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Note 10 - Commitments and Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
Notes to Financial Statements  
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]
Note 10.    Commitments and Contingencies
 
From time-to-time, we are a party to ordinary, routine litigation arising in the ordinary course of business, most of which involves claims for personal injury and property damage incurred in connection with the transportation of freight.
 
We maintain insurance to cover liabilities arising from the transportation of freight for amounts in excess of certain self-insured retentions. In management's opinion, our potential exposure under pending legal proceedings is adequately provided for in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements.
 
In August 2014, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio issued a pre-trial decision in a lawsuit against our Southern Refrigerated Transport, Inc. ("SRT") relating to a cargo claim incurred in 2008. The court awarded the plaintiff approximately $5.9 million plus prejudgment interest and costs and denied a cross-motion for summary judgment by SRT. Previously, the court had ruled in favor of SRT on all but one count before overturning its earlier decision and ruling in favor of the plaintiff. SRT filed a Notice of Appeal with the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals on September 24, 2014. On November 5, 2015, the Sixth Circuit reversed the district court in part, finding that the plaintiff could not recover under two of its causes of action. The Sixth Circuit remanded the proceedings to the district court for further factual determinations relating to whether the plaintiff could recover under a third cause of action. The case is scheduled for trial in November 2016.
 
 
 
Covenant Transport, Inc. ("Covenant Transport") is the defendant in a lawsuit that was filed in August 2015 in the Superior Court of the State of California, Los Angeles County.  This lawsuit arises out of the work performed by the plaintiff as a company driver for Covenant Transport during the period of August, 2013 through October, 2014.  Plaintiff is seeking class action certification under the complaint.  The case was removed from state court in September, 2015 to the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California, and subsequently, the case was transferred to the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Tennessee on October 5, 2015 where the case is now pending.  The complaint asserts that the time period covered by the lawsuit is "the four years prior to the filing of this action through the trial date" and alleges claims for failure to properly pay for rest breaks, inspection time, waiting time, fueling and paperwork time, meal periods  and other related wage and hour claims under the California Labor Code.  
 
Based on our present knowledge of the facts and, in certain cases, advice of outside counsel, management believes the resolution of open claims and pending litigation, taking into account existing reserves, is not likely to have a materially adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements.
 
We had $31.3 million and $31.4 million of outstanding and undrawn letters of credit as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. The letters of credit are maintained primarily to support our insurance programs.