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November 12, 2023 - WASHINGTON, D.C. — Last week, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and U.S. Representatives Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.-02) and Mark Takano (D-Calif.-39) introduced legislation to ensure that truckers are compensated fairly for the hours that they are on the clock, including overtime. The Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act would repeal the motor carrier provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, which excludes many truckers from overtime protections enjoyed by other workers.
In response to an Executive Order by President Biden, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a Freight and Logistics Supply Chain Assessment in February 2022, which highlights high turnover rates and compensation issues in the trucking industry. Among its recommendations, the Department called on Congress to repeal the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 motor carrier provision.
“America’s truck drivers are on the frontlines of our economy, enduring long hours away from home, and all too often, unpaid wait time at congested ports and warehouses. That’s because for decades, truck drivers have been excluded from overtime pay protections,” said Senator Padilla. “If truckers are forced to wait while on the job, they should be paid. This is not just a matter of fairness; it’s a matter of public safety. Experienced truckers are safer truckers, and better compensation will help more of them stay in the profession. It’s time we guarantee overtime for truckers.”
“From the food we eat to the medical supplies we use in our daily lives, truck drivers make sure consumer goods and commodities reach their destination on time,” said Senator Markey. “However, for almost a hundred years, obsolete labor regulations have denied truck drivers their rightful pay, leading to high turnover and supply chain disruptions. Senator Padilla and I are reintroducing our Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act to fix this injustice and ensure that these vital workers receive their hard-earned overtime pay. I thank Senator Padilla for his continued effort in delivering fair pay for our truck drivers—the vital engines that keep our economy running.”
“Truckers are the backbone of our nation’s economy and an essential component of our supply chain. Without truck drivers, our country would be at a standstill,” said Representative Van Drew. “I am proud to join my colleagues in supporting the Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act to ensure these hardworking men and women are compensated fairly.”
“Truckers have been left out of overtime opportunities due to archaic standards,” said Representative Takano. “The impact of truckers on the supply chain to get Americans the goods they rely on entitles these workers to competitive wages. In an industry plagued with high turnover, the most common-sense solution is to guarantee overtime pay to drivers.”
“America’s truckers keep our nation’s economy moving, and without the hard work of these men and women, our supply chain would grind to a halt. Unbelievably, trucking is one of the only professions in America that is denied guaranteed overtime pay. We are way past due as a nation in valuing the sacrifices that truckers make every single day. This starts with simply paying truckers for all of the time they work. With this discount on a trucker’s time, ‘big trucking’ has led a race to the bottom for wages that treats truckers as expendable components rather than the professionals they are. We thank Senator Padilla for fighting to right this wrong by guaranteeing overtime pay for truckers through the GOT Truckers Act. This legislation is an investment in truckers, road safety, and America,” said Todd Spencer, OOIDA President.
“Truck drivers have been denied overtime protections for nearly 100 years,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “The Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act rights this wrong, and would end this inexcusable abuse to hundreds of thousands of drivers across the country.”
“The FLSA Motor Carrier Exemption needlessly puts the lives of truck drivers and all roadway users at grave risk. The notion that it is acceptable for innocent people to die to avoid paying truck drivers for all their time is un-American. I am grateful to my home state Senator, Senator Padilla for taking action to eliminate this lethal loophole. The GOT Truckers Act will undoubtedly save lives and improve roadway safety for all,” said Tami Friedrich, Truck Safety Coalition President.
“Repealing the overtime exemption for truck drivers is not just an economic issue, but also a safety issue. Experienced drivers are essential to keeping our roads safe, but too many are leaving the industry because they are overworked and underpaid,” said Harry Adler, principal at the Institute for Safer Trucking. “The GOT Truckers Act would help to retain experienced truck drivers by providing them with the overtime pay they deserve. This would not only improve their quality of life, but also make our roads safer for everyone.”
Senator Padilla is a longtime advocate for improving workplace safety standards and helping workers secure fair wages. Last week, he introduced the bipartisan Wildland Firefighter Fair Pay Act to permanently raise the caps on overtime premium pay for federal wildland firefighters. Earlier this year, Padilla announced the Asunción Valdivia Heat, Illness, Injury and Fatality Prevention Act to protect the safety and health of workers who are exposed to dangerous heat conditions in the workplace. He also introduced the Fairness for Farm Workers Act, legislation to update the nation’s labor laws to ensure farm workers receive fairer wages and compensation. Padilla is also a proud cosponsor of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act of 2023.
In addition to Senators Padilla and Markey, the legislation is cosponsored by Senator and Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), as well as Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
The Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act is supported by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, the Truck Safety Coalition, and the Institute for Safer Trucking.
Full text of the bill is available here.
Source: Senator Alex Padilla
