A bipartisan group of senators and representatives have reintroduced the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, which would grant funds to expand commercial truck parking capacity across the United States.
The American Trucking Associations, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and NATSO, which represents truckstops and travel centers, applauded the introduction of the legislation, which, if signed into law, would authorize $755 million in competitive grant funding to increase truck parking capacity.
The primary focus of the legislation would be to construct new truck parking facilities and convert existing weigh stations and rest areas into functional parking spaces for truck drivers.
The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act was introduced in the 117th Congress and unanimously passed the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. The bill was introduced by Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) in the U.S. Senate, and Reps. Mike Bost (R-Ill.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Why is the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act Needed?
"The lack of safe and accessible truck parking places an enormous and costly burden on our nation's truck drivers as they work to deliver for the American people,” ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said in a press release. “Given the chronic nature of this issue and its national scope, it is imperative Congress takes action to provide dedicated funding to expand commercial truck parking capacity.
When truck drivers are unable to find safe, authorized parking, they're forced to either park in unsafe or illegal locations, or to violate federal hours-of-service rules that regulate their daily drive-time to search for safer, legal alternatives, ATA officials wrote.
“Most folks probably don’t realize that 70% of American freight is transported by truck, yet incredibly there is only one parking spot for every 11 trucks on the road,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer in a press release. “When truck drivers don’t have a designated place to park, they end up parking on the side of the road, near exit ramps, or elsewhere. This isn’t safe for the driver and it’s not safe for others on the road.”
