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ARTICLE · 05 NOVEMBER 2026

Truck Driver Ruling Shows How State Law Can Decide Misclassification Claims

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A federal court ruled that truck drivers working for Sparc Transport were misclassified as independent contractors when they should have been employees under Illinois law. The decision came after driver Pedro Baez filed a class action lawsuit alleging the company improperly deducted thousands of dollars from drivers' pay and failed to reimburse work-related expenses, highlighting the ongoing debate over worker classification in the transportation industry.

United StatesEmployment and HR
Johanna C. Richter
Johanna C. Richter
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Sparc Transport Drivers File Misclassification Class Action

On December 18, 2023, truck driver Pedro Baez filed a class action lawsuit asserting violations of the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act (IWPCA) against Direct Trucking, a trucking company that operates under the name of Sparc Transport in Channahon, Illinois. Sparc Transport hired Pedro Baez and other drivers as independent contractors to complete deliveries in the general Illinois area. In the submitted complaint, Baez alleges that, though he and the other drivers worked exclusively for Sparc between 50-70 hours a week, they should have been classified as employees rather than independent contractors. Baez further alleges that, because of the misclassification, Sparc Transport impermissibly deducted insurance coverage, truck and trailer payments and tools from the drivers’ pay, which sometimes amounted to thousands per week. Baez also alleges that Sparc did not reimburse drivers for out-of-pocket expenses incurred

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