The Nova Lines lawsuit that matters most to drivers and industry watchers is the class action that ended in a $5.25 million settlement approved in mid-2026, covering more than 2,600 over-the-road drivers who accused the Bridgeview, Illinois flatbed carrier of overcharging them for fuel and taking pay deductions their contracts did not allow. That case is the largest of several actions filed against Nova Lines in recent years, most of them tied to the company’s lease-purchase program.
The $5.25 Million Class-Action Settlement
United States District Judge April Perry granted final approval of the settlement in 2026. The class covered drivers who had worked for Nova Lines since 2015, and the claims rested on two legal theories: breach of contract and violations of the federal Truth in Leasing Act. Drivers alleged Nova Lines charged them inflated fuel prices and deducted amounts from their pay that the lease agreements did not authorize.1Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. HSPRD Secures $5.25 Million Settlement for Over-the-Road Truck Drivers
The class was represented by attorneys Christopher Wilmes and Charlie Wysong of the Chicago firm Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, Ltd. The roughly decade-long class period reflected the plaintiffs’ position that the disputed billing and deduction practices had run for years rather than surfacing in any single episode.
What Drivers Were Complaining About
The settlement claims mirror grievances Nova Lines drivers have voiced publicly for years, most of them tied to the economics of the lease-purchase arrangement. Under that program, drivers make weekly payments toward eventual truck ownership while hauling exclusively for Nova Lines.
Drivers have reported that weekly deductions for truck payments, trailer fees, equipment, and related expenses can run roughly $2,100 to $4,100, cutting significantly into the $9,000 to $10,000 in gross weekly revenue the company advertises.2Indeed. Nova Lines Inc Reviews Other recurring complaints include:
- Drivers who leave the program before a certain period reportedly lose their escrow accounts.
- Although Nova Lines offers a fuel rebate of roughly $0.60 per gallon, drivers have said fuel surcharges are rare and fuel remains one of their largest expenses.
- Multiple drivers have warned against accepting used trucks, describing them as poorly maintained, with limited warranties and worn-out securement gear like tarps and straps.
- Drivers have advised others to scrutinize weekly pay settlements for repeated or erroneous charges.
A 2025 sponsored article on CDL Life noted the rise of searches for “Nova Lines settlement” and “Nova Lines class-action lawsuit” and pointed to a broader wave of lease-purchase litigation across trucking.3CDL Life. Why Drivers Choose the Nova Lines Lease Purchase Program The company has responded by emphasizing transparency, driver education on cost management, and access to tax professionals.
Other Cases Against Nova Lines
Wadsworth v. Nova Lines
On August 28, 2025, Julianna Wadsworth filed suit in Cook County Circuit Court against Nova Lines, driver Mihai Sava, and company president Jim Bednarkiewicz.4Trellis Law. Julianna Wadsworth vs Nova Lines Inc, Mihai Sava, Jim Bednarkiewicz Wadsworth alleges violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the Illinois Minimum Wage Law. It is the first publicly documented case to press wage-law claims against Nova Lines rather than lease-purchase or Truth in Leasing theories.
The defendants removed the case to the Northern District of Illinois on October 28, 2025, where it was assigned federal case number 1:25-cv-13164.5PACER Monitor. Wadsworth v. Nova Lines, Inc. et al Nova Lines retained Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary as defense counsel. The case remained pending as of the most recent available records.
Chekobi Trails of Tears Trucking v. Nova Lines
Filed October 4, 2024, in the Northern District of Illinois, this suit was brought by Chekobi Trails of Tears Trucking, LLC, Faceman Trucking, LLC, and Edwin Rosario (Case No. 1:24-cv-09558).6PACER Monitor. Chekobi Trails of Tears Trucking, LLC et al v. Nova Lines, Inc. The docket classifies the matter under “other statutory actions,” and as of the last update in May 2025 it was assigned to Judge Perry. Public records do not spell out the underlying allegations.
Gadson v. Nova Lines
Shawn Gadson and PPRP Logistics, LLC filed suit on January 2, 2024, in the Northern District of Illinois (Case No. 1:24-cv-00009), classified as “other labor litigation.”7PACER Monitor. Gadson et al v. Nova Lines, Inc. The specific claims are not detailed in the docket. After the plaintiffs’ original attorneys withdrew in September 2024 and neither plaintiff retained new counsel or filed a required status report, Judge Perry dismissed the case without prejudice on October 30, 2024, for want of prosecution.8CourtListener. Gadson v. Nova Lines, Inc. A dismissal without prejudice leaves the claims open to refiling, but no refiling appears in the record.
The Legal Theories in Play
Two frameworks drive most driver litigation against carriers like Nova Lines. The first is the federal Truth in Leasing Act, which through regulations at 49 C.F.R. ยง 376.12 requires carriers leasing equipment from owner-operators to document every deduction from driver compensation, provide periodic accountings of escrow funds, pay interest on escrowed money, and return those funds within 45 days of a lease’s end.9Land Line Media. Misclassification, Lease-Purchase Lawsuit Revived by Illinois Federal Court The fuel-overcharge and unauthorized-deduction claims in the Nova Lines class action tracked these requirements.
The second theory is worker misclassification. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state wage laws, a driver labeled as an independent contractor may in fact qualify as an employee entitled to minimum-wage protections, depending on how much control the carrier exercises over the work. The Wadsworth case against Nova Lines sits in this category.
About Nova Lines
Nova Lines is a flatbed trucking company headquartered in Bridgeview, Illinois, operating as an authorized interstate for-hire motor carrier of property.10FMCSA. Nova Lines Inc. Carrier Snapshot Federal records list 1,298 power units and 1,298 drivers, with freight including general cargo, metal sheets and coils, lumber, and building materials.11FMCSA. Nova Lines Inc. SAFER Record The company is led by president Jim Bednarkiewicz and markets its lease-purchase program as a path to truck ownership for drivers looking to start their own businesses.12Nova Lines. Nova Lines Homepage