TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) have filed a lawsuit against Jersey Tractor Trailer Training, Inc. (JTTT), alleging the company misclassified at least 30 driving instructors as independent contractors rather than employees. The lawsuit, announced Tuesday by Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and NJDOL Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo, seeks to recover unpaid wages, penalties, and damages while also halting JTTT’s alleged illegal practices.
The complaint, filed in Superior Court, accuses JTTT of violating multiple state labor laws from 2018 to 2022, including failure to pay overtime, failure to maintain accurate records, and failure to provide sick leave. The lawsuit further asserts that JTTT avoided contributing to key state funds, such as the Unemployment Compensation Fund and the State Disability Benefits Fund, by misclassifying workers.
“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. He emphasized that misclassifying employees denies them essential rights and protections, while also unfairly disadvantaging businesses that comply with state regulations.
The NJDOL’s investigation, launched in 2021, found evidence that JTTT controlled the instructors’ schedules, work hours, and lesson guidelines—indications of an employee relationship, rather than an independent contractor arrangement. Additionally, many of the instructors lacked the resources typically associated with independent businesses, such as liability insurance or a federal tax ID number.
The lawsuit seeks to classify the instructors as employees and secure back wages, damages, and penalties for the violations. Commissioner Asaro-Angelo reiterated the state’s commitment to addressing worker exploitation, stating, “New Jersey laws are clear, and it does not matter the industry or occupation, employee misclassification is illegal and we will catch you.”
The case highlights the state’s ongoing efforts to combat employee misclassification and enforce labor laws aimed at protecting workers’ rights.