Parking bill was ignored: ATA asks administration for support

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the American Trucking Association are asking the administration to reconsider a proposed parking law for trucks.

The letter was addressed to Transportation Minister Pete Buttigieg on Friday 18 February. It asked the US Department of Transportation to prioritize safe parking for trucks by funding truck parking projects.

Although the administration’s previously released “Strategy on freight traffic”, it stated negative effects of improper using of truckers’ time on the overall supply chain and economy, it didn’t take into account how much time drivers spend looking for a safe parking spot.

“As the Administration mentioned in the announcement of the Freight Action Plan in December 2021, the economic impact of the inefficient use of driver time is very large, and the practical impact of loss of productivity is creating problems across our supply chains,” refers in the letter.

“The lack of accessible parking has serious implications for the safety of truckers. When drivers can’t find safe, legal parking, they are stuck in a no-win situation, forced to either park in unsafe or illegal locations or violate federal working hours while continuing to look for safer, legal alternatives.”

“Truck drivers consistently rank truck parking accessibility as a top industry concern in annual driver surveys, but little has been done to address this issue,” continued OOIDA and ATA in Friday’s letter. “It’s hard to imagine a workplace without reliable access to toilets, food, and well-lit spaces, but that’s the reality for truck drivers in America.”

“If the US Department of Transportation prioritizes expanding truck parking spaces and makes significant progress in this direction, drivers will be safer and healthier,” the letter says. “Fleets will become more productive. Trucking personnel will become more resilient, and trucks will reduce their fuel requirements and emit less harmful substances into the environment. All of these benefits will be passed on to the average American in the form of lower prices, greater availability of goods, and a cleaner planet. We are ready to help in any way we can.”