A new bill which has been proposed in Congress could put $755 million in federal money toward creating additional safe truck parking all across the country… at no cost to drivers.
H.R. 6104 is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Mike Bost (R-Illinois) and Angie Craig (D-Minnesota). The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act was introduced on Thursday. If enacted, it would allocate $755 million over the next five years to create new parking spaces for commercial trucks. New parking areas could either be built from scratch, or the money can be used to expand or convert existing weigh stations and rest stops to allow for more safe truck parking.
No new money would be added to the DOT budget to make up for the spending. Instead, the funds would come out of existing U.S. DOT programs and put them toward this grant system.
The federal government would not be involved in building or maintaining the new parking spaces. Instead, the other groups can apply for federal funding for projects that would add truck parking capacity where it’s needed. Applicants can include states, public agencies, city planning authorities and local governments.
According to the bill, in order to be eligible to receive funds, projects would need to meet certain criteria. Projects would need to add parking capacity by building a new rest area, adding truck parking to existing parking areas such as private travel centers and public parking areas, or converting weigh stations and rest areas to accommodate truck parking. Additionally, all new parking spaces created would need to be free.
“The national truck parking crisis is also a national highway safety crisis,” said Todd Spencer, president and CEO of OOIDA – which helped develop the bill. “Truckers don’t want to park on the side of the road. It creates a hazard to them and the motoring public. But sometimes there’s literally no other option. This bill has the potential to generate much more truck parking capacity, and every member of Congress should support it.”
It’s a long road ahead for more safe truck parking though. Before the money can be released, the bill will have to go through the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the House, the Senate, and finally the president.
Source: truckinginfo, overdrive, freightwaves, wsiltv
“Proposed” Hasn’t been voted on in the House, passed or sent to the Senate for a vote. Don’t hold your breath.
I don’t like the idea of money going to private travel centers. This would ultimately lead the already existing parking at travel centers to be paid while adding a nominal number of free spaces.
Go back, read what they said, right in the article numerous times, in order to qualify for the grant, the parking must be free.
Who cares where they build it, need more parking!
The new parking would have to be free, but there is nothing to stop a private travel center from converting existing free parking into paid spaces, Trucker Mike.
Also, once the parking is built, how long do you think it will take before people forget what spaces were paid for with the grant, and what spaces weren’t? Who exactly is going to enforce that provision, and what would the penalty be for violating it? If they aren’t likely to get caught, or the penalty isn’t punitively greater than the grant, then the provision is toothless and will be disregarded.
And honestly, if a truck stop builds more parking, does anybody have any idea from the outset, whether it was privately or publicly funded, to complain when they start charging to park there?
You go back and read it. It says the NEW spaces must be free. The old/ current spaces could become paid spaces.
I am
Daveson when ever I get home from from off the road had to worry were I am going to to Park. In my community thay hate truck I would love to had some Wear to Park if I even have to pay a monthly fee for parking tanks God Bless you.
Time to move out of that community of truck haters…just saying
I am so glad my night mere will soon be over getting the truck parking thanks to God my prayers answered
.
Mmm… not quite yet. May I suggest turning on your spell checker.
You to funny Mike…😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I don’t see any problems with his spelling. I see problems with his ability to coherently put a sentence together. Maybe English is his second language, whichever one it may be YOU are no one to be judging people.
Im sure you knowed exactly what he was talking about.
The money will probably be spent on more bike paths. Just like road improvement money has been spent in the past
Well they as said in article they’re supposed to meet certain criteria and won’t be able to charge lol however as in the past lots of places get lost in the cracks but something is always better than nothing
The bike paths that nobody hardly uses. What a waste of tax dollars.
Swift already uses the bike paths. No chance of getting spots there
You win the comment section my friend😆😆😆🤔🤔
Lol!!!!!!!!!!
LMFAO
I think they run up to the last minute as you see them parked on the shoulders
The bike paths that you do not use. Did you stock up with soda, cookies and chips today?
…and twinkies, hoho’s and snickers for ENERGY
And don’t forget the party row where you can snack n relax…lol
Gee I’m 73 years young n I use those bike paths to be fit n trim n enjoying life..
You need to get rid of all these truck stops that make you pay for parking. Back in the day you never had to pay for parking. Also yes make rest areas bigger and open ones that are closed. There are alot of empty land than can be made into truck parking. Just my opinion.
If they are giving it to private travel centers the scumbags at pilot/flying j and TA/petro should be ineligible. They are just going to charge you to park there and act like they are doing you a favor.
Probably rest areas relax…lol
Did you read the article? It said free parking and they have to meet certain criteria to get the money
When a private parking area gets sold, do we really think that the new owners will adhere to the constraints imposed on the old owners who used public funding to build it? If forced to do so, they’ll build a mall over it, and post “No Trucks” signs. Or apartments. Or damned near anything more profitable than free truck parking…
The money has to go to public projects, or it might as well be just given to Warren Buffett as a bank error in his favor, or beauty contest winnings.
Don’t be blind they will rob that money and use it as they’d like
I didnt see private or for-profit entities on the list of who funds would go to.
But, to be honest, I’d love to see it all go to Pilot. I like getting fuel there, love the facilities, usually new, big, clean showers. But, parking? It’s a joke. You have to get there mid day to find open parking
I think in order to qualify they should provide free parking at every truck stop and get rid of the paid spots
It said nothing about Travel Centers. At least read the article.
Yes it did private TravelCenters says it right there learn to read
Yes it does. Says private travel centers can apply.
You go back and read it. It says private travel centers.
Did you read the article?
Security was getting on trucks with lights to read parking receipts last night in Florence KY TA Truck Stop. I’m glad nobody got hurt but it’s gonna happen because trucking is gonna slow down do to corona virus and they are not team players they are scared to lose drivers $$ so they want everyone paying. Rest Area and door dash when I can
When the Fed’s hands out money to state or local governments it will go where. Remember New Orleans and Katrina. Levees didn’t get maintenance because it got spent on so called art in town to attract tourists.
Well at least it’s the first “story” in a while where they’re not planning to take more money from the trucks! At least at the conception of the plan. I’m sure it was considered.
Give it time
If this passes, let’s hope that there is competent oversight as to where and how the money is spent..
Yeah right you’re talkin about government spending. Hasn’t been any competent oversight so far don’t expect that to change
If it passes,I don’t think they will be any oversight or accountability. There is too much corruption and greed . I personally think that everytime taxes are raised or money allocated to infrastructure and highway improvement most of the money goes to hire new state troopers and give everyone a raise and to buy more radar guns to give us more tickets to raise their revenue and cause our insurance to go up,not to mention getting too many points on our driving record and losing our lively hood. Also the rest of this money always goes into the politicians pocket and then there is no more left. A few years down the road they will raise gasoline and fuel taxes and other taxes that they say is much needed for highway improvements and you guessed it,very little has changed and the money is distributed the same way for raises that the politicians get a d give state troopers another raise and we still have bad highways.
Finally somebody is taking about this huge issue truckers have everyday
Ordinarily I’m opposed to government spending on something private industry could do, but I don’t see private industry doing it. And most trucking companies aren’t reimbursing drivers for the expense of paid parking (and then pass that expense on to customers).
Should probably make all overnight truck parking paid, and bill shippers a flat rate for it. Then parking would be available everywhere, and it would be higher quality.
Yes your right bill the shippers and receivers wow. Good luck
If it’s all free, there is no incentive to improve or maintain it. If it all costs, then cheaper places have less incentive than more expensive ones. What do you suppose will be the typical cap on parking costs that carriers will pay? I’m thinking it will be on the low side, making parking still crappy, poorly maintained, and inadequate in quantity – unless drivers go out of pocket.
Just like now. Only there will be more money in the game.
Does this bill address who is going to pick up the piss bottles and trash and empty the trash can,s ? The federal highway administration needs to step up to the plate and own, build , offer security ,and maintain these sites . This is a part of commercial commerce that has evolved, and now they need to take responsibility for it.
They said you had volunteered! Thank you for taking one for the team! 🤣
Lmao
More piss bottles and trash
Some people aren’t hard to shop for. I’ll just leave it beside your truck.
probably right there
They should consider adding a bus service requirement to and from a nearby town or maybe access to some type of travel service so we aren’t stranded with no basic facilities or basic comforts.
You’re in a truck. Drop the trailer and drive into town. Or get an Uber / Lyft. Jeez.
The 78 square ft of room in your bunk isnt basic comfort?
No they shouldnt. Who pays for such mandates?
Pennsylvania needs to update their rest areas, like in Harrisburg on the 81its always spilled onto the highway on the on ramp and exit ramp. A rest area is needed on the 78. Bigger rest areas are needed on 79 and a new one on 90, on 70 after Crystal Spring Rest area or before it, needs expanded, convert the other side to parking. Pennsylvania turnpike could have more pull outs and lose the buzzy thing at those pull offs, always some inconsiderate idiot hits it deliberately and rides it the entire way, cuz I’ve seen it. I know those of you who do this and those who know this happens. Pennsylvania needs to lose all their dot pull offs, except those they use regularly and make additional parking on the others far from the road and lose the buzzy thing on the road at these rest areas and pull offs. Pennsylvania can do far better for trucks and be more truck friendly. And get these 4wheelers out of the left lane all the time!
All the toll money goes to administrators, and all kinda non turnpike crap.
No comments 🤦🏻♀️
Finally ! This what we and the public need !! I urge every driver, and I mean every driver and as many general public persons to contact their representative’s including the 2 mentioned in the article to get this approved and passed, you know a solution is badly needed. It is up to us to hold these representative’s their colleagues, the local, and state governments accountable, as far as it is spent. We can complain and come up with every reason it is going to be wasted and spent wrong but if we truly put in the effort, got involved it could turn out very good and beneficial for us drivers. This is a opportunity for us drivers to band together like we all complain about needing to do somehow. if the politicians and the general public see us banded together on an issue. They will start Respecting us. Talk to other drivers, spread the word talk to people at travel centers we could even put out flyers about this contact to Representatives, create and leave a petition to be signed to forward forwarded to our Representatives, etc… Lots of opportunities and chances here drivers that could benefit us all
Can you expand on your opinion more? Geez Francis!
Truck parking with the cement potties like MO, WV, OK, and other states have would be a bare minimum of decent parking for us. Land purchase, lot construction, road access, and potty construction/ maintenance would be less than what one of the big 4 truck stops would request. One other requirement should be small truck stops with less than 50 stores nationwide. That helps at least 2 segments of the transportation industry.
Ain’t nothing for free.someone’s going to have to pay for the scumbag truck drivers poop bag piss bottles cigarette butts and trash that they just throw out the truck window,because they’re too lazy to walk their fat butts to a trash can or to the restroom 50 ft to 50 yards away. And there’s not enough money to teach truck drivers to park right so whatever extra spaces we get a good buddy parking steering wheel holders will just block it up. I would rather see the government spending money on getting real truck drivers out here who really know how to drive
You can’t lump everybody into the same category many of us out there try to do the right thing all the time. The pissing in your truck and shittin on the street part and thrown out piss bottles is horrible and I’ll call out any truck driver I see do it
Call me when it passes. The history of this federal govt is promises, promises resulting in more waste.
The article said free parking and they have to meet certain criteria to get the money
They need to do something this has been a problem for a long time the I-81 Corridor and I-95 corridor on the East Coast are absolutely horrible for truck parking. Trying to find a spot Beyond 8 or 9 at night is damn near impossible I ended up getting a ticket for parking on and on ramp in Virginia
We drivers are like homeless people having a parking area is the less the government can do for the trucking industry thank God for that
Dont hold your breath getting free stuff from a republican senate. They hate free stuff.
I’m not holding my breath.
If it does go through and there’s more parking out there everyone’s going to have to respect it and stop the piss bottles and poop bags all over like now or their going to take it away from everyone and we’ll all be back to square one, clean up your act douchbags that want to live like pigs
and throw their bottles and garbage all over need to be stopped, it reflects on all of us, makes us all look bad that’s why cities and shopping centers don’t want us in there anymore.
It would help a lot if there were bathrooms. Without decent places to pee and poop, the bottles and bags become the least indecent alternatives.
Quit leaving your tampons all over the place.
Makes ya wonder what their homes are like. You say 50ft, I say its too generous of you. The trash can could be right next to the rig and many wont even do that.
Give all the $ to Pilot. Require them to quadruple the parking at all their tiny locations.
I like getting fuel there, love the facilities, usually new, big, clean showers. But, parking? It’s a joke. You have to get there mid day to find open parking spot.
This is t first common sense issue I red from the left or the right.
It is needed and I am not a driver.
But as with any issue in DC if the pigs don’t get feed , we the people will keep suffering. Let us contact the worthless political class and demand.
Waste of money. Be better to create trucking Regionalization and ship by train to designated locations. Less wear and tear on the Interstates, more at home time for truckers, less air pollution.
Expand weight station and rest areas add new rest areas.
More urine bottles and trash
Well said as a driver of 30 years, I get so tired of piss bottles and everywhere. My God grow up people
But that don’t mean they can’t take the existing parking spots and make them paid parking. It only says the new ones have to be free
Free parking sounds good until some state or county see $ signs and charges an up keep or maint fee.
If we do this I hope they will have security that would be the best thing I hope truck drives will be clean I am a truck driver I don’t like to park at truck stop because there are people that don’t care and is starts with there urine or they work on there trucks or leve garbage for others to see that’s not profecinal I call that lazy pigs
Exzactly bruh I’m with you on all the levels of concern you have expressed here and the experience I see imbedded in the potential abuse of the supposed provided help. All we can do is fight a good fight and Push and pray bossman, keep her in the wind, may God bless you and catch ya in the hammer lane, bruh 🙋🏼♂️#LilCris💯👆💪🙏
Like the P A turnpike,pull off areas along side the interstate every 20 miles or so would help considerably and would be easy enough since it’s already state owned right of way.Personally,I drove otr for 34 yrs,finding parking for a veteran driver wasn’t that big of an issue..save for areas up east,new jersy,new york,road island, ect.,those areas can be challenging but i always managed. Sadly,there’s no hope for some drivers out there,they never will learn how to park,or drive,or…whatever.
Yikes! This will never get done if the comments are indicative of the average drivers intelligence. It seems most can’t read, comprehend or think critically if the comments are to be believed. Additionally the pessimism and general negativity is enough to discourage any entity from offering improvements to this group. If you were offered a cure for cancer you’d all bitch “it’s not the right day for a cancer cure”.
Opening scale areas for parking as soon as possible.
They should never be closed down.
Nothing, is ever really free, I repete nothing is ever really free!!!!!!!
At least somebody have the right idea when they talk about Federal highway commission whatever , I believe that. The DOT just want to take all the credit for truck safety well what to do. Follow up on the parking spaces they need to be in there and making sure this is absolutely free parking it is being maintained and kept in good condition instead of writing fines for trucks that are parked where there isn’t any parking for the other than alongside the highway
FSMCA has done nothing except screw transportation up! Screw ELD, and 30 mins breaks, and screw truck stops for charging to park after you’ve spent $300 in fuel. I say there needs to be TRUCKERS STRIKE! Park’um ALL and see what happens to the industry! There nothing but ah bunch of politicians that’s lined there pockets full of money that has never drove ah 18 wheeler. They all think they have the answer.
If enacted what do u mean if enacted ? We need just truck parking areas no scamper campers or u haul idiots or horse trailer harry trucks only !!!!!
Just change the rules rather spend money. Stats already shows the eld rule didn’t work. Fatalities highest in 2018 since 1988.
They need to get R.v. out of truck parking.that would open up a lot of spaces
If they do create more parking I hope it’s places with at least toilets. The ones with no toilets are actually an insult. It treats truckers like we’re nothing but animals that don’t even need a decent place to take a crap!
Damn dirty apes!!
Just like when they get funding for road construction they wind up putting up till roads with federal monies so what’s to stop travel centers from making them paid parking their is no way of enforcing it even though they have to meet certain criteria it won’t stop them from making them paid parking
Why, autanomis trucks are coming.
Please call or write your congressman and ask them to co sponsor this important bill. Lack of big truck parking is a crucial issue for us. We needto this.
I agree.I think its time we formed a truckers Union.Its the only way to get these government bureaucrat’s to work for us.Anybody got any ideas on this to get organized?
Brilliant idea…I’m sure they will take the money and than take forever to make it happen . Or just wash the money and pocket them
Just watched 60 Minutes segment(Sunday,March 15)on completely driverless trucks ongoing trials in the southwest USA. A company investing $billions into this endeavour states their trucks will be ready to be put into service by 2021. So,typical of the gov,more mixed signals and confusion. Why invest in parking spots for truckers when the gov is in full support of imminent driverless truck implementation?
If they want to endorse HOS rules, and truly want “safe driving truckers,” then they need to ram this through now. Yesterday was already late. $755 mil? Really? It’s going to cost much more! They need to look long term! Free? We’re still paying through all the various taxes. What, were they thing of making them paid spots? They better include bathrooms, or porta potties, and dumpsters. Not that many of these scum bag truckers out here today care. You know the ones!
Clean Truck Driver Program:
I need, have, want, must inform Transporters (Port Truck Drivers) of the citations received per multiple cities. A parking citation issued on Red Curve per such and such PD. Pictures were taken to prove the citation is incorrect. Then the rain washed off the Red, however, the curve is there. Pictures were taken to prove the citation is incorrect.
I am going to say, full throttle up on the free parking because drivers make the supply and demand of goods with our driving services move forward.
I want for these Truck Parking Sleep Areas to be under Security for the driver to get a good day/night sleep.
Side note: Have been sleeping in sleeper berth for some time and speak from experience.
Thank you,
CTDP
Grajeda, Herman
now is the time to shut down with shelves empty in the stores it would really cause a panic