Committee advances legislation improving truck parking

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On Wednesday, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure announced it had approved several pieces of legislation during a committee markup session, including a bill to invest in truck parking across the country.

The legislation The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, would make it easier for professional drivers to find safe places to rest while easing supply chain challenges.

“I am especially pleased to pass the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, which will go a long way to ensure truck drivers have a safe place to park and rest, making their difficult jobs safer while protecting everyone who shares the road,” said Committee Chair Peter DeFazio (D-OR) “It will also address supply chain challenges by reducing the amount of time drivers search for parking.”

The American Trucking Association applauded the move, saying on average, a truck driver spends 56 minutes of available drive time per day looking for parking.

“The lack of safe and accessible truck parking is an issue that causes serious concern for our industry,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Without it, drivers waste hours looking for secure places to park for an hour or for the night, hurting their ability to rest and adding undo stress to their days. Moving this legislation forward is a tremendous step toward addressing what has been significant challenge to our industry’s ability to safely and efficiently move the nation’s goods.”

The lack of safe parking hinders expansion of the truck driving workforce, the organization said.

“The availability of safe and secure truck parking is not just a challenge for current drivers, it is a barrier our industry must overcome in attracting new drivers – particularly women. Solving it won’t just help today’s industry, it will go a long way toward helping trucking recruit and attract a more diverse workforce,” Spear said.

The legislation, introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL), would authorize the dedicated investment of $755 million over the next four years for a truck parking grant program. The program, administered by the DOT, would construct safety rest areas and other commercial motor vehicle parking facilities. The grants would cover up to 100 percent of the project. The legislation would prohibit any parking facility constructed using the grant money from charging any fees for parking.

Additionally, the legislation would require the DOT to analyze and report back to Congress truck parking needs, availability and capacity improvements. That report would be due within 18 months of enactment, and bi-annually after the initial report.

“This is an issue that Congressman Bost, who’s a truck driver himself and has seen this problem firsthand, has been working on for several years,” said Ranking Member Sam Graves (R-MO) “Not only will the Bost bill help provide more safe parking options for America’s truckers, it will also help improve productivity by ensuring drivers don’t have to spend such a substantial amount of their hours of service just looking for a place to park. Congressman Bost’s bill, which I am proud to support, is an important step forward in alleviating the Nation’s supply chain crisis.”

The bill now heads to the House floor for a vote.