FMCSA announces $80M in grants, including funding for truck parking

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced more than $80 million in grant awards, including funding for truck parking.

According to a news release, the funding will help reduce the frequency and severity of commercial motor vehicle crashes on the nation’s roadways and will support truck drivers by expanding access to truck parking, investing in critical technology, improving safety in work zones, rural areas and high crash corridors and more.

“We depend on truck drivers every day and we have a national responsibility to support their safety and job quality,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “Today, we are proud to deliver new funding that will improve safety on our nation’s roads.”

The High Priority grants include a 65% increase in funding for truck parking projects over last year and enhance critical efforts to support truck drivers and improve safety, such as by:

• Expanding access to truck parking by helping truck drivers locate available rest area truck parking spaces in real time via dynamic message signs along highways in Kentucky, Delaware and Indiana.
• Doing research to support automated, location-based driver alerts via electronic logging devices that inform drivers of upcoming work zones, thereby improving safety for both drivers and construction workers.
• Enhancing electronic screening technologies – such as automated license plate readers, USDOT number readers, tire monitoring systems and hazardous materials placard readers – to detect vehicle violations.
• Doing outreach and education to combat human trafficking, an effort in which truck drivers can play a key role given their time and attention on the road.

Secretary Buttigieg touts importance of truck parking

During an event on Tuesday, Sept. 12 in Sioux Falls, S.D., Buttigieg highlighted the importance of truck parking.

“I want to concentrate in particular on what new truck parking means for drivers and for everybody who counts on this highway,” he said during a news conference. “I know that truck parking is an issue that most Americans probably don’t think about every day, but it’s a vitally important one.”

Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President and CEO Todd Spencer also was present at the Sioux Falls event.

“There is legislation in both the House and the Senate to make these rest area expansions far greater than what we’re hearing here today,” Spencer said. “The key thing about all of it, we all have time and money for those things that we deem important. That’s especially true for our lawmakers in D.C. All of us need to send a message to our lawmakers in D.C. that this stuff is important to all of America and let’s get it done.”

Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act

Also on Tuesday, Sept. 12, the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, or HR2367, picked up five more co-sponsors:

• Michael Guest, R-Miss.
• Erin Houchin, R-Ind.
• John Joyce, R-Pa.
• Susie Lee, D-Nev.
• Chris Pappas, D-N.H.

The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act would allocate $755 million over three years to the construction of parking spots. According to the bill text, any project funded by the bill cannot include paid parking. All parking under the bill must be publicly accessible and free of charge.

Is your House rep not on the co-sponsor list? Go to FightingForTruckers.com and click on the “Tell your Lawmakers to Support the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act” link. Fill out the form and have it automatically sent to your federal lawmakers. LL