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Truck Parking

Truck parking shortages are a national safety concern. Commercial truck drivers need access to safe, secure, and accessible truck parking. With the projected growth of truck traffic, the demand for truck parking will continue to outpace the supply of public and private parking facilities and will only exacerbate the truck parking problems experienced in many regions.

An inadequate supply of truck parking spaces can result in negative consequences. Tired truck drivers may continue to drive because they have difficulty finding a place to park for rest. Truck drivers may choose to park at unsafe locations, such as on the shoulder of the road, exit ramps, or vacant lots, if they are unable to locate official, available parking.

Numerous public, private, academic and non-profit studies have been completed on the adequacy of truck parking, and these studies have some common findings including an expected growth in truck activity, severe shortages of parking for trucks, lack of information on truck parking opportunities, and challenges due to limited delivery windows and specific rest requirements. The links below provide information to the programs and activities authorized that support truck parking, as well as the reports, surveys and historical information for truck parking.

National Coalition on Truck Parking

The National Coalition for Truck Parking brings together stakeholders from transportation organizations, the freight industry, and other groups to advance safe truck parking, including:

  • Collaborate nationally and among regions to identify opportunities and solutions for truck parking needs;
  • Share information on data and new analyses developed by stakeholders to understand needs and trends in truck parking;
  • Encourage partnerships among stakeholders to implement solutions, and;
  • Identify opportunities to use existing and new programs to support truck parking implementation.
  • Report from the National Coalition on Truck Parking [HTML, PDF 2.2MB]

National Coalition on Truck Parking – Working Groups

The National Coalition on Truck Parking brings together stakeholders from the public sector, transportation organizations, the freight industry, and other groups to advance safe truck parking. In fall 2017, the National Coalition on Truck Parking held its annual meeting to showcase cross-cutting truck parking initiatives from States and introduce the National Coalition on Truck Parking Working Groups. The purpose of the working groups is to share best practices and create products to disseminate information on truck parking issues related to priorities identified during regional meetings in 2016. The working groups are a deliverable of the National Coalition on Truck Parking.

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21)

Various tractor trailers lined up at a truck parking area. Rest Area Truck Parking

Section 1401 of MAP-21 (PL 112-141), also known as "Jason's Law," was established to provide a "national priority on addressing the shortage of long-term parking for commercial motor vehicles on the National Highway System to improve the safety of motorized and non-motorized users and for commercial motor vehicle operators." Specifically, Jason's Law requires the USDOT to conduct a survey and comparative assessment in consultation with relevant State motor carrier representatives to:

  1. Evaluate the capability of the State to provide adequate parking and rest facilities for commercial motor vehicles engaged in interstate transportation;
  2. Assess the volume of commercial motor vehicle traffic in the State; and
  3. Develop a system of metrics to measure the adequacy of commercial motor vehicle parking facilities in the State.

Jason's Law

  • Jason's Law Truck Parking Survey
  • Facilities and Spaces Shape-file (Zip File, 494KB) – Download this file for use in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) programs to illustrate public and private truck parking locations. The shape-file provides the same information used in the maps included in the Jason's Law Truck Parking Survey report. The metadata includes limited information on location and number of spaces at each facility. The public facility data source is FHWA collected data for 2013. The private facility data source is Trucker's Friend, 2013.

MAP-21 section 1401(c)(3) called for periodic updates to the survey. FHWA is conducting an updated survey and 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:

  1. Update the inventory truck parking and identify improvements to truck parking availability since the previous survey;
  2. Evaluate truck travel by state for the purposes of evaluating increases in truck parking demand;
  3. Evaluate the types of technology being used to monitor availability and demand that have resulted from recent advances in truck parking information systems; and,
  4. Compile truck parking plans, studies, and projects completed by states and MPOs, particularly as it relates to new freight planning requirements of the FAST Act.

Survey: FHWA will be surveying States to inventory public rest areas. Surveys will also be conducted with commercial motor vehicle operators, trucking companies, and truck stop operators. Below are links to the surveys:

Jason's Law helps advance a more comprehensive set of programs, efforts and research to improve truck parking and provide States and MPOs with resources to identify parking needs and to encourage improvements and investments.

Eligibility of Federal Funding for Truck Parking

Reports to Congress

  • Commercial Motor Vehicle Parking Shortage [HTML, PDF 700KB]
  • SAFETEA-LU Section 1305: Truck Parking Facilities Report to Congress [HTML, PDF 7KB]

Related Information

The following information is provided for historical research purposes.

Staff Contact

Jeff Purdy
202-366-6993
Jeff Purdy

Tiffany Julien
202-366-9241
Tiffany.Julien@dot.gov

Thomas Kearney
518-431-8890
Tom.Kearney@dot.gov

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