NJ bill bars owner-operators from drayage, gov. may veto

Updated Jun 4, 2013
intermodal
Containers at Mobile, Ala., terminal. (Photo Todd Dills)

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has not said if he will sign a bill that would bar owner-operators from drayage and parcel delivery service.

Business groups oppose the Truck Operator Independent Contractor Act while labor organizations support it. Still, both sides have speculated on a veto vote from the Republican governor, who’s campaigning for his second term.

On May 30, the state Senate voted 21-17 for the bill after the Assembly cleared it with a 43-30 vote.

The legislation creates the presumption of an employer-employee relationship in the drayage trucking and parcel delivery trucking industry. If signed into law, trucking companies considered in violation could be fined $100-$1,000 and receive administrative penalties of up to $2,500 for a first violation and up to $5,000 for each subsequent violation.