NJ Truck Driving School Faces Legal Action: Misclassification & Labor Law Violations

Lawsuit Seeks Back Wages, Penalties, Fines, and End of Misclassification of Employee Instructors as Independent Contractors.Photo byMorristown Minute

Attorney General and Labor Commissioner target Jersey Tractor Trailer Training for alleged labor law violations, seeking back wages and halting unfair practices.

Trenton, NJ — In a significant legal move aimed at enforcing labor laws, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo have initiated a lawsuit against Jersey Tractor Trailer Training, Inc. (JTTT), a North Jersey-based truck driving school accused of misclassifying its instructors as independent contractors.

Filed in Superior Court, the state’s complaint accuses JTTT of wrongly categorizing at least 30 driving instructors, thus depriving them of rightful wages and critical employment protections under New Jersey law. These instructors, responsible for teaching commercial driver’s license (CDL) courses, reportedly lacked essential benefits such as minimum wage, overtime, and unemployment insurance due to this misclassification.

“Misclassification is a form of corporate cheating, plain and simple, and here in New Jersey, no business is above the law,” said Attorney General Platkin. “It hurts workers, and it harms other businesses that comply with the rules and try to compete on an unequal playing field.”

“We are out of patience for employers that exploit workers with this egregious behavior,” said Labor Commissioner Asaro-Angelo. “New Jersey laws are clear, and it does not matter the industry or occupation, employee misclassification is illegal and we will catch you.”

Details of the Allegations

The lawsuit highlights several alleged violations from 2018 through 2022, including failure to pay overtime, improper record-keeping of hours and wages, neglect in providing earned sick leave, delayed wage payments, and inadequate contributions to state funds such as the Unemployment Compensation Fund and State Disability Benefits Fund.

Investigation and Findings

The 2021 investigation by NJDOL unearthed practices at JTTT where the company not only set work hours and schedules but also exerted control over all aspects of the job—from classroom instruction to on-road training. This level of control, typical of employer-employee relationships, includes JTTT’s requirements for instructors to work on Saturdays, wear company uniforms, and use company-owned vehicles branded with JTTT logos for training.

Legal and Financial Implications

The state seeks an injunction to stop JTTT from continuing to misclassify its instructors, a declaration that these workers were indeed employees, and restitution in the form of back wages and damages for the affected instructors. Furthermore, substantial penalties are sought for these breaches of state labor laws.

This case marks the second instance the state has leveraged new legislation passed in 2021, enhancing the powers of the Attorney General’s office to address misclassification issues directly through the New Jersey Superior Court.

Both workers and businesses affected by or concerned about classification issues are encouraged to visit NJDOL’s dedicated websites. Workers can find more information about their rights at myworkrights.nj.gov, while businesses can learn about compliance at nj.gov/labor.

As the legal proceedings unfold, the outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for labor practices in similar industries across New Jersey, reinforcing the state's stringent stance on labor rights protection.

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