Swift Transport improperly treated some drivers as contractors, judge rules

• Swift Transportation (SWFT) improperly treated some of its drivers as contractors rather than employees, a federal judge ruled today in a legal setback that opens the truckload carrier to claims for millions of dollars in back wages.
• The ruling, which follows a seven-year legal battle, affects only five drivers but could open up SWFT to similar claims from thousands of truckers who drove for the company over the last decade.
• Shares fell 1.5% in today's trade.