Multi-state project strives for safe parking for truckers

Washington – A $25 million federal grant could lead to an increase in safe, available parking for commercial motor vehicle drivers across the Midwest.

The Department of Transportation announced Oct. 29 that it had selected the Regional Truck Parking Information and Management System Project as one of its grant recipients. The project aims to provide up-to-date parking information to drivers across eight states: Kansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

Truck parking has long been a safety issue for CMV drivers. In a Nov. 2 blog post, Federal Highway Administration Administrator Gregory G. Nadeau said the project will use technology that already is available to help truckers avoid dangerous parking situations along the sides of busy highways.

“TPIMS will help improve trucker safety and help make the U.S. transportation system the safest in the world,” Nadeau wrote. “It involves using existing technology to distribute information to commercial drivers on truck parking capacity and current occupancy through smartphone apps, dynamic road signage, websites, and parking facilities.”

DOT awarded $500 million to 39 projects across the country through the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) 2015 program.