Rep. Jeff Denham Deals A Low Blow To Truck Drivers
November 15, 2015
On October the 13th Representative Jeff Denham (CA-10) slid an Amendment into the Bill H.R. 22: Transportation Funding Act of 2015. This amendment will stop any state from creating any laws that require a carrier to pass accessorial pay to drivers who are paid by piece work as long as drivers are making the minimum hourly wage that the state requires. That would mean that if you are paid by the mile then the carrier would not have to pay you for unloading the trailer, detention pay, etc. as long as the pay you recieve meets the minimum requirements. If the state you work in requires you to make $7.25 an hour and you made that much or more then Reprentative Jeff Denham thinks that you are making an adequate wage for the work you do. Apparently Jeff Denham doesn't understand the aspects of truck driving, and doesn't know how to put a value to a drivers time.
If you are paid by the mile at a rate of 41 cents per mile calculated at an average speed of 50 miles per hour then you would be making $20.50 an hour. If you are logging your time legally at the dock and not being compensated for that time then you are losing $20.50 an hour, because that is time lost from your work week that you can never regain. DriverS should be compensated for all of the time that they work, even for their pre trip inspection, post trip inspection, and fueling. The Amendment was voted on November the 4th, and passed on a 248-180 vote. According to a gentlemen by the name of Aashish Desai, who is an attorney, and advocate in trucking, we have until November the 19th to contact our Representatives in Congress to have this Amendment struck from the Bill, that information was acquired from the radio talk show "Ask The Trucker"- Aubrey Allen Smith, and Aashish Desai was his guest.
We have a very short time to take action, so please don't put it off. It is imperative that we all do our part and contact our Representatives, and bring the importance of this matter to their attention before it's too late. You can locate your Representative at www.house.gov. Other links that you may find helpful to this issue: