Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/596928
November 2015 | Overdrive | 19 LOGBOOK The carrier handling Am- azon's same-day delivery services has been hit with a lawsuit by California truckers who claim the company has misclassifi ed them as con- tractors instead of company employees, thereby denying them wages and benefi ts owed under California law. Four truck operators fi led the class-action litigation last month on behalf of themselves and hundreds of other delivery drivers employed as part of Amazon's Prime Now service. Named as defendants in the suit are Amazon and carrier Scoobeez, the latter of which is the actual employer of the drivers bringing the suit. The truckers claim Amazon and Scoobeez operate in "clear abuse of the independent contractor" model, part of a system they say allows the com- panies to skirt minimum wage laws and break requirements set by California labor laws. Attorney Beth A. Ross rep- resents the drivers. She's the same attorney who success- fully challenged FedEx's use of independent contractors in recent years, leading to a $228 million settlement between FedEx and drivers determined by courts to be classifi ed wrongly as contractors. According to court docu- ments, the drivers worked in shifts and were given specifi c instructions on the order of their deliveries and the routes they should drive. They also were required to wear uniforms denoting them as Amazon representatives and pay for things such as fuel, maintenance and insurance Amazon carrier hit with classifi cation suit out of their hourly checks. California has been a hotbed of mis- classifi cation lawsuits, with several court decisions since 2013 favoring drivers bringing the cases. Penske, FedEx, Affi nity Logistics and other large carriers have lost suits in which drivers claimed the companies were using the contractor model to withhold benefi ts. – James Jaillet Howes Collectible Pocket Knife when you purchase six bottles of Diesel Treat ½ gallons. Visit www.howeslube.com or call 1-800 GET HOWES Offer ends: 3/31/16, available while supplies last. 1-800 GET HOWES (438-4693) • www.howeslube.com Watch out winter, Howes Diesel Treat is changing the game! Why take chances with your diesel fuel gelling when Howes can give you a 100% GUARANTEE against it? While competing products disperse water, Howes Diesel Treat displaces it, leaving only pure fuel to burn. If you want winning performance all winter long, stay in the game with Howes Diesel Treat. ✓ Prevents Diesel Fuel From Gelling, Guaranteed! ✓ Saves Money and Eliminates Downtime ✓ Increases Power and Fuel Economy ✓ Eliminates Smoking and Rough Idle ✓ Treats More Fuel than Competing Brands ✓ Warranty Safe for all Diesel Emission Systems Truckers 1, Winter 0. Watch out winter, Howes Diesel Treat is changing the game! Why take chances with your diesel fuel gelling when Howes can give you a 100% GUARANTEE against it? While competing products disperse water, Howes Diesel Treat displaces it, leaving only pure fuel to burn. If you want winning performance all winter long, stay in the game with Howes Diesel Treat. ✓ Prevents Diesel Fuel From Gelling, Guaranteed! ✓ Saves Money and Eliminates Downtime ✓ Increases Power and Fuel Economy ✓ Eliminates Smoking and Rough Idle ✓ Treats More Fuel than Competing Brands ✓ Warranty Safe for all Diesel Emission Systems Truckers 1, Winter 0. Truckers 1, Winter 0. Truckers 1, 2 nd in Series, Limited Edition! Howes Collectible Pocket Knife 2 nd in Series, nd in Series, nd Limited Edition! C M Y CM MY CY CMY K HowesOverdriveW15Half.pdf 1 7/24/15 2:00 PM