Werner agrees to pay $18M settlement in wage lawsuit
Werner and a class of truck drivers have reached an $18 million settlement in a wage lawsuit that dates back to 2014.
The Omaha, Neb.-based trucking company and the plaintiffs informed the court of the settlement in October 2025, and the motion for a settlement agreement was filed in a U.S. District Court in Nebraska on Jan. 30. The settlement still awaits the court’s final approval.
Plaintiffs, including truck driver Ezequiel Olivares Abarca, alleged that Werner failed to pay drivers the minimum wage for all hours worked under Nebraska and California state law. The trial was set to begin on Oct. 14, 2025. That same day, the court was informed that a settlement had been reached.
Allegations against Werner
The truck drivers alleged that Werner broke California law by failing to pay wages for non-driving time, such as meal and rest break periods and other compensable “off-duty” hours. Additionally, plaintiffs said that Werner charged its truck drivers a $4 transaction fee to receive wage advances and contended that the action violated California and Nebraska law because the drivers didn’t agree to the fee in writing.
About 100,000 current and former Werner truck drivers are eligible for a portion of the settlement.
Drivers are divided into two classes. Members of the Nebraska Settlement Class must have worked for Werner anywhere in the United States between June 4, 2010, and July 14, 2023. California Settlement Class members must have worked for Werner and resided in California during the same period and must have picked up or delivered at least one load for Werner in California. Student drivers and owner-operators leased to Werner do not qualify for either class.
How will the settlement work?
Werner will pay $18 million into a settlement fund. As much as $8.25 million could go to attorney fees and other litigation costs.
The seven named plaintiffs – Ezequiel Olivares Abarca, Alfredo Alensa, David Cagle, Stephen Davis, Frank Eads, Kenneth Surman and William Smith – will receive $15,000 each.
Twenty-one truck drivers, who sat for a deposition, will receive $250 each. Nebraska Settlement Class members will receive a base payment of $20, and California class members will receive a base payment of $40. In addition to the base payments, all settlement class members will receive a pro-rata share of the remaining net settlement fund based on the number of weeks they worked for Werner during the qualified period. LL