Sentinel Transportation is a trucking company that operates primarily for ConocoPhillips and DuPont companies. It hauls a variety of chemicals and petroleum products throughout the United States. It has a fleet of tankers, containers, vans, and flatbeds. Sentinel is one of the top private fleets in the industry. Its trucks travel through all 48 states and Canada. The company’s headquarters is in LaPorte, Indiana.
The company uses footage from in-cab cameras to coach drivers and enforce safety policies. During a new-hire orientation, drivers are instructed on the company’s expectations and policies. They are also told that certain violations, such as handheld or hands-free cellphone use while driving, will result in a written warning or even termination.
Despite these efforts, employees report that management is micro managed and that it constantly criticizes drivers for the smallest of infractions. Moreover, they are forced to pay for fuel and insurance. Employees also complain of not being paid a competitive wage for the long hauls.
Coleman named six defendants: Sentinel, ConocoPhillips, and DuPont on the one hand, and Randy Bailey, Joe Mireles, and Levi Smith on the other. He also alleged that these individuals could be served at Sentinel’s address in LaPorte, Indiana. In his response brief, Coleman cited articles, SEC filings, and corporate websites that give context to the corporate relationship between Sentinel and DuPont on the one hand, or between DuPont and ConocoPhillips on the other. However, these facts are not alleged in the complaint itself and therefore cannot form the basis for a Rule 12(b)(6) motion challenging the sufficiency of the pleadings.
