Bill Passed By House Committee To Boost Truck Parking Availability
On Wednesday, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved legislation that expands truck parking infrastructure across the nation. Dubbed the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, the legislation now advances to the House floor for further debate.
The legislation was introduced in March 2021 by U.S. Reps. Mike Bost, R-Ill., and Angie Craig, D-Minn. “This is long overdue,” committee chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said. “It’s one solution to try to make the lives of drivers safer and less stressful and perhaps allow for more [driver] retention. This will really help improve the efficiency of trucking.”
DeFazio added that he hopes the bill is well received in the Senate. “It may be something that goes into the year-end omnibus (spending bill,” DeFazio said. “I hope we can pass it out of the House unanimously when we come back after the August break.”
Praise From The American Trucking Association (ATA)
American Trucking Associations (ATA) President and CEO Chris Spear praised congressional leaders for advancing the legislation. “The lack of safe and accessible truck parking is an issue that causes serious concern for our industry,” Spear said. “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 legislation would authorize a competitive grant program for states to spend $755 million over a four-year period on new truck parking projects. This includes capacity expansion and enhancements such as lighting, restrooms and other security features.
Parking Is a Hot Ticket Issue
Access to truck parking has been highlighted more than once in the American Transportation Research Institute’s annual list of top issues facing trucking. ATRI also found that on average drivers spend approx. 56 minutes per day looking for parking. This reduces driver wages, adds undo delays to the supply chain and raises stress on an already taxed workforce.
“The availability of safe and secure truck parking is not just a challenge 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. “This kind of bipartisan solution shows that Congress can still step up and address real challenges faced by American workers and I want to thank bill sponsors, Congressmen Bost and Craig, as well as Chairman DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves, for moving this important bill forward and urge the full House and Senate to quickly to make it law.”
The ATA’s newly formed Women in Motion advisory group and ATA’s Law Enforcement Advisory Board along with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance sent letters to members showing strong support for the provision.
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