Ninth Cir. Upholds California Trucker Break Rule Preemption (1)

The Ninth Circuit affirmed the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s decision to preempt California’s meal and rest break requirements for drivers of passenger-carrying commercial motor vehicles.

A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Thursday declined the petition from California’s attorney general and labor commissioner seeking review and a finding that the state’s MRB rules were beyond the scope of the FMSCA’s preemption authority. The petitioners also argued that the federal agency could only review state laws specifically directed at commercial motor vehicle safety, not those of general applicability.

The dispute arose over the ...