The new California law that makes it harder for employers to classify workers as contractors doesn’t apply to trucking businesses, a state court judge in Los Angeles said in a ruling marking a big win for the industry.
The law is preempted by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act, said Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William Highberger in a Jan. 8 decision. That’s because it would ban motor carriers “from using independent contractors to provide transportation services,” Highberger said.
The dispute is among several legal actions that have arisen in the wake of the state’s rigid worker classification standard. ...