Edge Logistics has sued rival freight dealer Freight Tec Administration Group and 4 former workers, alleging they diverted prospects by way of a scheme involving confidential info and kickbacks funded by inflated freight expenses.
The 51-page federal grievance, filed Sept. 30 within the U.S. District Court docket for the Northern District of Illinois, alleges that the workers secretly established competing companies whereas nonetheless working for Edge Logistics and organized to switch buyer accounts to Utah-based Freight Tec earlier than resigning.
Edge alleges its expedited-freight division declined 66.4% inside weeks of the workers’ departures in Might 2026, whereas the remainder of its enterprise grew 8.5%. The lawsuit doesn’t specify whether or not these figures measure income, cargo quantity or one other metric, nor does it establish the exact comparability interval.
The lawsuit names Freight Tec Administration Group Inc., former Edge workers Nicholas Daglas, John Harlan, Andre Apiquian and Alexis Hersh, and three firms allegedly established to function as Freight Tec brokerage brokers: Parlay Expedited LLC, Thorndale Logistics LLC and Freight Redefined LLC.
Todd Rowden, a accomplice at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP representing the 4 former workers and three associated LLCs, disputed the allegations.
“My shoppers dispute plaintiff’s allegations, and the authorized sufficiency of its claims, and haven’t any additional remark relating to the grievance,” Rowden stated in an emailed assertion to BigRig.
Freight Tec didn’t present a substantive response to BigRig’ requests for remark earlier than publication.
Lawsuit alleges workers deliberate departures whereas nonetheless on payroll
In keeping with the grievance, the 4 workers labored in Edge’s expedited-freight division, arranging pressing and time-sensitive shipments utilizing straight vans, field vans, cargo vans and different tools.
Edge Logistics, headquartered in Chicago, was based in 2014. The logistics supplier has round 120 workers, in line with Constructed In Chicago.
Bountiful, Utah-based Freight Tec Administration Group is a privately held freight brokerage based in 1997. The corporate supplies truckload, less-than-truckload and expedited freight companies by way of a community of impartial freight brokers. Freight Tec has between 51 and 200 workers, in line with LinkedIn.
Edge alleges the workers had entry to confidential buyer info, together with delivery charges, pricing methods, freight lanes, buyer preferences and enterprise relationships.
Slightly than go away Edge and independently set up competing companies, the workers allegedly labored with Freight Tec to develop a plan to switch present Edge accounts to the rival brokerage.
The lawsuit alleges that Freight Tec’s management knew the workers have been topic to restrictive employment agreements and reviewed these agreements earlier than participating them.
Edge claims in courtroom filings that Freight Tec’s CEO met with Daglas roughly three to 5 occasions earlier than the workers departed to debate their agreements, paperwork and the legality of their deliberate enterprise preparations.
The staff allegedly agreed to function by way of impartial company companies below Freight Tec’s brokerage authority, receiving a share of gross earnings generated by the shoppers they delivered to the corporate.
Three of the defendants established restricted legal responsibility firms in April, in line with the grievance:
- Apiquian registered Freight Redefined LLC in Florida on April 20.
- Harlan registered Thorndale Logistics LLC in Illinois on April 22.
- Daglas registered Parlay Expedited LLC in Illinois on April 23.
Edge alleges all three firms have been established whereas their house owners have been nonetheless employed by the brokerage.
The grievance additional alleges the workers staggered their resignations to hide the coordinated nature of their departure.
Daglas submitted his resignation Might 8, telling Edge he was stepping away from the freight business to concentrate on household, in line with the lawsuit.
Harlan allegedly instructed colleagues he was leaving to work for a buddy in Las Vegas, whereas Apiquian stated he needed a neighborhood, office-based place.
Edge claims these explanations hid plans to proceed working in freight brokerage by way of Freight Tec.
Buyer emails allegedly established earlier than departures
Among the many lawsuit’s most detailed allegations are descriptions of customer-specific Freight Tec e-mail accounts showing in Edge cargo communications earlier than the workers left the corporate.
On Might 9, whereas Daglas and Hersh have been nonetheless employed by Edge, an e-mail account related to Freight Tec and devoted to an Edge buyer recognized as Buyer A appeared in a shipment-related e-mail thread, in line with the grievance.
5 days later, on Might 14, a second Freight Tec e-mail account devoted to Buyer B appeared in a rate-request thread involving Daglas and Harlan’s Edge e-mail addresses.
Edge contends these communications reveal that the defendants have been getting ready to service present Edge prospects by way of Freight Tec earlier than their employment ended.
The grievance additionally describes subsequent transactions allegedly involving the identical prospects.
On June 28-29, Apiquian allegedly organized an expedited cargo for Buyer B by way of Freight Tec and Freight Redefined LLC, figuring out himself as Freight Tec’s key accounts supervisor.
Hersh, recognized within the grievance as a Freight Tec strategic account supervisor, allegedly coordinated supply and confirmed the cargo’s last charge.
On Aug. 18, a consultant of Buyer A requested a transportation quote from Apiquian at his Freight Tec e-mail deal with, with an Edge e-mail deal with additionally included within the correspondence, in line with the lawsuit.
Apiquian allegedly responded with a freight charge.
Edge additionally claims freight postings appeared on a load board for lanes beforehand dealt with by its brokerage, utilizing Freight Tec addresses related to Daglas and Harlan.
Alleged kickbacks funded by inflated freight charges
The grievance features a separate allegation that former Edge workers organized to pay kickbacks to a delivery buyer’s decision-maker in alternate for guiding freight to Freight Tec.
In keeping with the lawsuit, the association developed round April 2026, when representatives related to a buyer recognized solely as Buyer C visited Chicago.
Edge alleges that the previous workers knowledgeable an East Coast contact at Buyer C about their plans to determine a competing operation by way of Freight Tec.
The shopper contact allegedly agreed to direct shipments to the brand new operation however demanded kickbacks financed by including cash to freight expenses.
The grievance alleges the defendants subsequently dealt with Buyer C freight below that association.
Edge contends the alleged funds gave Freight Tec an improper aggressive benefit by influencing the shopper’s freight-routing selections quite than successful enterprise by way of pricing or service.
The grievance doesn’t establish Buyer C, specify the quantity of any alleged funds or embrace underlying invoices or cost information establishing the alleged kickbacks.
The allegations haven’t been confirmed in courtroom.
Edge seeks injunction, damages and return of confidential info
Edge’s lawsuit comprises 11 counts, together with breach of contract, breach of responsibility of loyalty, tortious interference with contractual and potential enterprise relationships, aiding and abetting, civil conspiracy and unfair competitors.
The corporate alleges the workers violated employment agreements containing confidentiality, noncompetition and nonsolicitation provisions.
Edge is asking the courtroom to ban the defendants from utilizing or disclosing its confidential enterprise info and to limit sure aggressive actions and buyer solicitation.
The corporate additionally seeks the return of confidential paperwork and digital info, preservation and forensic imaging of digital units and accounts, financial damages, disgorgement of allegedly improper earnings and attorneys’ charges.
The grievance doesn’t specify a greenback quantity in damages.
Court docket paperwork point out that attorneys for Daglas and Harlan beforehand challenged the enforceability of sure employment agreements, arguing that the agreements lacked enough consideration.
The grievance additionally acknowledges that Daglas’ employment settlement comprises an arbitration provision. Edge says it’s looking for injunctive aid towards him in federal courtroom at this stage and intends to pursue financial claims by way of arbitration, topic to circumstances described within the grievance.
No courtroom has dominated on the deserves of Edge’s allegations or decided whether or not the disputed employment restrictions are enforceable.
Former workers have till Dec. 1 to reply
The 4 former workers and three associated LLCs waived formal service of the grievance, in line with courtroom information filed Oct. 6.
Their responses to the lawsuit are due Dec. 1.
An preliminary standing listening to is scheduled for Dec. 2 in Chicago.
As of the most recent docket reviewed by BigRig, no defendant had filed a substantive response to the grievance, and the courtroom had not issued a ruling on Edge’s allegations.
Why it issues: The Edge Logistics LLC v. Freight Tec Administration Group Inc. case highlights the authorized and monetary dangers freight brokers face when workers go away with priceless buyer relationships and set up competing operations.
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