A member of Congress is leading the charge to create more truck parking to ease a headache-inducing problem drivers face daily.
U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., is being praised by the American Trucking Associations for being “instrumental” in including $200 million for truck parking in the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee funding bill on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. Womack is chairman of the subcommittee.
The Federal Highway Administration has deemed the country’s limited truck parking “a national safety concern.”
A U.S. Department of Transportation study found that 98% of truck drivers regularly experience difficulty in locating safe parking. The American Transportation Research Institute found drivers on average spend 56 minutes each day searching for parking — equal to a $5,600 annual pay cut.
“The severe shortage of truck parking places an enormous burden on truck drivers, who often don’t know if they will be able to find a safe place to sleep when they finish their shift,” ATA President and CEO Chris Spear said in an announcement. “This significant investment to expand parking capacity would help alleviate stress on truck drivers, move freight more efficiently, and make the roadways safer for all motorists.”
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The FHA says the truck parking problem is partially due to the country’s economy, which requires an active trucking industry to move high volumes of goods. The Biden administration in September announced $80 million in grants to improve highway safety, including expanding truck parking. Pilot Travel Centers announced plans earlier this year to add 500 parking spots nationwide.
Arkansas Trucking Association President Shannon Newton said in a statement that the bill “demonstrates [Womack’s] understanding that the men and women who deliver America’s freight deserve convenient, safe, and readily available places to rest.”
A full committee vote is expected next week.