Trucking news and briefs for Monday, Nov. 20, 2023:
A federal court in Oklahoma ruled in favor of a trucking company in a case in which two truckers claimed they were underpaid for work performed in California.
Drivers Matthew Bromlow and Johnny Walters alleged in a lawsuit that D&M Carriers, doing business as Freymiller:
Bromlow, a company driver, and Walters, an owner-operator, also claimed the company did not allow them California’s off-duty meal and rest break periods. Because federal hours of service regulations preempt California’s state laws, the court did not address those claims.
[Related: A small fleet v. the Teamsters]
According to court documents, during his five months of employment from October 2016 to March 2017, Bromlow drove just 5.67% of his miles in California. Walters, who worked for the company from July 2018 to January 2019, drove 8.75% of his total miles in California.
The operators asked the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma to determine the reach of California labor laws setting minimum wage rates and timing of payments and prohibiting wage deductions for employees who don’t principally work in California.
