On July 9, 2014, a Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that California truck drivers are entitled to meal breaks and rest periods under California state law despite federal deregulation of the trucking industry. Prior to the Court of Appeals ruling in Dilts v. Penske Logistics, Inc. (July 9, 2014), several federal judges in California ruled that trucking companies were exempted from the requirement to provide mandatory breaks by the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 which prohibits states from enforcing any statutes “related to a price, route or service of any motor carrier” that is transporting property. The Dilts decision now sets those rulings aside by holding truck drivers are protected by state law. The Court reasoned in its decision that “while motor carriers may have to take into account the [California] meal and rest break requirements when allocating resources and scheduling routes – just as they must take into account state wage laws, or speed limits and weight restrictions – the laws do not ‘bind’ motor carriers to specific prices, routes, or services.” Employers should monitor whether the case will be appealed.
