Riding high off of the initial success of the truck parking availability signs that were installed in Indiana and Michigan, federal and state agencies are allocating more funds to both expanding the programs and exploring new options to alleviate the ever-present issue of safe and reliable truck parking.
A federal grant of $25 million has been awarded to 8 Midwestern states in order to develop programs to help drivers receive real-time parking availability data. Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan will see programs rolling out along portions of interstates 70, 135, 80, 35, 94, 65, 64, 75, and 71.
The grant will be used to expand upon the Michigan/Indiana program which displays large signs along the highway letting drivers know how many spaces are available at upcoming rest areas and truck stops.
With better information, authorities are expecting that truckers will be able to find safe and reliable parking more easily. According to them, it’s not that there’s a lack of truck parking, it’s that there’s a lack of information about where the parking is currently available.
States along the I-95 corridor are keen on testing out this theory as well and a group of transportation agencies based on the East Coast have formed the I-95 Corridor Coalition. Their system is significantly different from what is being tried in the Midwest, and will require truckers to visit a website at the beginning of their trip to select a target truck stop. Then, from the road “when safe to do so,” truckers call a phone number and a machine will give them current parking information on any truck stop in the system.
The new I-95 system will be rolling out starting November 20th for testing.
They are wrong. There are major parking shortages in many parts of the country. I believe closed scales, and all rest areas should have parking, as well as all the space wasted between get on/off ramps. A lot of places in the western 11 utilize this space as parking. They definitely need more parking along the entire stretch of I-81.
The space between the ramp and the interstate.
How instead of signs they will eventually be left to the way side we use that mo ey to create more parking.
Is someone claiming there is truck parking along the I-95 corridor?
Can’t wait. Tonight I am sleeping on a shoulder road Cuz rest area are full to the eye balls. What about making more rest stop to accommodate the amount of rigs on the road ?
Is that a good idea?
Huh, you got me thinking now….,and I really hate thinking. Hahaha
What an unbelievable waste of money they could be actually used to INCREASE PARKING AVAILABILITY INSTEAD.
Lets not forget to THANK the FMCSA for this being an even bigger problem with the push for ELDs and the complete LACK of flexibility with hours of service to find safe parking for commercial drivers.
Once again when govt. “Fixes” a problem this is the stupidity that results !!!!
The Indiana toll road just closed the service plaza at the eastern end of the road with plans to level the place and leave it permanently closed. Currently the remaining plazas are James as a result. I know that an Australian company owns the toll road, but the state of Indiana has to step in and force the plaza and the one at the western end of the road, which is also scheduled for the same fate, to be turned into truck parking facilities.
Tom, same thing is happening on all the turnpikes in Oklahoma. Last year there were at least seven open service plazas.. There are now TWO left.
Who is monitoring all the possible parking spots? How does the info get passed along? Or is this another ‘right lane ends’ with not a scrap of road work in sight?
They have cameras and stuff. I read something about this before, being from Michigan, and living and working in an area where they’re doing it (and where the sign in the picture comes from)
First comment: The I95 corridor coalition is wrong, so lets get this straight you want us to call to find out if there is parking, if we have to do that then we can just call the truck stop and ask them with about the same results, you’ve got a lot of work to do because there’s quite a few flaws in what you saying.
Second comment: Trip-Planning is a huge key, you know your E-Log is going to run out so why not start looking for places to park around the 10th hr, it’s quite simple, buy a map and average your speed out and look what’s in the area where you’ll be in about 10hrs, stop being steering wheel holder’s and start being a truck driver.
The Midwest needs more parking. My husband and I are team drivers who are left with no parking when I get tired at the end of my shift which is usually midnight. Arkansas is a big joke when it comes to parking. During an ice rain storm last January I pulled into the last truck scale which was closed on the I-40 East, after every rest area and truck stop was full. I wasn’t there 5 minutes when a state trooper pulled in and told me that this is a place of business not a place to park. I had to leave, which forced me to drive tired on ice covered roads. Why can’t Arkansas be like Kentucky and Missouri who welcome drivers to park in their closed scales when tired? My husband and I avoid Arkansas whenever possible. We will drive 100 miles out of our route in order to stay away from that trucker unfriendly state!
I also read a post here awhile back where Arkansas governor stated that they don’t have the funds to provide the facilities to accommodate truck parking areas. In my opinion facilities are not needed. A simple paved or graveled area where truckers can safely get off the road to sleep would be greatly appreciated. Indiana has the best big truck parking spots which are paved that I have seen so far.
Not only that but Arkansas’ “new rule” signs at those weigh stations saying there’s no parking on ramps allowed anymore either. That state is a mess, their roads are trashed and the construction that shuts the primary highways down for hours on end is accomplishing zilch.
Who told you that we have parking but don’t know where? Thats a lie.stop asking ex truckers who think us noobs are incapable. Stop asking vets who have regular routes and know every knook and cranny.
It would constantly needed to be updated. What about weight stations, parking areas, rest areas and those side parkings? It should be included!
I force myself to drive from 5am to 5-6pm, that way I’ll have easy parking just about anywhere (unless that small pilot outside a DC or big city).
Parking situation will only get worse, they’re calling a several hundred thousand driver shortage, and many of the big companies are more than happy to cash in those government grants and crank out more drivers.
And with FMCSA’s push to have every truck E-logged, pretty soon we’ll just have to park on the side of the highway and have the state pay to move us.
Wouldn’t all the money being spent on electronic signs be better served by creating new parking? This seems an absolute waste of time and money. Too bad these folks don’t go out and study this before wasting money on something useless.
This is of-the-shelf technology in Europe where its around for decades.
They can safe the money and do a copy-paste.
Oh wait….some body probably needs to make a lot of money on this.. 🙂
While I applaud Mi’s inititive, I find it seriously hampered by availability of parking in states with minimal parking opportunities. Free it up peeps!
And WTH does it require that much money to place and moniter signs? Government red tape perhaps?
I believe parking and lack of info about parking are issues.