WASHINGTON — New legislation introduced into Congress that would ensure truckers have access to restroom facilities when they are picking up or delivering cargo is receiving strong support from some members of the industry.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) said it “strongly supports” the bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Reps. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.
“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,” said Todd Spencer, president and CEO of OOIDA. “OOIDA and our 150,000 members thank Representatives 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.”
Ellen Voie, founder of the Women In Trucking Association, is also lending support for the measure.
“As more women enter the trucking industry, the need for restroom access increases while access to facilities has decreased,” she said. “We applaud Rep. Nehls’ support to require shippers and receivers to offer our drivers this very basic need.”
Nehls said he is “proud to reintroduce legislation that supports our nation’s truckers.”
“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,” Nehls added. “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.”
The legislation would:
- Require retailers, warehouses and other businesses to give truckers access to bathroom facilities when they are picking up cargo or making deliveries.
- Not require businesses to construct new restrooms. It only requires that if a business has a restroom available to their customers or employees, truckers should have the same access.
- Require the operators of ports and terminals to provide bathroom access to drayage drivers.
“Our economy depends on truck drivers, but we face perpetual challenges with recruitment and retention. 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,” said Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa. “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 Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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