Hello XXXXXXXX,

If this is expensive equipment, you may want to ask your insurance company if they will cover the equipment if it gets damaged in an accident, particularly where you are negligent (accidents happen). You may also want to ask your insurance company if they will cover any part of your accident, or if there is an exclusion, where you are hauling material for an employer to a jobsite. If your insurance coverage would not cover commercial hauling, you have a good reason to tell your boss that you will not haul the equipment to a jobsite.

Further, from what you write, your employer may actually be having you engage in commercial hauling. If it requires a pickup truck to haul the equipment, then you are likely hauling a fair amount of equipment. And you are being paid to do so - not much, but you are being paid. From what you write, then, your drivers' license might not cover you for commercial hauling.

To find out if it does, you may want to contact the California DMV to determine if you need to upgrade your drivers' license to a commercial license, based upon your hauling of equipment for your employer.

Or, if you don not really want to haul a truck full of equipment for your employer, if you are required to have a commercial drivers' license to haul what you are being asked to haul, you could tell your employer that you do not have the needed commercial drivers' license.

Please ACCEPT. Positive feedback and bonuses are appreciated!

Gloria M

Please be aware that my answer is not legal advice, it is merely informational and educational. Fees I receive for answering questions are paid for information, not legal advice. This forum is designed to provide only general information, to give you a basis of knowledge. You and I have not entered into an attorney/client relationship, and I am not responsible for your legal rights. The only way for us to be in an attorney/client relationship is if you have signed a written retainer agreement with my law firm, and I am only licensed to practice law in Illinois. You should consult with legal counsel in your area for specific information relevant to your situation.

Hello XXXXXXXX,

There is no law that protects an employee from being told by an employer that they want you to drive a specific type of vehicle. But you can refuse. You can tell him that you cannot afford to drive the truck with gas prices as high as they are, nor can you afford the extensive wear and tear on the truck that hauling his materials would require.

If he fires you for that refusal, and if you have been employed with him sufficiently long, you may file for unemployment and look for a more reasonable employer. He would then need to hire someone with a truck who is willing to haul his equipment cheaply, at a financial loss to themselves.

Gloria M

Please be aware that my answer is not legal advice, it is merely informational and educational. Fees I receive for answering questions are paid for information, not legal advice. This forum is designed to provide only general information, to give you a basis of knowledge. You and I have not entered into an attorney/client relationship, and I am not responsible for your legal rights. The only way for us to be in an attorney/client relationship is if you have signed a written retainer agreement with my law firm, and I am only licensed to practice law in Illinois. You should consult with legal counsel in your area for specific information relevant to your situation.