DES MOINES, Iowa — Truck drivers traveling along Interstate 80 through Iowa’s Jasper and Dallas counties will now have new options for restroom breaks.
Iowa State Patrol Commercial Motor Vehicle Unit (ISPCMVU) has opened 24/7 public restrooms at two scale locations.
“It may seem like a small issue to some, but truck drivers know how difficult it can be to find parking and restrooms,” an ISPCMVU Facebook post states. “Our Jasper and Dallas County scale locations along I-80 continue to be a safe place for trucks to park. There is always space available. Now these locations also have 24/7 public restrooms for drivers to use. We hope this makes the truck driver’s life a little easier and more convenient!”
Restroom access for truck drivers — or a lack there of — has been a hot topic in the industry for several years.
On Feb. 13, Reps. Brian Babin, R-Texas, and Jefferson Van Drew, R-N.J., said they were on board with helping to ensure the Trucker Bathroom Access Act passes through Congress and on to the president’s desk for final approval.
The bipartisan bill, HR3869, would ensure truckers have access to restroom facilities when they are picking up or delivering cargo is receiving strong support from some members of the industry.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) said it “strongly supports” the proposal.
“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,” said Todd Spencer, president and CEO of OOIDA. “OOIDA and our 150,000 members thank Representatives Nehls and Houlahan for showing tremendous leadership on this issue and we look forward to working with them and our coalition partners to get this commonsense, bipartisan legislation signed into law.”
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
Like we want to spend time at the cop shop so they can continue to look us over for a probable ticket!!! Come on!!!
Anybody🤔remember the folding portable camping potties in Kansas’ Rest Areas?
Duh bag So Full it was about to pull away from the collapsing folding stand?
Duh FLIES so thick around the entrance to the ooen-aire bldg. that it looked like a tornado or smoke?
Maybe them people in Kansas oughtta charge a 10-Cent per ear of corn to pay for infrastructure?!.🤢
No truck driver will want to stop there. Go to the restroom come out and their already starting an inspection. Great use of tax payer money.