Truckers struggle to find safe parking: survey

Washington – Truck parking shortages are common regardless of the time of day or the day of the week, according to the results of a survey conducted by the Department of Transportation.

DOT surveyed state transportation departments, safety officials, truck drivers and truck stop operators about available parking spots. More than 75 percent of truck drivers responded that they regularly had trouble finding safe parking locations when they needed to rest. Meanwhile, 37 state DOTs responded affirmatively when asked, “Do you have a problem with commercial vehicle truck parking in your state?”

A lack of designated parking spots causes truck drivers to park in unsafe locations along interchange ramps and the shoulders of highways, DOT officials said after the survey results were released Aug. 21. In response, the National Coalition on Truck Parking announced it will search for safe solutions in collaboration with a variety of agencies and organizations, including the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.

“We at FMCSA are committed to addressing this shortage of safe and convenient truck parking for the drivers who do so much to advance our economy,” FMCSA Acting Administrator T.F. Scott Darling III said in a press release.