Truck parking bill advances through House committee

The House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure passed an amended version of the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act by a vote of 60-4.

HR2367, which would provide $755 million over three years to expand truck parking capacity, was one of the 18 bills debated by the committee during a markup hearing on Tuesday, May 23. Markup hearings are the last formal step before a bill goes to the full House for a vote.

The 60-4 vote means that the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act now awaits consideration by the full House of Representatives. If approved there, it will advance to the Senate. Sens. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., introduced companion legislation, S1034, which awaits action in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association lauded the truck parking bill’s advancement.

“OOIDA and our 150,000 members thank lawmakers from both parties who came together to advance this critical bill through the committee, and we encourage the U.S. Senate to follow their lead by stepping up to address American truckers’ top safety concern,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said.

An overwhelming majority of committee members recognized the need for truck parking. OOIDA, which helped Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., craft the bill, says that the lack of truck parking has reached crisis levels.

“Unfortunately, it’s estimated that on average there’s only one truck parking spot available for every 11 truck drivers,” said Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark. “This means that a truck driver has to waste a significant amount of their valuable hours-of-service time looking for a parking spot rather than getting their cargo to its destination.”

Crawford added that the lack of truck parking not only slows down the supply chain but that it also creates a significant safety concern.

“If a driver can’t find a safe and legal spot to park, they often resort to parking on shoulders of the roadways or exit ramps,” he said. “It’s not only unsafe for the truck driver, but it also creates hazards for other drivers as well.”

Three amendments were added to the bill. Two of the amendments involved requiring notices for hotlines about human trafficking and suicide prevention to be posted. The other prohibited the use of eminent domain.

Only four members of the committee voted against the overall bill.

The no votes were from these lawmakers:

• Thomas Massie, R-Ky.
• Scott Perry, R-Pa.
• Chuck Edwards, R-N.C.
• Eric Burlison, R-Mo. LL

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