OOIDA makes push in support of GOT Truckers Act

The GOT Truckers Act seeks fair compensation for truck drivers. Now, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association wants its members to reach out to their respective lawmakers and ask them to support the bill.

OOIDA, which advocated for the bipartisan Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act, issued a Call to Action email to its more than 150,000 members on Tuesday, April 19. Last week, Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich., introduced HR7517 to repeal the motor carrier overtime exemption in the Fair Labor Standards Act.

“Unbelievably, the Fair Labor Standards Act currently exempts truckers from its general requirement that employees are paid time-and-a-half after 40 hours in a workweek,” OOIDA wrote. “Truckers want to be fairly compensated for all the hours they work and HR7517 would finally fix the FLSA to make this a reality.”

The FLSA’s motor carrier overtime exemption has been in place since 1938. Levin’s measure, which has seven co-sponsors, would simply amend the FLSA to remove the exemption.

“I think a lot of people feel this is absolutely necessary for justice and fairness and really for the industry to function properly,” Levin told Land Line Now.

OOIDA said the original design of the exemption passed in the 1930s was to prevent truckers from working too many hours. The reality, the Association says, is that the “outdated law” prevents truckers from receiving fair compensation.

“Ask your representative to co-sponsor HR7517, the Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act, which would eliminate this exemption and help truckers get fairly compensated for all the time they work,” OOIDA wrote. “Not only would this legislation provide overtime pay to company drivers, but it will help lift compensation for truckers across the industry.”

Truckers who would like to tell their lawmaker to support the GOT Truckers Act can learn how to do so at FightingForTruckers.com.

The bill also is supported by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Institute for Safer Trucking, the Truck Safety Coalition, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways, and Parents Against Tired Truckers. LL