New Jersey Bill Clouds Owner/Operator Roles
A proposed New Jersey bill, A1578/S1450, dubbed the “Truck Operator Independent Contractor Act,” seeks to define drayage and parcel delivery owner-operators as employees of the companies they provide services for, rather than independent contractors.
The bill would also allow labor organizations to bring a civil action on behalf of an individual or as a class action.
The bill, which will be introduced this year, is under fire by several trucking organizations including the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, American Trucking Associations, New Jersey Motor Truck Association and the New York Motor Truck Association. Identical versions of the bill have been introduced in the Senate and the General Assembly.
“Supporters of the reclassification in New Jersey claim that drayage and parcel truckers in the state are being misclassified,” says OOIDA in a call to action on the organization’s website. “Lawmakers should know that the state would be better served to enforce existing rules on classification.”