Note 16 - Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Notes to Financial Statements

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

16. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

We are a defendant in a lawsuit which was filed on August 6, 2021, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. The plaintiff is a former driver and is seeking class certification. The Complaint alleges failure to pay minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act, violations of the Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA), violations of the Arkansas Wage Payment Law (discharge pay and unlawful, usurious advance fees), violations of the Arkansas Common Law, and violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).  Should this lawsuit be certified as a class action, to include similarly situated drivers as the Plaintiff, the class will seek actual and liquated damages to include court costs and legal fees associated with the lawsuit. The class, if certified, will include any company driver employed from January 1, 2020 through the present and ongoing. A mediation was held on January 14, 2022 in an attempt to resolve the case but was unsuccessful. Management has determined that any losses under this claim will not be covered by existing insurance policies.

We were a defendant in a collective- and class-action lawsuit which was filed on December 9, 2016, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas. The plaintiffs, who included current and former employee drivers who worked for the Company during the period of December 9, 2013, through December 31, 2019, alleged violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Arkansas Minimum Wage Law including “failure to pay minimum wage during orientation, failure to pay minimum wage to team drivers after initial orientation, failure to pay minimum wage to solo-drivers after initial orientation, failure to pay for compensable travel time, Comdata card fees, unlawful deductions, and breach of contract.” The plaintiffs were seeking actual and liquidated damages to include court costs and legal fees. During July 2020, the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas granted final approval of a $16.5 million settlement reached with the plaintiffs and the settlement payment was disbursed by the Company during August 2020. This claim was not covered by existing insurance policies.

On March 31, 2020, the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas dismissed the collective- and class-action lawsuit filed against the Company on May 29, 2019 by plaintiffs who were independent contractors alleging violations under the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Arkansas Minimum Wage Law. The plaintiffs, through their attorneys, alleged “misclassification as independent contractors, payment on the basis of miles without regard to the number of hours worked, improper deductions, and failure to pay minimum wage.” The dismissal of this lawsuit resulted when the Company and plaintiffs reached a settlement agreement and the Company paid approximately $421,000, plus legal fees. Legal reserve accruals in excess of the amount outlined in the settlement agreement were reversed during the first nine months of 2020, resulting in a reduction in accrued expenses and other liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

We are involved in certain claims and pending litigation arising from the ordinary conduct of business. We also provide accruals for claims within our self-insured retention amounts. On September 1, 2019, we elected to become self-insured for certain layers of auto liability claims in excess of $1.0 million for which we previously maintained auto liability insurance coverage. Since September 1, 2020, we have been self-insured for certain layers of auto liability claims in excess of $2.0 million. We currently specifically reserve for claims that are expected to exceed $2.0 million when fully developed, based on the facts and circumstances of those claims. Based on our knowledge of the facts, and in certain cases, opinions of outside counsel, we believe the resolution of such claims and pending litigation will not have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows. However, if we experience claims that are not covered by our insurance or that exceed our estimated claim reserve, it could increase the volatility of our earnings and have a materially adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.