For anyone outside of the trucking industry, the idea of being denied restroom access while working probably seems unimaginable.
But for truck drivers, it is often the reality. Especially since the start of the pandemic in 2020, many truckers have reported being declined access to a restroom while waiting to be loaded or unloaded at a shipping or receiving facility.
The Trucker Bathroom Access Act, HR3869, aims to make that practice a thing of the past.
Introduced by Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, the bill simply requires shipper and receiver facilities that have restrooms accessible to their employees and customers to make those same restrooms available for truck drivers who are delivering or receiving a load. The legislation would not require businesses to construct new restrooms.
The Trucker Bathroom Access Act recently picked up its seventh co-sponsor. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. gave support to the bill on Friday, May 17.
Other co-sponsors for the bipartisan restroom access bill include:
- Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.
- Jefferson Van Drew, R-N.J.
- Brian Babin, R-Texas
- Tracey Mann, R-Kan.
- Hillary Scholten, D-Mich.
- Chris Pappas, D-N.H.
“Truckers are this nation’s backbone, and we owe them for the tireless contributions they continue to make to keep our country moving,” Nehls said when the bill was introduced.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association supports the bill. Last year, OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh testified about the issue at a House hearing.
“I never thought we’d be sitting here in the House of the Congress of the greatest nation in the world talking about giving people the right to use the restroom when they’re trying to do their job,” Pugh said. “But, unfortunately, I guess that’s the way we’ve gotten in society.”
OOIDA is encouraging its members to reach out to their lawmakers and ask them to support the Trucker Bathroom Access Act. That can be done by going to FightingForTruckers.com. LL
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