Boone Logistics Services LLC, a Florida-based logistics solutions provider, reportedly shortchanged the wages of 31 yard hostlers at its Texas distribution center, claiming they had not been entitled to overtime pay for their work. 

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) said the employer violated the Fair Labor Standards Act as he only paid the employees for their straight-time pay, even when they worked more than 40 hours in one week, according to a DOL press release.

“Too often, logistics industry workers – particularly those who work in the yard – are illegally denied the overtime they are due,” Wage and Hour Division District Director Jesus Valdez said in the release. “Boone Logistics has a responsibility to comply with the law and ensure that workers are paid all of their hard-earned wages. We encourage all employers in the industry to review their pay practices to be certain they comply with federal requirements.”

The yard hostlers, whom the provider claimed were not entitled to overtime due to the nature of their work, were responsible for moving truck trailers, filling or emptying containers around work sites and moving containers in and out of loading docks, the release said. The investigation led by the DOL Wage and Hour Division recovered $127,567 in overtime wages owed to the workers.

Boone Logistics Services, based in St. Petersburg, Florida, operates in eight states across the country, providing trailer yard management services including trailer spotting, shuttling, gate management and trailer leasing to manufacturing and distribution centers nationwide, the release said.

Workers who think they might be owed back wages are invited to call the Wage and Hour Division at 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) with any questions, regardless of immigration status. The helpline, which provides assistance in more than 200 languages, allows for those seeking support to do so confidentially, the release said.