Accessing Bathrooms
(Source: Reddit)
There’s been a lot of supply chain pains over the years, many of which are well documented – port congestion, capacity issues, rising spot rates, plunging spot rates, hidden fees, maxed out warehouses – just to name a few but one that I’m still trying to wrap my head around is access to bathrooms.
I did a quick Google search to see what’s been written on this topic and it seems that mostly trucking trade magazines are the only ones that have…kind of like preaching to the choir in my opinion.
So, here’s hoping that shippers and truck drivers read this and seriously think about how ridiculous this issue is and just do the right thing.
Access to bathrooms
This has been a problem forever for truck drivers when they are picking up or delivering cargo.
Why?
Just check out Reddit, Facebook, Quora, and other websites that offer commentary and one will find reasons:
The claim is that drivers leave the place a mess, and in some cases, that’s true. There are a lot of drivers who all but vandalize a restroom, then shrug it off. It’s not their problem.
Considering how often our driver restrooms were trashed before COVID, it’s understandable why people don’t want to have them available. We closed them during COVID and put in porta potties. Now they’re trying to figure out how/if they’re going to reopen them. The problem for us is we’ve had staff quit who were required to clean them since they were trashed so bad routinely.
I always loved the "No Public Restroom" Comment and argument. How is it public? I'm coming to your facility providing a service shipping your product. I'm no longer considered public, but rather a "Business partner" I'm not some stranger walking into a warehouse to just use the bathroom. In some cases, I just drove my tail off to make your strict load appointment just to be told you are on lunch and it's going to be a 6-hour wait. It's insanity that we have to advocate for this.
I always have a poop bottle in my truck.
First off, for those truck drivers that leave bathrooms in such a mess or pick fights (yes, there were some colorful comments about that as well), have you lost your manners, or perhaps you need to learn some? What would your mother think? Grow up.
Second, shippers talk about the importance of partnering with trucking firms.… It’s not a one-way street - be considerate, and stop treating truck drivers as second-class citizens. In some cases, by denying restroom facilities, you could be putting some folks at risk for serious health issues.
And how about women truck drivers? There are pregnant ones, there are those that are nursing babies and there are those that are menstruating.
They need bathrooms.
Legislation
The fact that there has to be legislation to allow someone access to a restroom speaks volumes about society.
But so be it, if it will help, bring it.
First off, a big thanks to U.S. Representatives Troy Nehls (R-TX) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) for introducing the Trucker Bathroom Access Act on Dec 15 to ensure that truckers have access to restroom facilities when they are picking up or delivering cargo. Second, a big thanks to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) for sharing the news with me.
According to the proposed legislation:
A covered driver shall be granted access to any covered restroom facility at any covered establishment to which such employee delivers any goods or cargo or is waiting to be loaded to transport goods or cargo.
The legislation defines a covered establishment as:
A place of business open to the general public for the sale of goods or services; a shipper, receiver, manufacturer, warehouse, distribution center, or any other business entity that is receiving or sending goods by commercial motor vehicle.
It does not include:
Any structure such as a filling station, service station, or restaurant of 800 square feet or less that has a restroom located within such structure that is only intended for use by employees; and does not include any rail facility.
“Does not include any rail facility” sounds a bit worrisome. I would like to better understand this. Does anyone have any thoughts?
In addition, the bill calls for restroom access for drayage truck operators.
A terminal operator shall provide a sufficient number of covered restrooms for use by covered drayage truck operators in areas of the terminal that such operators typically have access to.
—To comply, a terminal operator shall provide:
Access to existing restrooms while covered drayage truck operators are on port property and when such access does not pose an obvious safety risk to such truck operators and other employees of the terminal operator in the area.
Additional restrooms, if necessary, at locations where there is the most need.
A place for covered drayage truck operators to park vehicles while accessing such restrooms.
A couple of comments on Reddit about the bill:
There are going to be a lot of permanently 'out of order' restrooms in the coming future.
This bill means nothing if it doesn't have teeth. These companies have to face a fairly big fine to make them comply. Also, who would we report it to if the company wasn't following the regulations?
Meanwhile, a couple of states are taking matters into their own hands….I may be mistaken but I believe the state of Washington is the first state to require bathroom access to truck drivers at ports effective June 9, 2022.
But, it looks like state legislation for bathroom access for truck drivers in Pennsylvania is still pending.
If truck carriers and shippers really want to be good partners or shippers of choice, both sides need to be respectful by having access to bathrooms and keeping bathrooms tidy.
It’s a shame that it takes legislation to address such issues instead of people just working together to come up with solutions.
Here’s hoping something positive will come out of this.
Thanks for listening to my rants.
Thanks,
Cathy
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