Story by:James Jaillet @trucknewsJJ | @ http://ccjdigital.com

Some 2,800 miles from Sacramento, where California lawmakers are fresh off enacting a bill that effectively blocks motor carriers from contracting with owner-operators, state lawmakers in Trenton, New Jersey, are considering nearly identical legislation.

Like California’s September-passed A.B. 5 law, New Jersey’s S. 4204 would restrict businesses’ ability to use independent contractors. It’s unclear what the ramifications of the New Jersey law ultimately would be, should it pass. But in California, the law has prompted fleets to shy away from using leased owner-operators — those who own their own truck but lease it to a larger carrier and operate under their authority. The law also has threatened the ability of independent owner-operators, those running under their own authority, to operate in California, says the California Trucking Association.

CTA, along with two independent owner-operators, filed a fresh lawsuit last month challenging California and its A.B. 5 law, and their attorney says he’s willing to see the lawsuit through all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court — especially in light of New Jersey’s push for a similar law the potential split court decisions that could arise in legal challenges against the two.

Read the full story HERE @ ccjdigital.com

Source and credits: ccjdigital.com /James Jaillet 

 iTrucker  / Mario Pawlowski