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Bill Introduced To Guarantee Overtime Pay For Drivers

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September 19, 2022

Bill Introduced To Guarantee Overtime Pay For Drivers

Multiple Democratic Senators took are pushing for a guarantee in overtime pay for long-distance employee truck operators by introducing the Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act.

This Act would repeal the motor carrier provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, whish has been a barrier to overtime pay for drivers for a long time. 

“Truck drivers are the engines of our economy, ensuring that everything from consumer goods to commodities reach their destination on time,” said Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) in a press release. “Outdated labor regulations have denied these vital workers overtime, leading to high turnover and supply chain disruptions.”

Who Introduced This Bill?

The bill was originally introduced in the House by Representatives by Andy Levin (D-Mich.) in April, but hasn’t made any headway. Markey and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) on Monday introduced the bill in the Senate, which was co-sponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Markey cited the Department of Transportation’s February 2022 Freight and Logistics Supply Chain Assessment, which called for the removal of the motor carrier exemption to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Many are calling for drivers to get paid time-and-a-half after 40 hours of weekly work, something that’s standard fare in other industries. 

Bipartisan Support Needed

A Republican Senator from New Jersey cosponsored the Senate bill, in addition to other Democrats. With the Senate bill just introduced on Monday, it’s too early to tell if the effort will get the same reception in the upper chamber. Despite the support for the House bill and the DOT urging it forward, it hasn’t moved beyond committee referral in almost five months. 

Senator Markey acknowledged some trucking interests’ objections to removing the FLSA’s overtime exemption, urging constituents not to “be fooled by the trucking companies’ crocodile tears,” he said. “There is a simple way to recruit and retain drivers: increase their pay. The Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act does exactly that.”

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