I'm sure I wasn't alone in my reaction to yesterday's Bus & Motorcoach News Flash, which reported that bills have been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate to eliminate the overtime exemption for commercial drivers engaged in interstate commerce. When I first read it, I was taken aback and had to reread the article. If these bills were to become law, they would significantly alter the business practices of many transportation operators across the U.S.
Companies engaged in interstate commerce operate under an exemption to the Fair Labor Standards Act. This exemption, known as The Motor Carrier Exemption (Section 13(b)1), "provides that drivers, driver's helpers, loaders, or mechanics employed by a motor carrier are exempt from overtime as long as their duties affect the safety of motor vehicles used in transportation on public highway…
