A. In the trucking industry, an owner-operator or lessee of a vehicle which is licensed and registered as a truck, tractor, or truck-tractor by a governmental motor vehicle regulatory agency is an independent contractor, not an employee, while performing services in the operation of his truck, if each of the following factors is substantially present:

1. The individual owns the equipment or holds it under a bona fide lease arrangement;

2. The individual is responsible for the maintenance of the equipment;

3. The individual bears the principal burdens of the operating costs, including fuel, repairs, supplies, vehicle insurance, and personal expenses while on the road;

4. The individual is responsible for supplying the necessary personal services to operate the equipment;

5. The individual's compensation is based on factors related to the work performed including a percentage of any schedule of rates or lawfully published tariff and not on the basis of the hours or time expended;

6. The individual generally determines the details and means of performing the services, in conformance with regulatory requirements, operating procedures of the carrier and specifications of the shipper; and

7. The individual enters into a contract that specifies the relationship to be that of an independent contractor and not that of an employee.

B. No such owner-operator or lessee who qualifies under the criteria set forth in subsection A of this section shall be considered by the Commission to be an employee covered by this title for any services performed prior to or after January 1, 1987. Taxes paid or benefits collected prior to January 1, 1987, that would be affected by the provisions of this section, shall not be subject to refund.

1987, c. 539.