Washington – Saying “safety is compromised when truck parking isn’t readily available,” leaders from the American Trucking Associations and Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association are calling on the Department of Transportation to prioritize funding of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to address the issue.

In a letter sent to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on February 18, ATA President and CEO Chris Spear and OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer ask that the department work with the White House, state DOTs, Congress, and industry stakeholders “to ensure the appropriate actions are taken to alleviate the growing shortage of truck parking.

An annual survey of commercial drivers and motor carriers conducted by the ATA’s Transportation Research Institute of America shows that truck parking is among the top issues affecting the trucking industry. Lack of available parking spaces for trucks in safe locations ranks fifth among the most identified issues in ATRI’s latest survey, released on October 24.

Spear and Spencer cite findings from a 2019 DOT report on Jason’s Law showing that 98% of drivers “regularly experience trouble finding safe parking,” up from 75% in 2015. Signed in July 2012, the law of Jason aims to increase the number of safe spaces. parking available for truckers. It is named after New York-based truck driver Jason Rivenburg, who was murdered in 2009 during a robbery after parking his truck at an abandoned gas station in South Carolina.

Additionally, the letter cites data from a 2018 report by trucker app Trucker Path showing that 70% of commercial vehicle drivers have been forced to violate federal hours of service regulations to seek safe parking. and legal. Previous research from ATRI shows that drivers spend an average of 56 minutes of driving time per day looking for a parking space.

“Ultimately,” the letter states, “the widespread shortage of truck parking can be explained by simple math – there are approximately 3.5 million truck drivers in the United States and approximately 313,000 parking spaces. for trucks nationwide; for 11 drivers there is a truck parking space. This reality, the letter continues, creates “disastrous consequences on the safety of truckers as well as motorists.”

Spear and Spencer write that although the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – signed into law Nov. 15 by President Joe Biden – “expected significant increases in accounts where truck parking is an eligible expense,” it omitted dedicated funding for truck parking.

The letter asks Buttigieg to prioritize funding for grant programs that would increase truck parking capacity. Additionally, the letter seeks support for a bill that would “establish a competitive discretionary grant program” while providing $755 million in federal funding for truck parking projects nationwide through fiscal year 2026.

Reintroduced on March 26 by Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL), the Improved Truck Parking Safety Act (HR 2187) did not make it past the House.

“Washington needs to listen to our country’s truckers and respect their most serious needs,” Spear said in a press release. “They are the heart of our economy and directly support the front lines in the fight against COVID-19 – a battle that will only be won with the help of the trucking industry.”