The Trucker Bathroom Access Act Continues to Attract Co-Sponsors

Posted on February 27. 2024

By: ClassADrivers.com

Photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash

Reintroduced in the 118th Congress in 2023–2024, the Trucker Bathroom Access Act seeks to solve a major issue for truck drivers: access to restrooms on long-haul trips. Legislators from both parties have endorsed the bipartisan bill, H.R. 3869, recognizing the importance of this problem to the trucking sector.

The bill has attracted co-sponsorship from key lawmakers, including:

  • Rep. Babin, Brian [R-TX-36] – Co-sponsored on 02/13/2024.

  • Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2] – Co-sponsored on 02/13/2024.

  • Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6] – Co-sponsored on 06/06/2023.

While truck stops are usually a reliable option for truck drivers, truck drivers also spend long hours waiting to be loaded and unloaded. At these shippers and receivers, there have been increasing reports of drivers being denied access to restrooms.

The Trucker Bathroom Access Act would require businesses to allow drivers to use bathrooms while they are waiting for freight to be handled.

Primarily, this is an issue of human dignity, and lawmakers have recognized that in speeches. Long-haul truck drivers travel for extended periods of time and may have trouble finding sanitary, secure restrooms. The bill recognizes that good sanitation is a basic human necessity.

This is also a health and safety issue. Truck drivers’ general well-being depends on having sufficient access to bathroom facilities. Ensuring their capacity for maintaining personal cleanliness improves their well-being. Drivers being forced to relieve themselves outside is a health issue, and we need to do right by our truck drivers.

Also, when any driver is uncomfortable and frantically looking for an acceptable restroom, that person may be a hazard to the road. By addressing this basic issue, the bill aims to improve the overall safety of the trucking industry.

By addressing a fundamental need that is frequently disregarded in the truck driving business, the Trucker Bathroom Access Act represents a bipartisan attempt to put the welfare of truck drivers first. The bill, which is co-sponsored by lawmakers who understand the significance of this subject, intends to improve the lives of those who are essential to the country’s transportation network.