Appeals Court to Rule on California Meal-Break Law

A trio of California Penske driver-installers has asked a federal appeals court to overturn a lower federal court ruling that exempts motor carriers from compliance with the state’s meal- and rest-break requirements.

The California law requires motor carriers to provide two half-hour meal breaks and two 10-minute rest breaks for employees who work 10 hours or more.

Trade organizations, including American Trucking Associations, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Truck Leasing and Renting Association said in legal filings last month that the effect of the break requirements would be “immediate and significant.”

Application of California’s meal- and rest-break requirements to motor carrier operations would “open the door to a 50-state patchwork of similar regulations” that would “reduce the uniformity Congress envisioned to a shambles,” ATA said.

Although it’s uncertain how fast the appeals court could decide the case, Richard Pianka, ATA’s deputy general counsel, said the court could take as long as mid-2013 to issue a ruling.