Reintroduced bill aimed at increasing truckers’ access to restrooms

Washington — Bipartisan legislation reintroduced in the House on March 31 would require operators of warehouses, distribution centers, retail facilities and ports to provide restroom access to truckers loading or delivering cargo.

Reps. Troy Nehls (R-TX) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) are co-sponsors of The Trucker Bathroom Access Act (H.R. 2514), which they say will help address “inhospitable” working conditions for truckers. “Truck drivers are essential for our economy and should not have less access to restroom facilities than other employees in their own workplaces,” Houlahan said in a press release.

The legislation has received widespread support from the industry.

“Truck drivers are the heartbeat of our economy and critical to supply chain continuity,” American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear said in the 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.”

She Trucking Founder and CEO Sharae Moore also praised the bill.

“As a professional truck driver, I understand the daily challenges drivers face in accessing clean and safe restrooms,” Moore said in the release. “Time-sensitive loads, heavy traffic, unpredictable weather and limited truck parking often make it nearly impossible for drivers to find necessary restroom facilities when they need them.

“The Trucker Bathroom Access Act is a vital step toward ensuring that all truck drivers, especially women, have access to restrooms while on the road.”

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the Women in Trucking Association are among the other organizations that support the legislation.

Nehls and Houlahan previously introduced the bill in 117th and 118th Congress.