Dry Van Report: There’s only one parking space for every 11 truckers nationwide
In a recent study, the U.S. Department of Transport (USDoT) found that the truck parking shortage exists in every state and region and is most acute along major freight corridors. There are about 3.5 million truck drivers in the United States and approximately 313,000 truck parking spaces nationally, according to the USDoT; for every 11 drivers, there is one truck parking space.
Infrastructure projects have been a prominent political promise for decades; however, much of the financial burden has been left to the states. In 2021, the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed, which may be the most significant infrastructure plan passed since the 1950s when Eisenhower expanded the interstate highway system. Some vital transportation funding breakdown is $110 billion allocated to roads and bridges, $7.5 billion for electric vehicle infrastructure, $17 billion for improvement of ports and waterways, $66 billion for freight and passenger rail, and $25 billion for airports. On September 15th, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg announced that $1.5 billion had been awarded in the first round of infrastructure projects.
A few of these awards will directly benefit the trucking industry. In Central Florida, $15 million will be allocated to construct a new truck parking facility with approximately 120 spaces, electric charging stations, and pedestrian infrastructure to access nearby commercial amenities. The facility will be connected to the Florida Department of Transportation’s Truck Parking Availability System to assist commercial vehicle drivers in identifying available parking locations and will include at least six electrical hookups for standby power for refrigerated trucks and power for in-cab comforts.
In Tennessee, $22.6 million will be used to upgrade the welcome center ramps, add approximately 125 truck parking spaces, and upgrade the adjacent bridge structures on I-40 over the Caney Fork River. In New York, $110 million will be used to redevelop the Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market intermodal facility with expanded refrigerated warehouse space and expanding truck queuing and parking areas within the facility.
Source: DAT