Reps. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., have reintroduced a bipartisan bill that would ensure that truck drivers have a place to use the restroom when they are waiting to deliver or pick up freight.
The Trucker Bathroom Access Act, which was originally introduced in the past congressional session, was formally resubmitted on Tuesday, June 6.
The bill does not require businesses to construct new restrooms. Instead, it would only mandate that truck drivers be granted access if a business has a restroom available to their customers or employees.
“I am proud to reintroduce legislation that supports our nation’s truckers,” Nehls said in a news release. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, facilities across the country have shut down their bathrooms which have caused essential employees, like our truckers, not to have access to use the restroom at work. Truckers are this nation’s backbone, and we owe them for the tireless contributions they continue to make to keep our country moving. I am glad to once again partner with Congresswoman Houlahan on this commonsense legislation to allow our nation’s truckers access to bathrooms while they are transporting goods on the road.”
In a time that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has emphasized improving driver retention rates, Houlahan said that truckers can’t be denied the basic right to use a restroom.
“Our economy depends on truck drivers, but we face perpetual challenges with recruitment and retention,” Houlahan said in a news release. “One unique and unnecessary challenge these drivers face is lack of restroom access at delivery points while on the road. This is especially difficult for female drivers, which are a growing demographic of truckers who helped power our economic recovery from the pandemic. I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan legislation to ensure every truck driver has the certainty that a restroom is accessible as they do their jobs. There’s no reason truckers shouldn’t have the same rights that other employees experience in their own workplaces.”
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association worked with lawmakers to craft the bill.
“Over 70% of America’s freight is exclusively carried by trucks, yet every single day men and women truck drivers are forced to ‘hold it’ because they aren’t allowed access to the restroom when picking up or delivering freight,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said. “OOIDA and our 150,000 members thank Reps. Nehls and Houlahan for showing tremendous leadership on this issue, and we look forward to working with them and our coalition partners to get this commonsense, bipartisan legislation signed into law.”
The Trucker Bathroom Access Act also is supported by the Women in Trucking Association and the American Trucking Associations.
“Truck drivers are the heartbeat of our economy and critical to supply chain continuity,” ATA President Chris Spear said in the news release. “When they stop to make pickups or deliveries – which can take hours on end while the truck waits to be loaded or unloaded – drivers should have access to restroom facilities. Such basic accommodations are more than just common courtesy. This is about ensuring the dignity of drivers and supporting the men and women who do the heavy lifting to provide for everyone in this country.” LL
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