Restroom Facility Access at Client Locations on the Docket

Legislation proposed by U.S. Reps. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) – the Trucker Bathroom Access Act – would require retailers, warehouses, and other businesses to give truckers access to bathroom facilities when they are picking up cargo or making deliveries. The bill would not require businesses to construct new restrooms, but require access to existing facilities available to customers/employees. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) praised the legislation, calling it a “basic human right.”

Legislation proposed by Representatives Nehls and Houlahan would:

• Require retailers, warehouses, and other businesses to give truckers access to bathroom facilities when they are picking up cargo or making deliveries
• Require 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

Nehls credited OOIDA and the Women In Trucking Association for collaborating on this legislation, while Houlahan emphasized the importance of measures like this to attract more women into the industry. Ellen Voie, president, and CEO of the Women In Trucking Association, said: “As more women enter the trucking industry, the need for restroom access increases, while access to facilities has decreased. We applaud Representative Nehls’ support to require shippers and receivers to offer our drivers this very basic need.”
Sources

https://www.fleetowner.com/for-the-driver/article/21256536/bipartisan-bill-would-give-truckers-access-to-restroom-facilities