A bill introduced in in the U.S. House today would require retailers and other businesses to provide restroom access to truck drivers.
The bill was introduced on December 15 by Reps. Troy Nehls, (R-Texas) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA). It would require that retailers, warehouses, and other businesses allow truckers to access restroom facilities while picking up or delivering a load. The bill also requires the operators of ports and terminals to provide bathroom access to drayage drivers.
The bill does not require businesses to construct new restroom facilities specifically for truckers, but would require access to existing bathrooms used by employees or customers.
“I am proud to introduce legislation to ensure our great American truckers have basic access to restroom facilities while working. American truckers are this nation’s backbone, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for the tremendous contributions they made during the pandemic. I thank OOIDA and the Women In Trucking Association for partnering with me on this important legislation,” Nehls said.
“The men and women of America’s trucking industry keep our supply chain moving and it’s only reasonable that their most basic of needs be accommodated while they are on the job,” said Todd Spencer, President and CEO of OOIDA. “We’ve heard from countless drivers who have been forced to ‘hold it’ because they were not allowed to access the bathroom when they were picking up or delivering freight. We thank Representatives Nehls and Houlahan for showing tremendous leadership on this issue and we look forward to continue working with him and our coalition partners to get this legislation signed into law.”
“Time and again, we’ve seen that when we include more women in our workforce, our economy prospers—that’s true for the trucking industry, too,” said Rep. Houlahan. “But restricted access to bathrooms is putting that progress in jeopardy. In response, our new bipartisan legislation will give all truckers, and female drivers in particular, the confidence of having access to a restroom when they deliver goods to businesses and American families. Especially as the trucking industry continues to face employee retention challenges, we must ensure that we are providing truckers a working environment that honors the vital role they play in growing our economy. Ultimately, keeping more drivers on the road means fewer supply chain delays and lower costs. I’m proud to partner with Rep. Nehls on this straightforward effort.”
“As more women enter the trucking industry, the need for restroom access increases while access to facilities has decreased. We applaud Rep. Nehls’ support to require shippers and receivers to offer our drivers this very basic need,” said Ellen Voie, President and CEO of the Women In Trucking Association.
States including Washington and Pennsylvania have introduced similar legislation to require increased restroom access for truckers. The Washington bill passed but was modified to include only drayage truck drivers. The Pennsylvania bill did not advance.