Posts tagged trucking industry
Teamsters sue California DMV over rules that could affect 200,000 trucking jobs
August 11, 2026 // The Teamsters claim the regulations could eventually eliminate more than 200,000 employee semi-truck driver jobs across California. The suit says a similarly large number of self-employed commercial drivers could also be affected.
Trucking groups challenge bill that expands labor arbitration
August 7, 2026 // Representing American Trucking Associations as president, Chris Spear described the bill as government-mandated contracting instead of collective bargaining. He said if passed, the changes would eliminate employees from voting to approve an arbitration-imposed contract.
92-year-old freight company turns rival bankruptcy into profit
August 5, 2026 // Yellow collapsed in August 2023 under a mountain of debt and a bitter dispute with the Teamsters union, in what industry observers called the largest trucking bankruptcy in American history, according to NPR. Yellow had taken $700 million in pandemic-era federal loans just three years earlier, according to CNBC. Customers had already started routing freight away from Yellow in the weeks before the filing, wary of a looming strike that never fully materialized.
The Teamsters’ Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern opposition sacrifices the wrong members
July 21, 2026 // As an initial matter, consider the composition of the Teamsters' 1.3 million members. Somewhere between 45% and 55% work in trucking, parcel, freight, and warehouse operations. Roughly 20% to 25% hold public sector jobs. Airline employees account for 8% to 10%. Manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and sanitation fill in another 15% to 20%. Rail workers? Just 6% to 10% of the total membership. Put differently, for every Teamster who works on the railroad, there are roughly six who drive a truck, load a parcel or work a warehouse. Now, the opposition begins to make more sense. It is not really about rail workers at all through this merger. It is about protecting the union's much larger trucking, parcel, and warehouse divisions from a strengthened rail competitor.
Goldwater Institute: Embracing the Future: Say No to Driver-in Mandates
June 4, 2026 // If an autonomous truck cannot operate safely, it should not be on the road. But if it can operate safely without a human driver, requiring one anyway does not improve safety. It simply raises costs, slows deployment, and forces consumers to pay more. The United States has never prospered by forcing new technology to imitate the old system it improves upon. Policymakers should allow autonomous vehicles and trucking to develop under clear, evidence-based safety rules. They should not revive the logic of railroad featherbedding for the age of artificial intelligence. Autonomous vehicles should be judged by their safety and performance, not by whether they preserve the labor arrangements of the past. The future of freight should be faster, safer, and less expensive. Policymakers should let it arrive.
Commentary: The Federal Government Just Moved to Restore the Owner-Operator Model – Here Is What Actually Changed, What Did Not, and What You Still Need to Watch
March 16, 2026 // Three times in five years. That is how many times the federal standard governing whether an owner-operator is legally classified as an independent contractor or an employee has fundamentally shifted under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The 2021 Trump rule. The 2024 Biden rule. And now, on February 27, 2026, the Department of Labor’s formal proposal to rescind the 2024 rule and return to something close to the 2021 framework. Each time this pendulum swings, the trucking industry produces a wave of celebration or alarm depending on which direction it moved. The industry’s reaction to this latest move has been heavily celebratory — and not without reason. But if you are running a small fleet or operating as an owner-operator, the celebration needs to come with a clear-eyed understanding of what this rule change actually does, what it does not do, and where the real risk to your business model still sits.
Trucking industry reacts to Trump administration move to protect independent contractors
September 5, 2025 // According to the ATA, for more than 90 years, independent contractors have played a vital role in trucking, providing flexibility for drivers and capacity for the supply chain. More than 350,000 professional truck drivers choose to run their own businesses, set their own hours, and chart their own routes.
Op-ed: I had to leave California to save my business. Now there’s hope
August 12, 2025 // Running my truck as a small business allowed me to take long hauls across the country — sometimes bringing my children along — while keeping the flexibility and control that mattered most for my family’s well‑being. And I took pride in serving as a role model: showing that women can thrive behind the wheel, own their business and contribute to America’s supply chain. Thanks to leaders like Rep. Kiley, Washington is finally recognizing that independent contractors deserve the same respect and freedom as traditional employees. I hope the Senate moves quickly to pass this bill and send it to the president’s desk.
What was the impact of AB5 on California’s marginalized communities?
March 31, 2025 // Esther Hermida, a representative of the American Alliance of Professional Translators and Interpreters (AAPTI) testified about AB5’s impact on thousands of citizens in her industry comprised of 75 percent women. One professional translator, Ildiko Santana, reported she started her small business in 2000 as an immigrant and woman of color. She lost all 50 clients and all her income in 2020 when AB5 went into effect.
Teamsters’ President O’Brien Shares ‘Inside Baseball’ Into NLRB and PRO Act Machinations in Washington “The PRO Act was going to be used as a political pawn.”
March 6, 2025 // When Williamson goes after Trump for “destroying” the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) by firing Gwynne Wilcox, O’Brien explains the “inside baseball” being played inside Washington, explaining to Williamson how the “PRO Act was going to be used as a political pawn” (by Democrats). O’Brien then explains how the Teamsters are working with Democrats and Republicans to enact a “version” of the PRO Act and how his union avoids using the NLRB.