Office of Operations
21st Century Operations Using 21st Century Technologies
Table of Contents

National Coalition on Truck Parking: 2018 Working Groups Activity Report

Section 3: Summary, Future Research, and Next Steps

Truck parking availability issues cannot easily be addressed by a single group. A coordinated approach that involves all or most stakeholders is needed.

The four National Coalition on Truck Parking Working Groups created a community of practice for truck parking issues, conducted targeted truck parking research, and produced deliverables that can be used by various truck parking stakeholders to help address truck parking issues. However, there are additional research ideas that will need to be addressed through future efforts of the National Coalition on Truck Parking or others.

Figure 10: Photo of a semi-trailer truck at a loading dock.
Source: Henryk Sadura. Semi-truck in the Loading Area of the Warehouse. 2011.

Some ideas that were generated by the Working Group members were not pursued because they were not voted a top priority by Working Group members during the first meetings. The Working Group members and champions either thought that the ideas were too broad, were out of the scope of the group, or they were simply not identified by members during the initial meetings. FHWA views these ideas as opportunities for future research by the National Coalition on Truck Parking.

FHWA also reached out to the core and extended partners of the National Coalition on Truck Parking for their future research ideas, including AASHTO, American Trucking Associations (ATA), ATRI, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO), Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), and Real Women in Trucking.

Future Research

The Working Groups could only address a few of the research ideas that were raised during the Working Group meetings. Figure 11 lists the future research priorities identified by the Working Groups.

Figure 11: Future Research Priorities

Working Groups Future Research Priorities
Parking Capacity
  • Explore contractual relationship between truck stops and fleets for fuel purchases.
  • Consider how to implement staging in urban and suburban zones.
  • Hold a peer exchange with international partners and stakeholders to discuss parking capacity.
Technology and Data
  • Research data standards and application program interfaces (API) for smart phone applications and promote common standards.
  • Research and promote common, functional standards across information systems including:
    • Apps
    • Dynamic message signs (DMS) and other roadside signs mentioned in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
    • In the cab
    • Data transmission
    • Intelligent transportation systems (ITS)
Funding, Finance and Regulations
  • Analyze the use of truck parking fees as a revenue source for private and public parking.
  • Analyze tax incentives for the private sector to build new parking capacity.
  • Track the amount of money being spent and types of projects being developed by States for truck parking projects.
State, Regional and Local Government Coordination
  • Work with the American Planning Association (APA) to develop a guide for city, county, and regional governments on truck parking. Consider developing a webinar to accompany this.
  • Write an article for APA's Zoning Practice or Planning magazine about zoning considerations for truck parking.
  • Continue to develop resources regarding local zoning and land use authorities directed to city engineers and planners.
  • Develop zoning template language and design guidelines for truck stops and truck parking lots that includes requirements for minimum acreage, site design, lighting, setbacks/buffers, landscaping, security, and other aspects. Differentiate requirements by area type (rural vs. suburban vs. urban) or roadway type (arterial vs. collector).
  • Hold an interstate Peer Exchange on truck parking solutions.

Figure 12 lists other research ideas discussed by the Working Groups, but that were not deemed as priorities.

Figure 12: Other Research Ideas

Working Groups Other Research Ideas
Parking Capacity
  • Improve rest areas to accommodate modern trucks.
  • Address the issue of parking time limits at public rest areas.
  • Investigate options for using large venues during off hours for truck parking.
  • Consider brownfield redevelopment for parking/staging in industrial areas.
  • Facilitate conveyance of surplus Federal land for parking/staging in industrial areas.
  • Update rest area and truck parking standards.
  • Distinguish long-term driver rest needs vs. staging in terminal/industrial areas.
  • Incorporate trucking industry practices to minimize down time of drivers (relays, teams).
  • Adopt practices of specialized carriers for non-traditional parking arrangements.
  • Consider how investments today in truck parking capacity can help facilitate future autonomous trucking transfer points/infrastructure.
Technology and Data
  • Utilize funding programs for new technology.
  • Tie parking apps/technology to existing platforms and parking reservations.
  • Study technologies related to vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, connecting weather information to truck parking apps, and other emerging technologies.
  • Collect data about occurrence of parking on the sides of roads and on on-ramps.
  • Analyze existing contour maps to help predict truck parking needs.
  • Ensure data on amenities at truck stops and truck parking areas is easily available to drivers.
  • Work with the telematics industry on data standards to consistently deliver information in the cab.
  • Create a national database to ensure all vendors have access to truck parking data.
  • Consider the impact of autonomous vehicles on truck parking.
  • Analyze electronic logging device (ELD) data through a third party non-governmental research organization or university to understand where the greatest need for truck parking is.
Funding, Finance and Regulations
  • Explore additional dedicated funds from existing sources.
  • Investigate "industrial park co-operatives" or industrial tax districts for pooled parking.
  • Investigate regionally-funded truck parking, particularly in rural areas.
  • Identify non-profits that have expressed interest in operating and maintaining rest stops.
  • Conduct a survey to gather data on which State DOTs or local governments have a specific capital program for truck parking.
  • Evaluate how States and MPOs are using federal-aid highway funding to pay for parking-related projects.
State, Regional and Local Government Coordination
  • Ensure truck parking is addressed in State and MPO freight plans.
  • Identify revenue sources to make truck parking facilities attractive land uses for local governments.
  • Model truck parking collaboration off of coordination between DOTs and the trucking industry for permitting/operations.
  • Use industry events to highlight issues and promote solutions.
  • Investigate financing truck parking expansion.
  • Develop examples of communities effectively addressing air quality non-attainment by using TSE.
  • Educate the general public and elected officials to address "Not in My Back Yard" (NIMBY) sentiments regarding truck parking.
  • Explore how to integrate truck parking into brownfields or grayfields. Ensure it is palatable environmentally and experientially an economically productive.
  • Disseminate best practices on truck parking enforcement and "eduforcement" or the transition tools to reach truck parking stakeholders on enforcement.
  • Develop a clearinghouse of requests for proposals/quotations/information and scopes related to truck parking.
  • Investigate zoning and development regulations that have the effect of limiting expansion of truck stops. Explore mitigation measures that can be incorporated into zoning standards to ensure proper development of truck parking that minimizes negative impacts.

USDOT solicited additional ideas and priority research needs during and after the fourth Working Group meetings. FHWA also solicited feedback on future research priorities from core partners of the National Coalition on Truck Parking via email. FHWA is continuing to advance truck parking research and evaluate the state of practice.

Jason's Law Survey 2018

As mandated by MAP-21 section 1401(c)(3), FHWA is conducting an updated Jason's Law survey in 2018. Upon completion of the survey and analysis of the data, FHWA will publish an updated Jason's Law Survey and Comparative Assessment. In addition to the statutory requirements for periodic updates, this project will update the progress of work completed since the previous Jason's Law Survey to:

  • Update the inventory of truck parking and identify improvements to truck parking availability since the previous survey.
  • Evaluate truck travel by State for the purposes of evaluating increases in truck parking demand.
  • Evaluate the types of technology being used to monitor availability and demand that have resulted from recent advances in truck parking information systems and applications.
  • Compile truck parking plans, studies, and projects completed by States and MPOs, particularly as it relates to new freight planning requirements of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act.

Outcomes of the Jason's Law survey may also influence the future direction of truck parking research undertaken by FHWA.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Between 2017 and 2018, the National Coalition on Truck Parking Working Groups brought the public sector and private industry together to discuss truck parking issues across the country. The Working Groups developed products that provide truck parking stakeholders accessible examples, strategies, and best practices for advancing truck parking availability in their communities. Participants valued being able to share information among both public and private sector stakeholders, including truck drivers. Sharing information and best practices will allow truck parking solutions to be replicated across the country.

FHWA hosted the fourth National Coalition on Truck Parking annual meeting in December 2018 to continue the dialogue around truck parking. During this meeting, each Working Group had an opportunity to discuss the products they developed. This discussion was led by the Working Group champions. Additional next steps and future research priorities were discussed at that time. There were also presentations on the state of the practice from truck parking stakeholders. The notes from the National Coalition on Truck Parking annual meeting are available at https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/infrastructure/truck_parking/index.htm.

FHWA seeks to continue to lead a dialogue around truck parking beyond December's annual meeting through the National Coalition on Truck Parking.