Truck parking: A lesson in patience

Despite a major boost in attention because of the supply chain crisis, the federal government has yet to address pleas for more truck parking. Will 2022 be a milestone year for truck parking?

When it comes to the topic of truck parking, this past year was a roller-coaster ride.

In February, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., promised to “meaningfully address” truck parking in the pending highway bill after discussing the issue with Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., had just withdrawn his amendment, which was a copy of his $755 million Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act introduced to Congress in 2019. Bost did so with the understanding that truck parking would be included in the highway bill. DeFazio delivered by including $1 billion for truck parking in the House bill. However, the bill also included a drastic minimum insurance increase for motor carriers, forcing OOIDA to oppose the bill. It passed the House but died in the Senate.

In August, the Senate voted down a $1 billion truck parking amendment to its final version of the bipartisan infrastructure bill. One month later, Bost and DeFazio met again during a markup hearing for a $3.5 trillion spending bill. Just like with the Senate infrastructure bill, the parking amendment was left out.

In one calendar year, Congress had a number of prime opportunities to meaningfully address truck parking.

It failed. Every. Single. Time.

In November, OOIDA asked Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to use $1 billion in discretionary funds from the infrastructure bill toward truck parking. If the U.S. DOT doesn’t deliver, it could be years before a parking provision has another shot at being included in a large funding bill.

However, this is a bad news/good news situation. Bad news: The industry is still without financial help from the federal government. Good news: Although at a snail’s pace, the wheels of bureaucracies are still turning.

OOIDA gets the ball rolling with municipalities

Although the federal government is needed for funding, truck parking falls mostly within state and local government jurisdictions. OOIDA is already taking the issue to the nation’s municipalities.

In November, the National League of Cities invited OOIDA Board Members Linda Allen and Tilden Curl to give some insight about truck parking during its weeklong City Summit. Considering truck parking development is oftentimes snuffed out by the local opposition, educating local leaders can have a significant impact.

The big takeaway is that city leaders across the nation are enthusiastic about addressing truck parking.

Many local officials are very much aware of the truck parking crisis. However, they often find their hands tied.

A Centennial, Colo., council member said she recognized the parking problem years ago. She said she is happy to see it is finally getting some attention. Previously a project engineer and Colorado Department of Transportation employee, Tammy Maurer recalled an I-70 project that required her to close a large truck stop.

“It was like I was the only one that was concerned,” Maurer said. “Where are the trucks going to go now?”

That kind of awareness is a big part of the battle. Many local leaders are still in the dark about the parking crisis. Even a city council member in Kansas City, Mo., a major transportation hub, reported never having heard of truck parking issues.

The other part of the battle is executing meaningful action.

FHWA’s truck parking handbook

Truckers and the U.S. Department of Transportation have known about the parking shortage for more than a decade. It took the murder of a trucker to get the attention of Congress.

In 2009, Jason Rivenburg was shot to death after being robbed of $7 while parked at an abandoned gas station lot. It was the only spot he could find near where he was set to deliver a load.

That lit a fire under the truck parking crisis, and Congress could feel the heat. Consequently, Jason’s Law was included in the 2012 infrastructure bill. The law established a “national priority on addressing the shortage of long-term parking.” It also directed FHWA to collect data from stakeholders to address the issue.

Results of an industry survey were released in August 2015, with an updated version released five years later. Although FHWA identified what truckers already knew, most governments were unaware of the truck parking crisis. For the first time, governments had data backing claims of a parking shortage.

Having identified the problem, FHWA established the National Coalition on Truck Parking to find solutions. Comprised of stakeholders, including OOIDA, the coalition began collaborating in 2016. Through 2019 the stakeholders got together for several workshops to come up with guidance and solutions.

During all of this, researchers and entrepreneurs were developing technologies that address truck parking, something virtually unheard of before Jason’s Law. And in the meantime, FHWA has been analyzing information provided during the workshops.

In December, the Federal Highway Administration received input from the National Coalition on Truck Parking on a handbook for truck parking development. The handbook would give state and local governments guidance on how to address parking in their jurisdictions.

While FHWA’s handbook is the result of years of discussions with stakeholders, it is also an indication that the public sector is finally ready to act.

It could be easy to get discouraged without a big funding win in 2021. But, the race toward more parking is more of a marathon than a sprint. So, if the finish line seems too far away, remember this adage: A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. LL