Universal Logistics fingerprint lawsuit expands to class action
A federal judge granted class status to a 2021 biometrics lawsuit against Universal Intermodal Services. The class now includes anyone who clocked in at the company's Illinois facilities since March 2016, not just employees.
Will I get paid if I clocked in at a Universal Logistics facility in Illinois?
If you clocked in at a Universal Intermodal Services facility in Illinois using a fingerprint scanner between March 30, 2016 and now, you are part of a class-action lawsuit. Judge Elaine E. Bucklo of the U.S. Federal District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted class status on June 26, 2026. The class includes Universal employees, workers from staffing agencies, and employees of LINC, a Universal Logistics subsidiary.
Brandon Willis, a driver for Universal Intermodal Services (a subsidiary of publicly traded Universal Logistics), filed the lawsuit in 2021 over the company's use of a fingerprint scanner at its Harvey, Illinois facility. The lawsuit alleges Universal violated Illinois' Biometric Privacy Act (BIPA) by collecting fingerprints without written consent.
What BIPA requires and what Universal allegedly did
BIPA, passed in 2008 and amended in 2024, requires any entity collecting biometric information to inform the person in writing and receive a written release regarding collection and retention of the data. The Willis lawsuit alleges the defendants "directed, authorized, and coordinated the capture and collection of the fingerprints of workers and other persons at the Illinois Facilities by requiring the workers and other persons to use Biometric Scanners to clock in and clock out each day" without the required consent.
The defendants now include Universal Intermodal Services, HR-1 LLC (an arm of the private business of Matthew Moroun, who owns about 70% of Universal), Universal Management Services, Inc., and Data System Services, an outside company that provided biometric services to Universal.
Who is in the class and why it matters
Judge Bucklo expanded the class beyond Universal employees to include anyone who clocked in at the company's Illinois facilities using a fingerprint scanner. More than 50% of the class members worked either for LINC or a third-party staffing agency, not directly for Universal Intermodal.
The judge wrote that Willis is "suing Intermodal not because Intermodal was his employer but because Intermodal is the entity that allegedly collected stores, and/or transmitted his biometrics without complying with BIPA's procedural safeguards." That reasoning opened the door to non-employees.
What similar cases have paid
Illinois' biometric law has been called "a threat to business" and is considered the most stringent in the country. A case against in-cab video company Lytx resulted in payouts to thousands of drivers of between about $650 and $850 per person.
Another Illinois case involving trucking and BIPA, brought in late 2024 by driver Floyd Eskridge who sought a class action against HMD Trucking, was settled out of court late last year. That case was also in the Northern District.
What happens next
The class status ruling does not resolve the underlying lawsuit. It only determines who can join the case. The lawsuit still needs to proceed through discovery and trial, or the parties could settle. If you clocked in at a Universal facility in Illinois during the time period, watch for notices about the case. You may need to submit a claim form to receive any eventual payout.
If you worked for a staffing agency or LINC and clocked in at a Universal facility in Illinois, you are in the class even if you were never a Universal employee. The fingerprint scanner is what matters, not who signed your paycheck.
