From Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s perspective, the Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act is all about fairness.
Most workers receive overtime compensation when they log more than 40 hours in a week. However, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 exempts motor carriers from having to pay overtime.
The Republican from New Jersey is part of the bipartisan effort to change that, as he introduced the House version of the GOT Truckers Act earlier this month.
“I’m a strong Republican,” Van Drew told Land Line Now. “I believe in Republican values, and I believe for the future of the country that we have to be strong. However, there are issues that cross barriers, and this is one of them. I welcome my Democratic colleagues on this, because I think they also recognize the fairness issue. I believe in entrepreneurship. I believe in business. I believe in hard work, but I also believe in fairness. That’s the point of this bill, and that’s what I think appeals to people on both sides of the aisle.”
Bills in the House and Senate
There are versions of the GOT Truckers Act in the House and Senate. Van Drew and Rep. Mark Takano, D-Calif., introduced HR6359, while Sens. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., and Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., introduced S3273.
Van Drew said the legislation would ensure that a truck driver’s time is valued. Currently, truckers often work 60 or 70 hours in a week without receiving any extra compensation for that time. Even worse, most drivers are paid by the mile and aren’t paid for any of the job functions that take place when they are parked.
“Let’s be fair,” Van Drew said. “Truckers are breaking their backs. They sincerely are what makes America move. Our country would be in a whole lot of trouble if we didn’t have truckers working for us every single day. When people don’t work hard, that’s up to them and maybe they don’t deserve to make a lot of money. But truckers do, and they deserve to be treated fairly and make a decent income.”
OOIDA supports overtime for truckers
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents the rights of truck drivers, supports the bill and is encouraging its more than 150,000 members to contact their lawmakers.
“Ask your representative or senators to co-sponsor the Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act,” OOIDA wrote. “The bill would eliminate this (FLSA) exemption and help truckers be fairly compensated for all the time they work. Not only would this legislation provide overtime pay to company drivers, but it will help lift compensation for truckers across the industry.”
Go to OOIDA’s Fighting For Truckers website for an easy way to contact your lawmaker. LL
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