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- Category: Industry News
VLA President William Kerr
Two of the Mid-Atlantic’s premiere industry state associations will be hosting quarterly membership meetings in February.
On February 6, the Virginia Limousine Association (VLA) is holding their first quarterly meeting at Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Ruckersville from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The dinner meeting, sponsored by Camryn Executive Limousine, will welcome guest speaker Barbara Lundren, the CEO of Barb Wired Event Management. With more than 25 years in event management, Lundren will share her expectations on ground transportation’s role in her industry.
Ken Lucci of Driving Transactions will speak at the LANJ meeting
To RSVP, send an email to VLA President William Kerr at WKerr@Camryn-Limo.com.
Then on Wednesday, February 15, the Limousine Association of New Jersey (LANJ) will hold their 2023 kickoff meeting from noon to 2 p.m. at the Hampton Inn in Woodbridge. All members are invited, and the event is also open to operators who are non-members.
Lunch will be served compliments of LANJ and there is no fee to attend.
The afternoon's featured speaker will be industry strategic, operational, and sales consultant Ken Lucci of Driving Transactions, who will drill down on two topics every operator—small, midsize, or large—needs to know: understanding your direct costs to price right and plan for profits; and dispelling the myth that it's all about low price (how to sell value).
LANJ President Jason Sharenow
Additionally, association president Jason Sharenow will present The LANJ Report, including the latest information on proposed congestion pricing for vehicles accessing lower Manhattan.
RSVP now by emailing patricia.nelson103@gmail.com, confirming your name(s) and company and saying "I'll/We'll be there!"
Visit virginialimousineassociation.org or lanj.org for more information.
[01.30.23]
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Heads up, Canadian commercial vehicle operators and those doing business across the border with a commercial vehicle. As of January 1, 2023, Canada is now enforcing its electronic logging device (ELD) requirement—with penalties—for all commercial motor carriers operating in the country, including those crossing from the US. This is following the phase-in “education” period and previous delays due to COVID.
The ELD used must be on the approved list set forth by Transport Canada and the Minister of Transport for both Canada- and US-based operators. The list of approved devices and model numbers can be found here.
Guidance from the agency for US operators: “US-based motor carriers and drivers must use electronic logging devices that meet Canada's regulations and technical standard. You can use devices that meet both Canadian and American regulations, but the device must be tested and certified by a certification body that has been accredited by Transport Canada. US exemptions (e.g. agricultural exemption) will not be recognized in Canada.”
You can find more information about Canada’s enforcement of ELDs here.
[01.24.23]
Special thanks to Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide and Pattie Cowley of the Greater New Jersey Motorcoach Association for the reminder.
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- Category: Industry News
In December, the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) commented on the US Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposal for determining employee or independent contractor classification under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), urging the agency to withdraw the potential updated rule that would make it harder to classify workers as ICs. ASTA is a leading global advocate for travel advisors, the travel industry, and the traveling public.
According to the DOL, “the proposed rule would provide guidance on classifying workers and seeks to combat employee misclassification. Misclassification is a serious issue that denies workers’ rights and protections under federal labor standards, promotes wage theft, allows certain employers to gain an unfair advantage over law-abiding businesses, and hurts the economy at-large.”
This would rescind the so-called simpler Independent Contractor Rule of 2021, passed under the Trump administration, which the Biden administration attempted to block before it was enacted but was ultimately put into effect. The new proposed rule would be similar to the IC classification that was in place during the Obama administration. In short: the proposed rule would restore a “totality-of-the circumstances” assessment of the “economic reality test,” a more comprehensive review of factors in deciding whether a worker is truly an IC or employee, that generally has a bias toward employee classification.
However, not all workers and employers agree on employee status as a benefit. When the public comment period of the proposed ruling closed in December 2022, there were more than 55,000 comments, many in favor of the current test and the preference for IC status.
“Rather than trying to fix something that isn’t broken, the proposal should be withdrawn. For decades, the usage of independent contractors in our industry has grown steadily because it provides substantial benefits for both workers and agencies in situations where a traditional employment relationship doesn’t make sense,” said ASTA President & CEO Zane Kerby. “In our view, as compared with the interpretation currently in place, DOL’s proposal represents a clear, if modest, step backward that would increase uncertainty as to a worker’s status as either an employee or an independent contractor.”
The final ruling is expected to be announced in May 2023.
Visit asta.org for more information.
[01.24.23]