Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, July 19, 2022:
Rep. Michelle Steel (R-California) led members of the California Congressional Delegation in sending a letter last week to California Gov. Gavin Newsom urging him to take immediate action to prevent AB 5 from “devastating the California trucking industry and further crippling nationwide supply chains.”
“The U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition that leaves a reported 70,000 independent truckers with serious doubts about whether they can continue to operate inside our state,” the lawmakers said. “This creates a legal mess made by the state of California. AB5 continues to restrict the ability of Californians to work as independent contractors.”
The group added that AB 5 will have a negative effect on the supply chain and will lead to many independent contractors leaving the state. “Without enough truckers, cargo will continue to sit at the ports waiting to be delivered,” the group said. “We must allow for truckers in California to work as independent contractors.”
The lawmakers sent the letter after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up the California Trucking Association’s case against the law. The law had been stayed pending appeal, but will now go into effect, potentially shrinking the number of owner-operators, further worsening the backlogs at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and exacerbating the supply chain crisis, the group added.
Members of Congress joining Steel in sending the letter included Reps. Kevin McCarthy, Darrell Issa, Ken Calvert, Young Kim, Tom McClintock, Mike Garcia, Connie Conway, David Valadao, Doug LaMalfa and Jay Obernolte.
Autocar is recalling approximately 601 model year 2022-23 Legend, Xpeditor and Xspotter trucks equipped with R.H. Sheppard steering gears that were recalled last month, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents.
