Truck parking gains traction at the federal level

The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act has picked up more co-sponsors in September, a busy month for truck parking at the federal level.

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, Rep. Kathy Manning, D-N.C., became the latest lawmaker to co-sponsor HR2367. Other representatives to join the bill include:

• Michael Guest, R-Miss.
• Eric Houchin, R-Ind.
• John Joyce, R-Pa.
• Susie Lee, D-Nev.
• Wiley Nickel, D-N.C.
• Chris Pappas, D-N.H.

The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act has 37 co-sponsors as of Thursday, Sept. 28.

On Wednesday, Sept. 27, Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Richard Durbin, D-Ill., signed onto S1034, the Senate version of the act. Sens. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, and Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., co-sponsored it on Sept. 13. In total, S1034 has 11 co-sponsors.

The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act would 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.

On Sept. 11, stakeholders led by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association urged House leadership to consider the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives this fall.

Is your representative or senator not on the co-sponsor list? Go to FightingForTruckers.com and click on the “Tell your Lawmakers to Support the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act” link. Fill out the form and have it automatically sent to your federal lawmakers.

FMCSA announces truck parking grants

Earlier this month, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced more than $80 million in grant awards, including funding for truck parking.

The funding aims to reduce the frequency and severity of commercial motor vehicle crashes on the nation’s roadways and will support truck drivers by expanding access to truck parking; investing in critical technology; improving safety in work zones, rural areas and high crash corridors; and more.

“We depend on truck drivers every day and we have a national responsibility to support their safety and job quality,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “Today, we are proud to deliver new funding that will improve safety on our nation’s roads.”

In September, Federal Highway Administration Administrator Shailen Bhatt unveiled 200 new truck parking spaces along Interstate 80 in Laramie, Wyo. These spaces will improve safety during winter snow- and ice-storm operations and will facilitate safe and efficient freight movement along one of the busiest interstates in the U.S.

Bhatt also announced a new data visualization tool that will simplify access to localized freight data and will help states and local governments plan for the rise in freight transportation and movement of goods nationwide.

Land Line Now spoke with Bhatt about the truck parking issue.

“Supply chain issues are critical for our economy. Truck parking shortages make our roads less safe and the movement of goods to market less efficient,” Bhatt said in a statement. “Today we’re addressing the problem on two fronts – by adding new parking capacity so truckers on I-80 have a safe place to rest and by expanding the data available on freight movement so state and local agencies can be better equipped to understand and plan for truck parking needs.”

Buttigieg touts importance of truck parking

During an event on Sept. 12 in Sioux Falls, S.D., Buttigieg highlighted the importance of truck parking.

“I want to concentrate in particular on what new truck parking means for drivers and for everybody who counts on this highway,” he said during a news conference. “I know that truck parking is an issue that most Americans probably don’t think about every day, but it’s a vitally important one.”

OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer also was present at the Sioux Falls event.

“There is legislation in both the House and the Senate to make these rest area expansions far greater than what we’re hearing here today,” Spencer said. “The key thing about all of it, we all have time and money for those things that we deem important. That’s especially true for our lawmakers in D.C. All of us need to send a message to our lawmakers in D.C. that this stuff is important to all of America and let’s get it done.” LL