On Thursday, December 1st, senators introduced legislation that would set aside $755 million in competitive grants over four years to expand much-needed truck parking across the country.
The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, co-sponsored by Senators Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., will serve as a companion bill to a House version introduced last year and approved by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in July.
Like the House bill, the Senate bill allows for public-private partnerships to create new parking areas or expand existing parking facilities, as well as projects that allow for commercial parking at existing weigh stations, rest areas, and park-and-ride facilities.
Unlike the House bill, the Senate bill would allow for increased truck parking at commercial truck stops and travel plazas.
In a joint letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in February, the American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association advocated for the legislation. Both expressed support for the bill introduced on Thursday.
“There is only one parking spot for every eleven trucks on the road,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer explained.
“When truck drivers don’t have a designated parking spot, they park on the side of the road, near exit ramps, or elsewhere.” This is dangerous for both the driver and others on the road. Senators Lummis and Kelly have listened to small business truckers and are taking concrete steps to increase truck parking capacity.”
ATA President Chris Spear states that a lack of truck parking “continues to strain our supply chain and jeopardize highway safety for all motorists.” This carefully crafted legislation provides critical investments to address the issue while incentivizing public-private partnerships to expand truck parking capacity.”
