A small group within the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee recently demanded the federal government spend at least $1 billion on infrastructure that includes safe places for trucker drivers to overnight park.
“Time and again, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has talked about the importance of truckers, especially the critical role they’ve played in keeping the economy moving during the pandemic,” Rep. Sam Graves of Missouri reportedly said. “But in order to continue doing their jobs safely and effectively, they need more places to park while they’re on the job.”
Awareness campaigns about the risks truckers face ramped up more than a decade ago when Jason Rivenburg was slain in his cab sleeping at an abandoned fuel station. It took upwards of five years for the Federal Highway Administration to release findings related to the Jason’s Law Truck Parking Survey and Assessment. In 2019, an update was released with findings that indicate the lack of safe parking continues to place OTR truckers at heightened risk.
“Truck parking shortages are still a major problem in every state and region of the country,” Federal Highway Administration official Jeff Purdy reportedly said. “Major freight corridors and large metro areas have the most acute shortages. There is, however, much more awareness from all stakeholders about the truck parking problem.”
A comparison of the 2015 and 2019 surveys shows that 76 percent of truckers struggled to find safe parking at least once per week in 2015. Four years later, that statistic dipped only nominally to 75 percent. More concerning is the fact that CDL professionals indicated that, on a monthly basis, their ability to locate safe parking worsened by 2 percent.
In Washington, D.C., the massive infrastructure spending bills have become something of a political football. Special interests and partisan politics have too many lawmakers trying to funnel taxpayer money in an advantageous direction. And although increasing the ranks of CDL-holders and improving supply chains enjoy support across the aisle, the issue has not received the attention it deserves.
“They have paid lip service to America’s trucking community and claimed to understand their concerns, yet this $3.5 trillion bill includes zero funding for truck parking. Not a penny. It just goes to show that they don’t care about this problem at all,” Illinois Rep. Mike Bost reportedly said. “Growing up in a family trucking business, I am all too familiar with the shortage of safe truck parking options along our nation’s highways. This is not only a safety concern for truckers, but also for the commuters who share the road with them.”
The Congressman leads a small group of fellow Republicans determined to secure federal funding for truck driver and passenger vehicle parking. It’s essential for truckers concerned about overnight parking safety to voice their concerns to elected officials. As the population grows and consumer demand increases, the country will need more truckers and places to park rigs.
Sources: ttnews.com, freightwaves.com
The polititions dont give a dam about truckers safety just exhort additional revenues from us. But the first to cry when their goods are late
In most places the parking problems are 24hr. a day. You can run at night & still have problems parking in the morning.
And truckers (and all travelers, campers etc) need to take care of their own trash, garbage, “trucker bombs” (bottles’ containing urine) when they DO find a good place to park at a large business parking lot or pullover. When people leave behind their feces or trucker bombs or garbage, the “No Overnight Parking” signs go up and it ruins it for ALL drivers who just need a place to rest.
Absolutely correct.
In January of 2020 I was terminated as a local LTL driver by Salsa (fake name) after six years of service. I was basically forced back out OTR because nobody local would hire me. while out over the summer of 2020 considered a essential worker the one thing I’d found that has really changed over the years is truck parking. I leased a truck and had to run hard to make payments, however at the end of my shift I would spend the last two hours trying to find a place to park. mostly I’d end up paying at the TA or Pilot, crammed into a service plaza or in a unsecured vacant lot. for that reason alone I would never do OTR again.
Shippers and receivers should be required by law to provide truck parking. Problem solved.
And a place to use the bathroom! These customers who have signs “No public restrooms” should provide Port-a-pottys and make sure that they are being serviced properly and on time. Women truckers are not equipped the same way as men, too much is exposed (if you catch my drift 😉). I have been told to get a camping toilet. I won’t for the reason of the what if. What if a leak occurs, think about it….🤢
Circling back, I agree that the customer needs to find a solution for their delivery drivers who are forced to run out of time on their property.
The government needs to act… and that right now! I strongly urge you to contact your legislators (senators, congressmen, governors, etc…) and raise hell! There is a solution to this and it can be found in the term of “Eminent Domain”!
All these cities love the income from large warehousing, etc… its time to pay the piper and do the right thing!
We need parking. If you’re looking for a spot after 6:30 PM you’re SOL and there is NO parking in the cities so I often have to quit an hour or two early to have a legal place to park