Truck fleet trade group the American Trucking Associations (ATA) got more good news about fresh federal funding for one of its top priorities today, announcing that the Biden Administration had appropriated more than $200 million for truck parking projects.
The money includes five major new federal investments by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that will add approximately 1,000 truck parking spaces and make it easier for drivers to locate parking along key freight corridors in Florida, Missouri, Pennsylvania, California, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin.
“The severe shortage of truck parking continues to rank among drivers’ highest concerns, which is why we appreciate that Secretary Buttigieg and a growing number of states are making these projects a top priority,” ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said in a release. “America’s highways are our shop floor. When drivers finish their shift, they deserve to know that they will be able to find a safe place to sleep that night. These significant investments in expanding parking capacity along some of America’s busiest freight corridors will help reduce supply chain bottlenecks, alleviate stress on truck drivers and make the roadways safer for all motorists.”
The funding stems from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and was allocated through the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Program. Combined with previous awards to Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Wyoming and Iowa, the announcement brings the total number of truck parking projects supported by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to 11, encompassing roughly 2,000 additional spaces.
The ATA has long been pushing for additional funding to build truck parking infrastructure, lobbying state governors as well as national groups like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Additional praise for the increased funding for parking projects came from the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA). “As a truck driver, I can tell you firsthand that when truckers don’t have a safe place to park, we are put in a no-win situation. We must either continue to drive while fatigued or out of legal driving time, or park in an undesignated and unsafe location like the side of the road or abandoned lot,” Todd Spencer, OOIDA’s president, said in a release. “It forces truck drivers to make a choice between safety and following federal Hours-of-Service rules. OOIDA and the 150,000 small business truckers we represent thank the Department for its increased focus on resolving an issue that has plagued our industry for decades.”
