Barrentine et al. v. Arkansas-Best Freight System, Inc., et al.

Decided April 6, 1981. William Joseph Brennan Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 79-2006 · 450 U.S. 728 (1981) · Cited 1,393 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 7–2.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Alexander v. Gardner-Denver Co. · 415 U.S. 36 (1974)
• Vaca v. Sipes · 386 U.S. 171 (1967)
• Brooklyn Savings Bank v. O'Neil · 324 U.S. 697 (1945)
• United Steelworkers of America v. Weber · 443 U.S. 193 (1979)
• United Steelworkers v. Warrior & Gulf Navigation Co. · 363 U.S. 574 (1960)
• United Steelworkers v. Enterprise Wheel & Car Corp. · 363 U.S. 593 (1960)
• Textile Workers v. Lincoln Mills of Ala. · 353 U.S. 448 (1957)
• Hines v. Anchor Motor Freight, Inc. · 424 U.S. 554 (1976)
• Overnight Motor Transportation Co. v. Missel · 316 U.S. 572 (1942)
• Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad v. Muscoda Local No. 123 · 321 U.S. 590 (1944)
• Steiner v. Mitchell · 350 U.S. 247 (1956)
• Jewell Ridge Coal Corp. v. Local No. 6167, United Mine Workers · 325 U.S. 161 (1945)
• United Steelworkers v. American Manufacturing Co. · 363 U.S. 564 (1960)
• Republic Steel Corp. v. Maddox · 379 U.S. 650 (1965)
• United States v. Darby · 312 U.S. 100 (1941)
• Ford Motor Co. v. Huffman · 345 U.S. 330 (1953)
• Humphrey v. Moore · 375 U.S. 335 (1964)
• Bernhardt v. Polygraphic Co. of America, Inc. · 350 U.S. 198 (1956)
• Gateway Coal Co. v. United Mine Workers · 414 U.S. 368 (1974)
• National Labor Relations Board v. Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co. · 388 U.S. 175 (1967)
• Walling v. Helmerich & Payne, Inc. · 323 U.S. 37 (1944)
• D. A. Schulte, Inc. v. Gangi · 328 U.S. 108 (1946)
• Bay Ridge Operating Co. v. Aaron · 334 U.S. 446 (1948)
• Emporium Capwell Co. v. Western Addition Community Organization · 420 U.S. 50 (1975)
• U. S. Bulk Carriers, Inc. v. Arguelles · 400 U.S. 351 (1971)
• McKinney v. Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad · 357 U.S. 265 (1958)
• Mitchell v. King Packing Co. · 350 U.S. 260 (1956)
• Walling v. Harnischfeger Corp. · 325 U.S. 427 (1945)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• 14 Penn Plaza LLC v. Pyett · 556 U.S. 247 (2009)
• McDonald v. City of West Branch · 466 U.S. 284 (1984)
• Encino Motorcars, LLC v. Navarro · 584 U.S. 79 (2018)
• Mitsubishi Motors Corp. v. Soler Chrysler-Plymouth, Inc. · 473 U.S. 614 (1985)
• Gilmer v. Interstate/Johnson Lane Corp. · 500 U.S. 20 (1991)
• Metropolitan Life Insurance v. Massachusetts · 471 U.S. 724 (1985)
• Encino Motorcars, LLC v. Navarro · 579 U.S. 211 (2016)
• Lamps Plus, Inc. v. Varela · 587 U.S. 176 (2019)
• Schneider Moving & Storage Co. v. Robbins · 466 U.S. 364 (1984)
• Lingle v. Norge Division of Magic Chef, Inc. · 486 U.S. 399 (1988)
• Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway v. Buell · 480 U.S. 557 (1987)
• Wright v. Universal Maritime Service Corp. · 525 U.S. 70 (1998)
• Christensen v. Harris County · 529 U.S. 576 (2000)
• Hawaiian Airlines, Inc. v. Norris · 512 U.S. 246 (1994)
• Christopher v. Smithkline Beecham Corp. · 567 U.S. 142 (2012)
• Tony and Susan Alamo Foundation v. Secretary of Labor · 471 U.S. 290 (1985)
• Central States, Southeast & Southwest Areas Pension Fund v. Central Transport, Inc. · 472 U.S. 559 (1985)
• Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. v. Hewitt · 598 U.S. 39 (2023)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).