Drivers at several trucking companies serving the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach picketed four trucking companies Monday, pressuring them to hire them as full-time staff rather than as independent contractors.

The pickets were organized by Justice for Port Truck Drivers, which said that to classify drivers as independent contractors is a misclassification according to state and federal labor laws.

The four trucking companies targeted for picketing are Intermodal Bridge Transport Inc.; Pacific 9 Transportation; Pacer Cartage, a division of XPO Logistics Inc.; and Harbor Rail Transport.

Justice for Port Truck Drivers said that in November, several federal and state organizations, including the National Labor Relations Board, the U.S. Department of Labor, California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement and the state’s Employment Development Department declared truck drivers to be misclassified if categorized as independent contractors.

In a statement, Shawn Yadon, chief executive of the California Trucking Association, which represents the companies being picketed, said, “We respect the right of each member company to decide for itself which model – employee based or independent owner operator – works best for its own operations.”

Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Jon Slangerup said the drivers’ efforts Monday were “not a strike” but an informational picketing with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union. He said truckers have been able to get in and out of the terminals that were picketed without delay, and he didn’t expect any adverse impact to the terminals or their activity.

“The Port of Long Beach does not employ or contract with the drivers involved in this informational action, but we respect the rights of the drivers to picket,” he said.