California Democrats Give Independent Truckers an Impossible Choice

Comply with A.B. 5, or quit being a truck driver.

Until now in California, truck drivers have had a choice. They could be employees of trucking companies, or they could be independent owner-operators.

But in 2019, California decided it knew better. Governor Gavin Newsom signed A.B. 5, a law that sought to classify more workers as employees instead of independent contractors. California exempted many industries from the law, including parts of the state’s entertainment industry. In 2020, 59 percent of California voters approved a ballot initiative to exempt rideshare drivers from A.B. 5.