Truck parking amendment introduced to infrastructure bill

A pair of U.S. Senators have introduced an amendment to the bipartisan infrastructure package that would add more than $1 billion in truck parking funding to the bill.

Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., on Thursday, Aug. 5, introduced Amendment 2615, which would ensure that states use federal funding for the expansion of truck parking capacity. Specifically, the amendment would require that at least 0.7% of the funding from the National Highway Performance Program be used for truck parking projects. That 0.7% is estimated to amount to more than $1 billion over the duration of the legislation.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has been working the past week to get truck parking funding added to the infrastructure bill and supports the amendment. OOIDA reached out to its more than 150,000 members on Thursday night, asking them to contact their Senators to support the amendment.

Collin Long, OOIDA’s director of government affairs, said the legislation is moving fast and there is no time to waste.

“This is it. Now or never,” Long said. “We have bipartisan support, but we need truckers to call their senators as soon as possible to help get this over the finish line. Otherwise, we’re likely looking at five more years of the status quo, which we find unacceptable.”

OOIDA provided a link to make it easy for truckers to reach their lawmakers.

“Let them know that the parking shortage is a highway safety crisis and a daily challenge for truckers,” OOIDA wrote. “The Senate is moving quickly on the infrastructure legislation, so don’t wait.”

Senators came to agreement last week on an infrastructure bill that incorporated the Senate version of the highway bill.

OOIDA has favored the Senate version of the highway over the House version, which includes a measure to increase truckers’ minimum insurance from $750,000 to $2 million. The Association adamantly opposes the House version because of the insurance increase, as well as because of several anti-trucker provisions. The bright spot in the House version, OOIDA said, is that includes $1 billion toward the expansion of truck parking capacity.

The Association said the addition of truck parking funding would strengthen the Senate version of the bill. LL