The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has mandated that Interline Logistics Group LLC immediately reinstate a Sauk Village, I'll., truck driver who was terminated after reporting safety concerns regarding the brakes on his truck and refusing to breach the U.S. Department of Transportation rules for allowable driving and rest hours.

OSHA is also requiring that Interline Logistics Group pay the driver more than $190,000 in back wages, compensatory damages, attorney's fees and punitive damages as well as not retaliate against the employee for evoking rights under the Surface Transportation Assistance Act's whistleblower provision.

The driver filed a timely whistleblower complaint with OSHA that claimed termination followed when he alerted the company about the deficient brakes, and OSHA found that Interline Logistics Group told the driver to go to a repair shop to fix the brakes. Once completion of the service call was received, the driver was ordered to proceed to his dispatch location to pick up a return load. The driver said he would not do so because he was over the work hours allowed based on DOT regulations.