USDOT Announces $200M in Funding for Commercial Truck Parking

The U.S. Department of Transportation is providing $200 million in funding to expand commercial truck parking in 12 states.

According to an October 14 release, the money will be spread across 14 truck parking projects. That will include nearly $12 million to the Georgia Ports Authority to build a parking area near the Port of Savannah, $24.5 million to expand and modernize parking at six public rest areas in Iowa, $6 million for parking spaces at North Carolina's Port of Wilmington, and $15 million to expand parking at two safety rest areas in Wisconsin. 

"Truck parking is one of the most persistent challenges faced by American truckers today," said Federal Motor Carrier Administrator Derek Barrs. "This investment will deliver hundreds of new spots across the country, helping hardworking truck drivers get the rest they need and reducing dangerous roadside parking on some of America’s most important corridors.”

The USDOT estimates that 98% of truck drivers regularly experience problems finding parking, often creating safety issues when drivers are forced to park on roadsides along active highways instead of in designated lots. The American Transportation Research Institute estimates that the average truck driver loses 56 minutes of drive time a day in the search of safe parking, costing drivers an average of more than $6,800 in lost wages each year.

The American Trucking Association praised the USDOT's investment, calling it a "critical safety and supply chain issue that affects every truck driver and every motorist on our highways."

"These projects will help hardworking professional drivers find places to rest when they need it, improve the efficiency of freight movement, and make our roads safer for everyone," the ATA said.