The American Transportation Research Institute launched a data collecting initiative seeking real-world information on the daily challenges facing drivers in locating appropriate and safe parking.

ATRI, the research arm of the American Trucking Associations, is recruiting drivers who will keep a 14-day diary of their truck parking issues. The diaries ask drivers to record daily stops related to fuel and food, 30-minute breaks and the mandated 10-hour break. Drivers are asked to record the time and location of stops and how long it took to find available parking. It will also ask for details on the location, amenities and why the driver selected it.

Drivers will also log the amount of time they lost in their duty day if they parked before running out of hours simply to secure available parking.

The data collected by the driver diaries will build on existing knowledge of truck parking shortages by adding qualitative information on driver parking behavior as well as how parking troubles can impact productivity.

"We all talk about how tough it is to find truck parking; ATRI is giving us the chance to document the issues on a national scale so that solutions can be identified and acted on," said David Green, driver for Werner Enterprises and one of the America's Road Team Captains, who will be participating in the diary project.

Drivers interested in participating should go to the ATRI website and complete a brief qualifying survey. Selected drivers will be contacted by email to obtain the diary. The first 100 participants to return their completed Truck Parking Diary will receive a $50 Visa gift card.