November 30, 2023
Should Truck Drivers Be Guaranteed Overtime Pay?
The nation’s supply chain relies heavily on the work of truck drivers and the goods they deliver daily. Decreasing the truck driver shortage gap has been a hot topic over the last few years as companies are restructuring pay and benefits in favor of drivers. Some lawmakers are now attempting to overturn Labor Act Exemptions that disqualify truck drivers from being guaranteed overtime pay, sparking debates within the trucking industry.
Why Don’t Truck Drivers Get Overtime Pay?
The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 created rules for proper employer practices and fair pay, setting standards for minimum wage, maximum work hours, and overtime pay. The Motor Carriers Exemption means truck drivers are not guaranteed overtime pay under the act.
Before technological advances, monitoring working hours and detention times for truckers was challenging, making it problematic to determine overtime hours. Now, 85 years later, technology has made its way into the trucking industry through electronic logs, GPS, and more, with the capability to monitor almost everything a trucker does, including detention time. These transitions haven’t been easy on old-school truckers, especially when the goal is to keep them in the industry, not chase them away.
Why the Push for Overtime Pay Now?
The Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act proposes overturning previous legislation that exempted truckers from overtime pay. Drivers believe they are not always compensated for all their hours due to congestion at warehouses and ports and other issues outside their control that delay deliveries. Lawmakers believe these changes would compensate drivers for overtime, especially when waiting to load and unload.
The push to get overtime pay for truckers is part of efforts to improve the trucking industry and appeal to drivers more. The supply chain relies on truck drivers to keep it moving, and making sure they feel appreciated and compensated for what they do may help bring in more drivers and keep experienced drivers from leaving the industry.
Recent studies found where issues fall in the supply chain and how they affect the flow of goods. Supply chain assessments were performed under legislative instruction, showing high driver turnover and driver shortages as a detriment to supply chain flows. Truckers were highlighted during the pandemic, and the nation was able to experience first-hand the importance of those trucks and the drivers behind the wheel.
Oppositions to Overtime Pay for Truck Drivers
There are certain oppositions to the act, alleging that it would cause more supply chain issues than benefits. The ATA voiced its opinion on the adverse effects the legislature would have like crippling pay structures companies are already attempting to improve and perfect. Proper compensation for truck drivers isn’t a new conversation topic, as lawmakers are hustling to strengthen the industry after witnessing its importance during the pandemic and their hold on supply chains.
Other issues like safe and available truck parking cause massive turmoil for truckers in wasted time and money, a topic that should be on top of the pile. Not all truck drivers are exempt from receiving overtime pay like, owner-operators and some long-haul drivers.
Whether drivers would genuinely benefit from this act is difficult to predict, but not every effort to combat driver turnaround may be the correct one.
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