OOIDA Applauds USDOT Investments in Truck Parking

The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced more than $30 million to address the national truck parking crisis

US Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced more than $30 million to address the national truck parking crisis. It’s a chronic issue that endangers both truck drivers and the traveling public. Please see our below statement and supporting information. OOIDA urged the Department to fund the truck parking projects in Ohio and Wisconsin earlier this year (letters attached).

We’re always more than happy to discuss the need for more truck parking, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like more information or would like to discuss the issue further!

George O’Connor Government Affairs | Director of Communications. Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association

“Lack of safe truck parking has been a top concern of truckers for decades and as a truck driver, I can tell you firsthand that when truckers don’t have a safe place to park, we are put in a no-win situation. We must either continue to drive while fatigued or out of legal driving time, or park in an undesignated and unsafe location like the side of the road or abandoned lot. It forces truck drivers to make a choice between safety and following federal Hours-of-Service rules. OOIDA and the 150,000 small business truckers we represent thank Secretary Buttigieg and the Department for their increased focus on resolving an issue that has plagued our industry for decades.” – Todd Spencer, OOIDA President

Notable parking projects announced by USDOT:

• $17.9 Million – Ohio Truck Parking Expansion Project Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Trumbull and Preble Counties
• The project will repurpose two closed rest areas as new truck parking facilities; one on I-70 eastbound near New Paris with 100 truck parking spaces, and the other on I-80 eastbound near Hubbard with 38 truck parking spaces.
• NOTE: The I-70 and I-80 corridors are two of the most heavily used long-haul trucking routes in the nation. ODOT’s 2022 Statewide truck parking study revealed that over a one-year period, 654 trucks parked in undesignated locations within 8 miles of the I-70 location, while 487 trucks parked in undesignated locations within 2 miles of the I-80 site. Providing these drivers with a safer alternative to rest and recuperate will improve safety for drivers and other motorists alike. The project will incorporate video surveillance and the parking areas will be incorporated into the Truck Parking Information Management System, providing real-time parking information to drivers.

• $12.5 million – I-43 Safety Rest Areas and Truck Parking Expansions Wisconsin Department of Transportation Manitowoc County
• The project will replace both the Rest Area 51 Maribel and Rest Area 52 Denmark facilities along I43 in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. Each of the sites would include razing and construction of a new rest area building, maintenance garage, and parking lots for both automobiles and trucks. The capacity of truck parking would increase by a total of 72 stalls. Lighting will be replaced throughout both facilities, ingress/egress roadways will be reconstructed to accommodate the addition of truck parking stalls, pavement will be improved, and a substandard beam guard will be removed.
• NOTE: The project will increase the availability of safe truck parking facilities between Green Bay, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois, to eliminate commercial vehicle operators from parking in unsafe or unauthorized areas and improve conditions of the roadway connections to the parking areas. Additionally, the project will incorporate the rest areas into the state’s Truck Parking Information Management System, which provides real-time data to drivers on the number and location of available truck parking spots.

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