Big-rig parking shortage across the US spells juggernaut problems
Published in Slideshow World
You may have seen them precariously parked alongside highway ramps or clustered in big-box store parking lots. There are millions of big-rig trucks on United States roadways daily, and often, there is nowhere to park them overnight or during mandated driver breaks.
In a Federal Highway Administration survey of more than 11,000 drivers, almost every (98%) driver responded that they have problems finding safe parking, with nearly 3 in 4 drivers reporting it is a regular problem that happens once or more a week. Truck Parking Club used data from the Department of Transportation to explore the severity of the truck parking shortage in the U.S.
Safe, designated semitruck parking facilities often fill up past capacity during overnight hours, leaving drivers to find a makeshift solution—often risking their own safety and that of fellow motorists.
In July 2023, Mario Gonzalez died when his pickup truck crashed into a semitruck parked overnight on the side of a rest stop service road off an interstate near San Antonio. News reports said Gonzalez was speeding and hit the brakes right before impact, and the big-rig did not have its lights on. In another high-profile case that year, a Greyhound bus crashed into three tractor-trailers parked along a ramp's shoulder, killing three passengers in Illinois.
There have also been instances where drivers are pressured to find a spot quickly due to mandatory breaks and time limits, and many say they waste about 56 minutes of available driving time a day looking for parking, according to the American Trucking Association.
The tragic beginnings of Jason's Law
In March 2009, a truck driver named Jason Rivenburg needed to drop off his delivery, but the distribution center wasn't open yet, so he had to look for somewhere nearby to park. He chose an abandoned gas station that other truckers had told him was safe. He was attacked and murdered in his sleep, with the murderer taking the $7 that was in his wallet.
Rivenburg's death spurred new legislation called Jason's Law that created a national truck parking survey administered by the DOT. The survey evaluates and measures the capability of each state to provide adequate parking and rest facilities.
An analysis of the survey data by the FHWA found that truck vehicle miles traveled increased by 15% between 2012 and 2017—and parking capacity isn't keeping up. Parking spaces at private facilities increased by 11%, while public spots increased by 6%, according to the FHWA analysis of 2020 data.
While not all trucks are long-haul, and some return to their depots at the end of the day, many truck drivers are forced into the precarious position of searching for parking that isn't there. This data highlights where parking spots are located across the country relative to road coverage, but it doesn't necessarily show where truck drivers most frequently look for parking.
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