The American Trucking Associations (ATA) recently applauded U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao for asserting the federal government’s role in regulating interstate commerce by granting a petition to pre-empt state rest break rules.
ATA had sent the petition in September, requesting the U.S. Department of Transportation pre-empt California’s meal-and-rest break rules. The rules are confusing and duplicative, ATA said, and harms safety.
The rules place an unreasonable burden on interstate commerce and are in conflict with federal rules, ATA said.
California’s rules have been enforced mostly by private lawsuits against motor carriers.
“This is a victory for highway safety, not trial lawyers,” ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said. “The trucking industry supports our nation’s economic growth by safely and efficiently moving goods across state lines, and this decision by the Department of Transportation will save jobs, unburden businesses throughout the supply chain and keep the prices Americans pay for food, clothing and countless other essential items affordable and accessible.”
ATA hopes Chao’s move underscores the importance of a single, national standard for work and safety rules for professional drivers, Spear said.
Despite bipartisan and bicameral support, congressional dysfunction and gridlock have prevented Congress from being the primary arbiter of interstate commerce, Spear said.