A bipartisan effort to ensure that truck drivers have a place to use the restroom while delivering and picking up freight has gained a little more support.
Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo., became a co-sponsor to the Trucker Bathroom Access Act on Tuesday, Aug. 20. With the addition of Caraveo, HR3869 now has 10 co-sponsors: five Republicans and five Democrats.
Introduced by Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, the bill simply requires shipper and receiver facilities to make their employee restrooms accessible to truck drivers. The legislation would not require businesses to construct new restrooms.
“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.
Although the bill comes with no cost, support for the effort has come at a slow pace since it was reintroduced in June 2023. At a House hearing, Nehls called out lobbyists for trying to kill the bill.
“I just want to put on the record to all the lobbyists and trade associations that are trying to sink this bill, ‘I really don’t care what you think on this issue,’” Nehls said. “Just imagine if Congress banned lobbyists from using restrooms as you wait outside these committee rooms or offices. Imagine if you were told – all you lobbyists – ‘Go outside and find a tree. Hell, go find a fire hydrant. Go outside and relieve yourself, because we’re not going to let you do it in here.’ How long do you think that would last? What do we want to do, treat our truckers like cats and dogs?”
Despite the relatively slow pace of support, the Trucker Bathroom Access Act added three co-sponsors in recent months. In addition to Caraveo, Reps. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., and Susan Wild, D-Pa., signed on to the bill over the summer.
OOIDA supports Trucker Bathroom Access Act
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which represents small-business truckers, helped craft the bill.
During the height of the pandemic, truck drivers were hailed as heroes for keeping the nation’s supply chain moving. At the same time, however, truck drivers were repeatedly denied restroom access at shipping and receiving facilities.
“Over 70% of America’s freight is exclusively carried by trucks, yet every single day … 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 members are encouraged to go to FightingForTruckers.com to contact their lawmakers about the Trucker Bathroom Access Act. LL
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