OOIDA, WTA welcome action taken on Washington state rest areas, restrooms

Rest areas and restroom access in Washington state are the topic of two bills signed into law.

Gov. Jay Inslee has signed into law a bill directing the Washington State Department of Transportation to keep state-owned and -operated rest areas open. The new law makes exceptions for seasonal closures, cleaning, maintenance, and repairs.

Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, spearheaded pursuit at the statehouse to address the lack of safe overnight truck parking following multiple fall closures of rest areas.

“The closure of state-owned safety rest areas is contrary to state policy to have zero deaths on the roadways,” Griffey wrote.

Griffey said availability to rest in designated areas is the utmost importance during the global supply chain shortages.

HB1655 allows all drivers to use safety rest areas starting in June. Specifically, WSDOT is directed to initiate a process that addresses the maintenance, operation and safety of its owned and operated safety rest areas.

Griffey said that having enough open rest areas has been an ongoing issue for truck drivers throughout the country. He adds that state government made things worse in Washington when they ordered the closing of many state-owned and operated rest areas in the fall of 2021 because of the pandemic.

“This bill is going to help correct this ongoing problem, which will save lives,” Griffey said in a news release. “Our truck drivers need all the help they can get. We need to make sure they can deliver the important goods we need, but we need them to be able to do it safely.”

Trucking associations welcome change

Trucking industry officials were front and center for lawmakers at the Washington statehouse in the effort to get the legislation approved.

OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh and independent truck driver and OOIDA Board Member Tilden Curl of Olympia, Wash., provided insight to legislators on the issue.

Pugh highlighted the need for action following the feds’ failure to take action to address truck parking.

Curl pointed out to lawmakers that the lack of truck parking results in increased costs for every business and consumer located in the affected areas.

“Commercial truck parking is critical for efficient trucking operations and compliance with federal hours-of-service requirements,” Curl wrote to lawmakers. “Truck drivers depend on these rest areas for personal needs, compliance, safety checks on loads and equipment, as well as a place to rest.”

Sherri Call, president and CEO of the Washington Trucking Associations, said she was grateful that state lawmakers are taking the lead nationally on the issue of safe truck parking.

Mike Matousek, OOIDA director of state legislative affairs, added that HB1655 is a momentum builder.

“Will this solve the truck parking crisis? No. But people like Tilden Curl will notice. And there’s no question it will make a positive difference in his life and the lives of those that routinely struggle to find a place to park in Washington.”

Restroom access

Another new law is intended to give truck drivers operating at state ports assurances for access to restrooms.

Previously HB1706, the new law requires terminal operators to provide “a sufficient number of restrooms” for use by drayage truckers in areas of the terminal that operators typically have access to. Areas covered in the new law include inside the gate and truck queuing lots.

The legislation from Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett, states that terminal operators would be in compliance with the rule when a policy is in place to allow drayage truckers to leave their vehicles at “reasonable times and locations” to access restrooms.

Facilities must be in areas where access would not pose an “obvious health or safety risk” to the user.

Drayage truck operators accessing the terminal for the purpose of loading, unloading or transporting cargo would be covered by the rule.

The new rule takes effect on June 9.

Truckers say more help is needed

As HB1706 made its way through the statehouse, Pugh explained to lawmakers that the bill covers a daily dilemma for truck drivers, and taking action is an opportunity for the legislature to address “a basic human need.”

The Association asked legislators to add language to HB1706 to include shippers and receivers in the requirement for providing restroom access. Despite OOIDA’s efforts, the language was not included in the final version. LL