Truckers Still Fighting to Pee in Peace: Congress Reintroduces Bathroom Access Bill

by TRUCKERS VA
(UNITED STATES)

Introduction:

You ever haul freight across two state lines, hit traffic, skip lunch, hold it through five hours of waiting… then finally get to the dock, and they say,
“Sorry, drivers can’t use the restroom.”
Really?

That’s still happening. In 2025.

Now a bipartisan group of lawmakers is trying (again) to flush this nonsense out of the industry with the reintroduction of the Trucker Bathroom Access Act—a bill designed to guarantee drivers access to restrooms at shipping and receiving facilities.

It was first introduced in late 2022, but like a lot of things in Washington, it got stuck in the pipeline. Now it’s back—and truckers everywhere are watching.

Key Points:
1. The Basics: What the Bill Actually Does
The Trucker Bathroom Access Act would require shippers and receivers to provide bathroom access to truck drivers who are picking up or dropping off freight.

That’s it. Simple. Common sense. It doesn’t ask for gold-plated seats or spa candles—just the right to use the restroom like a basic human being.

2. Where It Applies (and Where It Doesn’t)
This bill doesn’t apply to rest areas or truck stops—it’s strictly for the warehouses, distribution centers, and facilities where drivers actually load and unload.

So no, it doesn’t give you the right to storm the Starbucks bathroom without buying a $6 latte. But if you’re delivering their syrup, you shouldn’t have to run across the street just to pee in a gas station.

3. Why This Is Still a Problem
You’d think this wouldn’t need a law—but ask any trucker. Some places treat drivers like ghosts:
Come in, back up, drop your trailer, don’t ask questions, don’t use our bathroom.

Facilities blame safety concerns, insurance issues, or sometimes just “policy.”
But all that does is leave drivers stuck for hours—often without any nearby facilities.

It’s bad for driver health, it’s inhumane, and it sends the message that drivers aren’t respected, just tolerated.

Multiple Perspectives:
🚛 Truckers: "About Damn Time."
Many drivers have been dealing with this for decades.
Try telling a diabetic driver they can’t use the bathroom after waiting in a dock for six hours. Or a female driver stuck with nowhere to go in a sketchy industrial area at midnight.

Health risks like UTIs, bladder infections, and kidney issues are real—and the longer drivers are treated like they don’t matter, the harder it’ll be to fix the industry’s reputation.

🏢 Facilities: “It’s a Liability”
Some companies argue that allowing drivers inside poses a safety or liability risk. What if a driver slips and sues? What if they mess with the equipment? What if they… exist?

It’s fear-based thinking—and it’s built on a foundation of treating drivers like outsiders instead of partners in the supply chain.

🧼 The Ugly Truth: Not All Drivers Are Clean
Let’s be real—some drivers don’t exactly leave the restroom looking better than they found it. And that becomes the excuse to punish everyone.

This law would protect access. But drivers may need to protect that access by respecting the space.

Industry Response:
Surprisingly, this is one of the few issues that unites both ends of the trucking spectrum.

OOIDA (Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association) is fully behind it.

ATA (American Trucking Associations)—usually the other side of the aisle—also supports it.

That should say something: If those two can agree, it must be serious.

Meanwhile, Washington State already passed its own bathroom access law, and other states are starting to follow. If Congress won’t act, states may take it into their own hands.

Bottom Line:
If you need a 70-foot rig to keep your business running, you should treat the driver with basic dignity.

The fact that we even need a federal law for bathroom access in 2025 is embarrassing. But if it takes legislation to stop this nonsense, then so be it.

Drivers aren’t robots. They’re people. People with bladders. And the longer this industry treats them like second-class citizens, the harder it’ll be to attract (or keep) new blood behind the wheel.

✅ Call to Action:
You’re not just a driver—you’re the backbone of the economy.
But even the strongest backs break without a plan.

That’s why more truckers are learning how to use AI tools to make money online—while they’re still behind the wheel.

Don’t wait until you’re fed up, broke, or burnt out.
👉 Go to retirefromtrucking.com to grab a free AI course built just for truckers.
Learn the skills now, so you can choose when to step away—not be forced to.