Michigan DOT begins project to help truckers find safe parking

Lansing, MI – The Michigan Department of Transportation has launched a communication system intended to help truckers find available parking along one of the region’s busiest corridors.

Through the system, truckers can access real-time information on parking availability on updated roadside signs, MDOT’s Mi Drive traffic information website and the Truck Smart Parking Services website and smartphone applications. A fleet of trucks also will be equipped with on-board connected vehicle equipment as part of the program.

According to MDOT, the stretch of Interstate 94 through the southwest part of the state between Detroit and Chicago is one of the Midwest’s busiest highways for commercial trucking. Trucks comprise 23 percent to 30 percent of all traffic in the corridor, MDOT said, making it the highest concentration of such vehicles in the state.

Because of the volume of traffic, truck parking is a significant safety concern. Trucks often park on entrance and exit ramps along the interstate and at rest areas, MDOT said. Meanwhile, many truck parking spaces at private parking facilities are underused.

Additionally, MDOT said in a press release that driver distraction was a critical focus of designing all aspects of the system.