'Jeopardize Public Safety'

AAA filed a public comment opposing New Jersey's independent-contractor rule, saying it would 'decimate' the roadside assistance network.

More than 885,000 drivers in New Jersey called AAA in 2024 to request emergency roadside assistance. That’s according to the public comment that AAA filed opposing the Department of Labor & Workforce Development’s proposed independent-contractor rule.

This comment states that the proposed rule “threatens the viability of AAA’s business model in New Jersey, which will jeopardize public safety on New Jersey roadways.”

Photo by Musa Haef on Unsplash

This comment explains how AAA’s network of local, independently owned businesses provide roadside assistance, and what would happen if the Labor Department finalizes the proposed rule:

“The AAA roadside assistance model simply does not work if the employees of these independent businesses are reclassified as AAA employees. Small independent businesses owners are not going to give up their independence to become employees of AAA. Instead, the relationships between the service provider and AAA will be severed and the referrals from AAA to these businesses will stop.

“The result would effectively decimate the 100-plus year structure of AAA’s network of roadside assistance provider relationships, and two million New Jersey drivers would lose access through AAA to the locally owned and operated businesses that provide emergency roadside assistance. The services provided by these small businesses are particularly needed in less populated areas of the state, where fewer options exist to obtain help.”

Here is the 15-page AAA public comment in full:

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This comment ends by stating:

“The Proposed Rule, if adopted, will jeopardize the ability of AAA to provide prompt emergency roadside assistance throughout the State of New Jersey, thereby increasing the danger to stranded drivers across the state.”

And Speaking of the Roads…

Another public comment opposed to New Jersey’s proposed independent-contractor rule came from the New Jersey Construction Materials Association, filed jointly with the NJ Asphalt Pavement Association.

These organizations represent producers of asphalt, concrete, stone, sand, gravel and other construction materials.

This comment states:

“Our work is often seasonal and project based, with demand for products and service fluctuating significantly throughout the year. The only way we can meet these demands is by having flexibility provided by owner/operator trucking firms and other independent contractor firms.

“In addition, classification of legitimate independent contractors as employees would add significantly to the overhead costs of our members to include taxes, benefits and related costs of hiring employees. This has the potential to increase costs for public and private construction statewide.”

Here is that three-page public comment in its entirety:

There’s a lot more to come from the estimated 8,300 public comments that were filed, expressing 99% opposition to New Jersey’s proposed independent-contractor rule.