Bill Overview
Title: Trucker Bathroom Access Act
Description: This bill expands access to restroom facilities for certain commercial truck drivers, including drayage truck operators. Drayage truck operator means the driver of any in-use on-road vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of greater than 33,000 pounds operating on or transgressing through port or intermodal rail yard property for the purpose of loading, unloading, or transporting cargo, including containerized, bulk, or break-bulk goods. Specifically, the bill requires (1) retailers, warehouses, and other establishments to give commercial truck drivers access to existing restroom facilities when they are loading or delivering cargo; and (2) operators of ports and marine terminals to provide drayage truck operators with access to existing restrooms, additional restrooms if necessary, and parking while accessing such restrooms.
Sponsors: Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22]
Target Audience
Population: Commercial truck drivers and drayage truck operators
Estimated Size: 3700000
- There are over 3.5 million truck drivers in the United States.
- The bill specifically includes commercial truck drivers and drayage truck operators.
- Drayage trucks operate primarily around ports, which are crucial hubs in the transportation network.
- Globally, the number of truck drivers is substantial but difficult to precisely quantify due to variations in how trucking is organized and statistics kept in different countries.
- Drayage operators are a subset of the commercial truck driving population, focusing on major port operations.
Reasoning
- The policy focuses on improving working conditions for a targeted subset of truck operators, specifically those in drayage services.
- The budget constraints suggest limited large-scale infrastructural changes but focus on compliance with existing restroom facilities.
- Commercial truck drivers who frequent retailers and warehouses will be the primary beneficiaries in terms of improved well-being.
- The costs associated with implementing this policy are mostly administrative and minimal structural changes, implying a higher indirect rather than direct intervention approach.
- Considering a commonness factor balances the array of demographics by representing how often such scenarios occur within the target population.
Simulated Interviews
Drayage Truck Driver (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've been waiting for something like this. It’s about time truckers got basic human rights like restroom access.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 4 |
Freight Truck Driver (Chicago, IL)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This change will reduce stress slightly, although I rarely face issues accessing restrooms.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Port Terminal Operator (Houston, TX)
Age: 39 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This will increase my responsibilities, but truckers deserve these rights.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
Retail Manager (New York, NY)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It will have a logistical impact but is manageable and necessary.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Retired Trucker (Norfolk, VA)
Age: 53 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I wish this had been around during my career, it would've made life easier.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Warehouse Supervisor (Memphis, TN)
Age: 41 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We will have to adjust to the new regulations but it's manageable without significant costs.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Intermodal Rail Yard Manager (Oakland, CA)
Age: 36 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Providing restroom access should not have been an issue to start with.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Long-haul Trucker (Dallas, TX)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This won’t greatly impact me since I mostly rely on truck stops.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Drayage Truck Operator (Newark, NJ)
Age: 57 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's a long-awaited change, but still a band-aid solution to wider issues.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 3 |
Terminal Dispatcher (Savannah, GA)
Age: 47 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Implementing this will require shifts in how we operate, mostly for the good.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $10000000)
Year 2: $4000000 (Low: $2500000, High: $9000000)
Year 3: $4000000 (Low: $2500000, High: $9000000)
Year 5: $4000000 (Low: $2500000, High: $9000000)
Year 10: $4000000 (Low: $2500000, High: $9000000)
Year 100: $4000000 (Low: $2500000, High: $9000000)
Key Considerations
- Availability of adequate restroom facilities especially at ports is crucial to enforce the policy successfully.
- Potential resistance from some facility operators who might incur additional operational burdens.
- The potential need for government involvement in compliance monitoring and assessment.
- Health and safety considerations for drivers offering a potential indirect recapture of costs through improved health outcomes.