$800 million dollars of parking spots? It’s an absolute necessity, according to those in the trucking industry, and this is the dollar amount sought by author of the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act. This bill, presented by Rep. Mike Most (R-IL), would allocate $800 billion through 2026 to the House Transportation and Infrastructure panel. This dedicated funding would be appropriated to transportation agencies to build or expand safe parking areas for commercial motor vehicles.
Providing much-needed parking space will result in improved safety for all truck operators, and as a result, all drivers on our American highways. Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) stated, “It’s been said many times that if you bought it, a truck driver brought it.” Since more than 70% of our nation’s freight tonnage is moved by trucks, literally every American consumer is affected by this bill.
The inadequacy of truck parking has been an increasing concern of the industry, and in 2021 it ranked fifth among critical issues of truckers. Drivers are wasting precious hours looking for a parking space for even an hour or two. The result is added stress and exhaustion, and ultimately a decrease of safety on our nation’s roads. Solutions to the problem are long overdue, and the industry is perhaps seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in the passing of this new legislation.
Moving this legislation forward is a tremendous step toward addressing what has been a significant challenge to our industry’s ability to safely and efficiently move the nation’s goods.” Advocates of the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, originally proposed on July 20, are confident it will soon progress to the Senate Floor for a vote.
ATC is committed to the safety of its drivers, and we celebrate legislation that prioritizes this need as well!
To read the bill click here.
