Truck parking bills reintroduced in House and Senate
The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act has been reintroduced in both the House and the Senate.
On March 29, U.S. Sens. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and U.S. Reps. Mike Bost, R-Ill., and Angie Craig, D-Minn., introduced the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act. If passed into law, the bill would allocate money for the creation of more truck parking spots.
Specifically, the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, or HR2367 and S1034, will 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.
Bost, who has firsthand experience in the trucking industry, acknowledges the safety issues posed by a truck parking shortage.
“Many of these expansions need to occur for the safety of everybody on the road,” Bost told Land Line Now.
Ellen Voie, founder of Women in Trucking, also pointed out the safety issues derived from the lack of truck parking.
“The top reason female commercial drivers leave the industry is because they are concerned about their personal safety,” Voie said in a statement. “Parking areas need to be safe and available for breaks when needed. The Women in Trucking Association supports this legislation because our mission includes addressing obstacles and a safe place to rest is something our members absolutely need and deserve while moving our nation’s goods.”
According to the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, there is only one truck parking spot for every 11 trucks, resulting in drivers wasting an average of one hour every day trying to secure parking.
OOIDA applauds the introduction of the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act.
“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,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in a statement. “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. Sen. Lummis, Sen. Kelly, Rep. Bost, and Rep. Craig have heard from small-business truckers across America and are leading the charge in Congress to improve road safety through expanded truck parking.”
Contact your federal lawmakers
As of press time, the following federal lawmakers have co-sponsored the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act:
- Angie Craig, D-Minn.
- Daniel Meuser, R-Pa.
- Troy Nehls, R-Texas
- Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.
- Nancy Mace, R-S.C.
- Pete Stauber, R-Minn.
- Brian Babin, R-Texas
- John Garamendi, D-Calif.
- Rick Crawford, R-Ark.
- Dina Titus, D-Nev.
- Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.
- John Boozman, R-Ark.
- Jon Tester, D-Mont.
Don’t see your federal lawmakers on the list? OOIDA has set up a campaign webpage that makes it easy for truckers to reach out to their lawmakers and encourage them to co-sponsor the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act. Go to FightingForTruckers.com to contact your federal lawmaker.
Truck parking crisis getting traction
Federal lawmakers are starting to acknowledge the truck parking crisis.
On March 23, Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., gave attention to the lack of truck parking during a Senate subcommittee hearing.
“I’m really interested in the Department of Transportation’s long-term plan to build truck parking capacity,” Boozman said. “We’ve heard repeatedly from representatives of the trucking industry that nationwide shortages of truck parking capacity is a key driver of supply chain inefficiency.”
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also chimed in.
“I completely agree with the importance of this issue,” Buttigieg said. “When you talk with truck drivers, it’s one of the first things they’ll raise. And it’s not just a matter of convenience. It’s a matter of safety. It means that as a driver is on their route and they see that they are getting close to their limit for hours of service, they are faced with the choice of stopping short and losing income – even if there is an open space close to them – or to park in a place that’s unsafe.”
During the first House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing of the 118th Congress on Feb. 1, Rep. Bost expressed frustration over the truck parking bill stalling in recent years.
“The trucking industry has recognized the difficulties to find parking … and it’s a major challenge for professional drivers due to the lack of capacity,” Bost said. “Studies show that truck drivers spend 56 minutes per day searching for a parking place. Clearly, that’s a major inefficiency in our supply chain … It’s a problem that can be fixed, and I thought we were going to get it done last year.” LL
Senior Editor Mark Schremmer contributed to this report.