Home » ATA Cheers USDOT Commitment to Expanding Truck Parking Capacity Nationwide

ATA Cheers USDOT Commitment to Expanding Truck Parking Capacity Nationwide

fleetnewsdaily | September 30, 2022

Pete Buttigieg pledged the Administration’s support for increasing the availability of safe parking options for America’s professional truck drivers

The American Trucking Associations thanked the U.S. Department of Transportation for its commitment to expanding the nation’s truck parking capacity.

In a letter to ATA President and CEO Chris Spear, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg pledged the Administration’s support for increasing the availability of safe parking options for America’s professional truck drivers through its Trucking Action Plan, grant funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and increased coordination with state departments of transportation and the trucking industry.

“We thank Secretary Buttigieg and the Administration for their ongoing commitment to America’s professional truck drivers. The Secretary has stated how important the issue of truck parking is to him and his department, and we are extremely grateful that he is delivering on that intention,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “This issue is imperative for both highway safety and supply chain efficiency, and we look forward to continued partnership with USDOT as it works to ensure IIJA funds continue flowing toward this urgent need.”

ATA President and CEO Chris Spear recently wrote to the Secretary urging the U.S. Department of Transportation to prioritize this issue, which affects highway safety, driver wellbeing, productivity, and the environment. A USDOT report found 98% of drivers regularly experience problems finding safe parking. Studies by the American Transportation Research Institute have found that drivers surrender an average of 56 minutes of valuable drive time per day to find parking, directly costing them about $5,500 in lost compensation — or a 12% cut in annual pay.

In recent days, Florida and Tennessee were awarded a combined $37,600,000 in INFRA grant funding by USDOT to expand truck parking capacity.

“This issue is of particular importance for women drivers, who repeatedly cite the lack of safe parking options as a deterrent to more women entering the field,” Spear said. “Investing in these projects and ensuring all drivers have ready access to safe and well-lit parking facilities is an important step in shifting our industry’s workforce demographics and empowering more women across the country to pursue the rewarding career opportunities that trucking has to offer.”