Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate would ensure truckers are compensated fairly for the hours they are on the clock, including overtime.
The Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act would repeal a motor carrier provision in the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that excludes many truckers from overtime protections.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Transportation urged Congress to repeal the motor carrier provision as part of its Freight and Logistics Supply Chain Assessment. The document discusses high turnover rates and compensation issues in the trucking industry.
U.S. Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the bill.
“America’s truck drivers are on the frontlines of keeping goods and our economy moving,” Padilla said. “In fact, more than 70 percent of goods across the United States are shipped by truck. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting supply chain crisis aggravated persistent hardships for truckers, including long hours spent waiting—often unpaid—to load and unload goods.”
CRASH, the Institute for Safer Trucking, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, OOIDA, Parents Against Tired Truckers, and the Truck Safety Coalition support the legislation.
U.S. Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) introduced a companion bill in the House of Representatives.