Trucking Laws · Nationwide · November 14, 2026

Senators' Trucker Bathroom Access Act Would Give Truck Drivers at Docks the Same Restroom Access as Customers

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Two U.S. senators introduced a bipartisan bill Friday that would give truck drivers waiting at a shipper or receiver the same restroom access as that business's customers or employees.

What the bill would do

Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Democrat from Delaware, and Deb Fischer, a Republican from Nebraska, introduced the Trucker Bathroom Access Act, Land Line reports. The Trucker also covered the introduction.

The bill, numbered S. 5718 in Land Line's account, would apply when a truck driver is waiting at a shipping or receiving facility. It would require the same restroom access that the business already gives its customers or employees. It would not require businesses to build a new restroom. They would just have to stop saying no.

This is the first time the bill has been introduced in the Senate. A House version was filed earlier by Reps. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa. Land Line reports the Senate Commerce Committee is set to mark the bill up on Wednesday, Nov. 18, and that the measure has already been rolled into the House version of a highway bill.

Why truckers have asked for it

Anyone who has hauled freight knows the problem. A truck can sit at a dock for hours waiting to be loaded or unloaded. At many shipping and receiving facilities, truck drivers are still told the restroom is off-limits.

Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), put it bluntly. "Over 70% of America's freight is exclusively carried by trucks, yet every single day men and women truck drivers are forced to 'hold it' because they aren't allowed access to the restroom when picking up or delivering freight," he said.

Who is backing it

The bill is backed by both large trucking groups and women-in-trucking organizations, including OOIDA, the American Trucking Associations, the Women in Trucking Association, She Trucking and Trinity Logistics, The Trucker reports.

Sen. Blunt Rochester said more women are filling these jobs and "should feel confident their basic needs will be met." Sen. Fischer said the bill can also improve supply chain efficiency and help truckers who put in long hours to keep products moving.

Why it matters to truckers

A long wait at a dock is already unpaid time for many truck drivers. Being told there is no restroom makes that wait harder, and supporters say it is a barrier to keeping people in the job, including women. The restroom measure is also moving alongside other items in highway legislation, including truck parking funding.

Quick facts

• Bill name: Trucker Bathroom Access Act, first Senate introduction.
• Sponsors: Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., and Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb.
• House sponsors of the companion bill: Reps. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.
• What it requires: the same restroom access a business already gives customers or employees.
• What it does not require: construction of new restrooms.
• Senate Commerce Committee markup, per Land Line: Wednesday, Nov. 18.

FAQ

Would a shipper have to build a new restroom?

No. The bill would require the same access already given to customers or employees. It would not require new construction.

Has this bill become law?

No. It was introduced in the Senate on Friday. A House version was filed earlier, and Land Line reports a committee markup is planned for Nov. 18.

A question for readers

Truckers, what is the longest you have been stuck at a dock with no restroom you were allowed to use?

Save this story for later

Save this to Pinterest