You worked the hours. Late nights. Early mornings. Maybe weekends. You’re an employee putting in more than 40 hours a week—and then you look at your paycheck and… nothing extra. No overtime pay. Just the same number.
At that point, most employees think one thing: Wage theft! This has to be illegal. And sometimes, it is. But not always.
A group of truck drivers in Illinois found that out the hard way. They spent long days moving auto parts between storage lots and a Ford assembly plant. They never left the state. No interstate routes. No long-haul driving. Just local work.
So they did what most employees would do—they expected overtime pay.
They didn’t get it.
In Stingley v. Laci Transport Inc., 2026 U.S. App. LEXIS 9626, those employees brought wage and hour claims for unpaid overtime, arguing that their employer violated Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”). But the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that even “purely intrastate” transportation can qualify as interstate commerce when it is part of a “continuous interstate journey.” Stingley, 2026 U.S. App. LEXIS 9626, at *7–8.
Because of that, a federal exemption applied.
No overtime.
That’s the kind of result that leaves employees stunned. You do the work. You put in the hours. And somehow, the law says you don’t get paid extra.
The reality is, overtime pay laws are not as simple as “over 40 hours equals more pay.” It often takes an experienced wage and hour lawyer or employment lawyer to break down how the law applies to a specific employee’s job—and whether an employer is applying the rules correctly or stretching them too far.
This blog walks through it step by step. First, when an employee is entitled to overtime. Then, why some employees don’t get it. And finally, the rule that decided this case.
Legal Takeaway
When Is An Employee Entitled To Overtime Pay At Work?
At its core, the rule is simple. If an employee works more than 40 hours in a workweek, that employee is generally entitled to overtime pay.
Overtime pay usually means time-and-a-half. So if an employee earns $20 an hour, overtime should be $30 an hour for every hour over 40. That’s the baseline under federal wage and hour laws, and it applies to most employees.
That’s exactly why the employees in this case believed they were owed unpaid overtime. They worked long hours—well beyond 40 in a week—and expected the law to require their employer to pay overtime wages.
But here’s where things start to shift.
Overtime is calculated by the workweek, not the day. And not all time is treated the same way under overtime pay laws. Employers often argue that certain time does not count, or that an employee’s role falls into a different category altogether.
More importantly, not every employee is treated the same under the law.
Two employees can work similar hours, for the same employer, doing similar work—and one gets overtime while the other does not. That’s not random. It’s based on how the law classifies the employee and the work being performed.
That’s where most unpaid overtime disputes begin.
Because once an employer claims that an employee falls into an exception, the conversation changes. It is no longer just about hours worked. It becomes about whether the law requires overtime pay at all.
And that’s exactly what happened here.
The employees thought the rule was simple: more than 40 hours equals overtime.
The employer said: not for these employees.
Figuring out who is right is not something most employees can do on their own. It requires looking closely at job duties, how time is tracked, and how overtime pay laws apply to the specific work being performed.
That’s why employees often need an experienced wage and hour lawyer to break it down.
Practical Tip: If you are an employee working more than 40 hours and not receiving overtime pay, do not assume your employer is correct—have a wage and hour lawyer review how your time and duties are classified.
Best Overtime Lawyer Blogs on Point:
What Are Overtime Exemptions And How Do They Affect Employees?
This is where things start to feel a little unfair—and where most employees realize the rules are not what they thought.
By this point, most employees are asking the same question: if I worked the hours, why am I not getting paid? That was exactly the situation for the employees in this case. There was no dispute about the hours. The issue was whether the employer was legally required to pay overtime at all.
That’s where the concept of an exemption comes in.
An exemption is the employer’s way of saying: even though the employee worked more than 40 hours, the overtime pay laws do not apply to this job. It sounds like a loophole, but it is built directly into federal law. And once an employee falls into one of these categories, the analysis changes completely.
In this case, that exemption—not the hours worked—decided everything.
The employer argued that these employees were exempt because their work was tied to interstate transportation. The employees saw themselves as local drivers working entirely within Illinois. From their perspective, this looked like straightforward, in-state work that should qualify for overtime.
But the law did not see it that way.
That disconnect is what makes overtime cases so frustrating for employees. The employee looks at the job one way—hours worked, routes driven, effort put in. The employer looks at it through a legal framework that focuses on classification and how the work fits into a larger system.
Sometimes the employer is right. Sometimes the employer is pushing the limits. And sometimes the employer is wrong.
The problem is that the answer is not obvious.
An employee can work long hours and still be denied overtime if an exemption applies—even one the employee has never heard of. Determining whether that exemption is valid requires a detailed legal analysis of the employee’s actual duties and how the work fits within federal overtime pay laws.
That’s where experienced employment lawyers and wage and hour attorneys make the difference.
Practical Tip: If your employer claims you are exempt from overtime pay, do not rely on that label—have a wage and hour lawyer evaluate whether the exemption actually applies to your job.
Best Wage Theft Attorney Blogs on Point:
What Is The Motor Carrier Act And Why Did It Eliminate Overtime Pay Here?
This is the rule that decided the case—and it is not something most employees expect.
The Motor Carrier Act (MCA) is a federal law that can remove overtime protections for certain employees involved in transportation. When it applies, an employer may not have to pay overtime—even if the employee works more than 40 hours.
What makes this rule difficult for employees is how broadly it can apply.
Most employees think interstate work means crossing state lines. But the law looks at something bigger. The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held that transportation can qualify as interstate if it is part of a “continuous interstate journey,” even when the employee’s route is entirely within one state. Stingley, 2026 U.S. App. LEXIS 9626, at *7–8.
The court also held that temporary stops—like storage—are “no more than the normal stops or stages” in interstate commerce and do not break that journey. Id. at *8–10.
That is what happened here.
The goods were manufactured out of state and transported into Illinois. The employees moved those goods from storage lots to the final destination—the Ford assembly plant. Even though the employees never left Illinois, their work was part of a continuous interstate movement.
Because of that, the Motor Carrier Act exemption applied.
No overtime.
This is where the law diverges from what employees expect. The job may feel local. The employee may never cross a state line. But the law looks at the full movement of the goods, not just the employee’s portion of the route.
That difference determines whether overtime pay laws apply.
These cases turn on details—where the goods originated, where they were going, and how the transportation process was structured. That is not something most employees can determine from a paycheck or job title.
It requires a careful legal analysis.
Practical Tip: If you are an employee denied unpaid overtime in a transportation job, do not assume your work is local—have a wage and hour lawyer evaluate whether your employer is applying the Motor Carrier Act exemption correctly.
Best FLSA Law Firm Blogs on Point:
What Is The Best Lawyer To Call If My Employer Refused To Pay Overtime?
If you are reading this and thinking, “this sounds like my situation,” you are not alone—and you are right to question it.
The reality is this: employers get overtime wrong all the time. Sometimes intentionally. Sometimes because overtime pay laws are complicated. But either way, the employee is the one who loses—unless someone steps in and challenges it.
That is where Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm comes in.
Spitz focuses exclusively on employee rights. That means when an employee calls about unpaid overtime, employment discrimination, or wrongful termination, they are working with attorneys who understand how these cases actually play out—not just in theory, but in real litigation.
The firm has the resources, experience, and track record to take on employers who misuse overtime exemptions, including complex rules like the Motor Carrier Act. They offer free consultations and a no-fee guarantee, so employees can get answers without taking on additional risk.
If your employer has denied overtime pay, classified you as exempt, or told you that overtime pay laws do not apply to you, now is the time to find out if that is actually true.
Contact Spitz, The Employee’s Law Firm today to speak with an experienced employment lawyer or wage and hour attorney.
FAQ: Overtime Pay Laws And Employee Rights
When is an employee entitled to overtime pay under federal law?
An employee is generally entitled to overtime pay after working more than 40 hours in a workweek unless a valid exemption applies.
Can an employer refuse to pay unpaid overtime even if an employee works over 40 hours?
Yes. An employer may refuse to pay overtime if the employee falls within a legal exemption under federal overtime pay laws.
Can local drivers be denied overtime pay under federal law?
Yes. An employee can be denied overtime if their work is considered part of interstate commerce under laws like the Motor Carrier Act.
Does it matter where the goods come from in an overtime case?
Yes. Courts look at where goods originate and their intended destination to determine whether an employee’s work is part of interstate commerce.
How much time does an employee have to recover unpaid overtime?
An employee generally has two years to recover unpaid overtime, or three years for willful violations, depending on the facts.
Employment Lawyer Disclaimer
This employee rights and wage and hour blog provides general information about employment law, including employee claims, employer obligations, unpaid overtime, overtime pay laws, and workplace rights. This blog is not legal advice. Every employee’s situation is different, and you should consult with a qualified employment lawyer or attorney for advice specific to your circumstances. No promises are being made. This blog is a legal advertisement. Reading this blog does not create an attorney-client relationship.