Washington — On Friday, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) applauded the inclusion of $200 million in the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee funding bill that is dedicated to expanding the availability of truck parking.
“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. 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,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “We thank the members of the House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee for prioritizing this funding that will benefit truck drivers and our supply chain, and we are especially appreciative of the decisive leadership of Congressman Womack for ensuring this provision was incorporated in the final bill.”
U.S. Congressman Steve Womack (R-Arkansas), the subcommittee chairman, was instrumental in securing this line item addressing one of the trucking industry’s top concerns.
“Congressman Womack’s commitment to issues such as truck parking demonstrates his understanding that the men and women who deliver America’s freight deserve convenient, safe, and readily available places to rest,” said Arkansas Trucking Association President Shannon Newton. “Arkansas is primarily a rural state, where trucking represents 1 in 10 jobs, and it serves as a crossroads for interstate freight on I-30, I-40, and I-55. We are grateful to Congressman Womack for his leadership on such an important issue to our industry.”
According to a USDOT study, 98% of truck drivers regularly experience problems locating safe parking. An analysis by the American Transportation Research Institute found that the average driver sacrifices 56 minutes of drive time per day. This results in $6,813 in lost wages for truck drivers each year. This new investment in truck parking would build on the progress that has been made through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that ATA championed, which has already allocated funding to build roughly 2,000 truck parking spaces.
In addition to the $200 million for truck parking, the House funding bill addresses several other trucking industry priorities, including provisions that:
- Preserve the fix ATA secured earlier this year to strengthen the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program
- Block a waiver requested by California that would create a patchwork of meal and rest break rules, undermining safety and the supply chain
- Prevent the Federal Highway Administration from moving forward with its proposal to impose greenhouse gas emissions performance measures on state departments of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations, contrary to congressional intent.
- Prohibit the implementation of any congestion tolling programs, such as the one planned by New York City that has now been indefinitely suspended.
The House Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee’s funding bill is scheduled to be marked up later this week, followed by a full committee vote the week of July 8.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
