WASHINGTON — As the rights of independent contractors increasingly come under assault from state and federal policymakers, the American Trucking Associations’ vice president of workforce policy, Nathan Mehrens, testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday to advocate for protections for independent truckers.
“In trucking, being an IC puts an individual in the driver’s seat—both figuratively and literally,” Mehrens said. “Truckers choose the IC model because of the economic opportunity it creates and the flexibility it provides. It enables them to run their own businesses, select their own hours and routes, and often make more money.”
Clear, Commonsense Framework
Mehrens delivered his remarks before the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections at a hearing titled “Empowering the Modern Worker.” On behalf of the over 350,000 independent contractors in trucking who choose this career path, Mehrens argued forcefully for Congress to establish a clear, commonsense framework that provides certainty for Americans to earn a living in the manner that they decide.
Mehrens pointed to survey results that consistently show that ICs want to maintain their work arrangements. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 80% of ICs prefer their status; fewer than 10% want to be employees. In his testimony, Mehrens shared the stories of two independent truckers who chose the IC path to achieve the American Dream: A woman from Pennsylvania, who was able to purchase a home while serving as a family caregiver, and a refugee from Minnesota, who was able to launch his own business.
Independent Contractors are Vital to the Industry
The trucking industry has relied on independent contractors since the inception of interstate trucking, and court decisions over the last nine decades have continually reaffirmed the legitimate role independent contractors play in the economy.
Last year, independent contractors came under fire when the Biden Administration radically rewrote their classification, replacing a straightforward definition with an opaque and deliberately confusing standard designed to fuel frivolous litigation and deny self-employed individuals the freedom of choice to work as independent contractors, according to an ATA press release.
Opposing the Independent Contractor Rule
ATA has strongly opposed the independent contractor rule since it was first proposed. Earlier this month, ATA praised Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s decision to stop enforcing this disruptive rule, which is laying the groundwork for restoring the first Trump Administration’s definition for independent contractors that is based on decades of case law.
Mehrens endorsed the Modern Worker Empowerment Act, a bill that would codify the independent contractor definition promulgated under the first Trump Administration. He also urged committee members to reject legislative threats to ICs such as the PRO Act, which, among other things, doubles down on the failed experiment from California’s AB-5 that jeopardized IC’s livelihoods.
“Trucking has rightly been described as the backbone of America’s supply chain,” Mehrens said. “We have America’s back. The Secretary of Labor recently told us that she and the administration have our backs. Now we need [Congress] to have our backs, to support our indispensable role as the primary mover of more than three-quarters of American freight.”
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
