drivers and employers alike, the settlement signals that California continues to scrutinize compensation models and that claims tied to piece-rate compliance can lead to class-wide remedies when investigations and litigation suggest systemic wage violations.