No room to park: states stepping in
Truck parking is a mess – and truckers are fed up.
A Jason’s Law survey found about 313,000 truck parking spaces nationwide. Only about 40,000 are public. The rest? Private lots.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association says the shortage is one of the biggest headaches in trucking today.
They warn it’s not just annoying – it’s dangerous. Tired drivers with nowhere to park make the roads less safe for everyone.
Now, lawmakers in several states are stepping in.
Minnesota
Minnesota is trying to get trucks off ramps and into real parking spots.
A Minnesota Department of Transportation report made it clear: the state needs more truck parking – badly.
Back in 2019, the state counted just 4,846 truck parking spaces. Not nearly enough.
A new truck parking study is underway. Early signs point to the same problem: more than 85% of truck parking is controlled by private companies.
The state is now looking for answers – and asking drivers to speak up. A driver’s survey is open until March 31.
House File 3749
A new bill could finally bring some relief.
HF3749 would launch a “Truck Parking Improvement Program.” The program would build more spaces and make them safer.
It would hand out grants and let the state team up with private businesses to add parking fast.
The House Transportation, Finance, and Policy Committee recently met to discuss the bill.
Jennifer Witt, MnDOT’s legislative affairs manager, told lawmakers the shortage is obvious – and growing.
She said HF3749 would assist the state in engaging with private businesses and landowners to increase truck parking.
“This is to help drivers who log their hours and rest for certain periods of time, have some place to do that, and be safe on our roads while they’re driving,” she said.
The bill is still in committee.
New Jersey
New Jersey is also trying to fix its truck parking crunch.
Sen. Joe Cryan, D-Union, sponsors S1430. The bill would require the state to create safe truck parking zones near major highways.
His bill would tap up to $50 million in federal money to make it happen.
Supporters say more parking means safer roads and a smoother supply chain.
The bill is currently before the Senate Transportation Committee.
Warehouse parking
Another New Jersey bill targets a big problem: warehouses with nowhere for trucks to go.
Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, D-Middlesex, is backing a bill to crack down on warehouse parking problems.
A3372 would force developers to plan ahead. If they want to build a big warehouse, they must include enough on-site parking for tractor-trailers.
No parking plan? No approval.
The bill states that trucks servicing the warehouse do not contribute to overflow tractor-trailer parking on other local properties or rights-of-way between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Cities could still tweak the rules, but developers would have to plan rather than push the problem onto communities.
The bill is currently in the Assembly’s State and Local Government Committee. LL