Truck Parking: 2 new major federal grants awarded to expand capacity

Two major new federal grants were awarded this week to expand the nation's commercial truck parking capacity, further underscoring the value of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to our industry and the supply chain.

The two awards, totaling more than $33 million, will create 170 new truck parking spaces located at key freight corridors in Louisiana and Texas.

In Texas, a new truck parking plaza will be constructed at the intersection of SH 130 and SH 180 that includes:

✅ 20 short-term truck parking spaces
✅ 100 long-term truck parking spaces
✅ Entry/ exit gate contro
✅ Lighting & fencing
✅ Rest stop with restrooms and showers, and amenities
✅ 24-hour monitored security

In Louisiana, a new truck parking facility will be constructed near at inland port of Columbia where SH 165 intersects with the Ouachita River.

➡️The facility will provide 50 new truck parking spaces and improve the ports ability to service barge operations with multimodal freight options.

Why it matters: A severe shortage of commercial truck parking nationwide is having dire consequences for highway safety and supply chain efficiency. When truck drivers are unable to find safe, authorized parking, they're stuck in a no-win situation—forced to either park in unsafe or illegal locations, or violate federal hours-of-service rules that regulate their daily drive-time in order to search for safer, legal alternatives.

• A U.S. Department of Transportation report found 98% of drivers regularly experience problems finding safe parking. 

• The same report found the truck parking shortage exists in every state and region and is most acute along major freight corridors.

• A staggering 70% of drivers have been forced to violate federal hours-of-service rules because of this common scenario.

• To ensure they can find a safe and legal space, truck drivers often park prior to exhausting available drive time, surrendering an average of 56 minutes of valuable drive time per day.

• The time spent looking for available truck parking costs the average driver about $5,500 in direct lost compensation — or a 12% cut in annual pay.

Earlier this year, we partnered with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association on a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging the release of IIJA funds for truck parking:

Soon thereafter, Secretary Buttigieg made clear in testimony to Congress that funding for truck parking was a high priority for the Administration, and ATA is grateful to Secretary Buttigieg for delivering on that intention. 

What comes next:

We encourage more states to apply for truck parking awards through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. USDOT has provided this guidance for states on funding eligibility requirements for truck parking projects under the law.

Congress also has a critical role to play by passing the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, introduced by Senator Lummis, Senator Kelly, Representative Bost, and Representative Craig, which would would authorize $755 million in competitive grant funding to expand commercial truck parking capacity across the United States.