A coalition of trucking organizations is calling on Congress to take action on legislation that would allocate funds to create new and much needed truck parking.
On Monday, July 29, 18 organization sent a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries asking they take action on the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, which has been languishing since being approved in committee May of 2023. The coalition asked the two leaders to bring the act to the floor for a vote.
The legislation would earmark $755 million over three years for projects to expand truck parking. It has 49 co-sponsors, 25 Republicans and 24 Democrats.
In part, the letter said to Johnson and Jeffries, "... we encourage you to work together to schedule a vote for this important legislation that will benefit countless men and women who make their living behind the wheel of a commercial motor vehicle."
It added, "Access to safe and ample truck parking has been a top safety priority for American truck drivers for more than a decade. By increasing capacity, we can ensure that truck drivers do not have to choose between parking in a potentially unsafe location, such as a highway shoulder, or continuing to drive while they feel fatigued or are out of available driving hours under federally-mandated hours-of-service regulations."
Signing the letter were:
- Agriculture Transportation Coalition – AgTC
- American Apparel & Footwear Association
- American Chemistry Council
- American Highway Users Alliance
- American Trucking Associations
- Consumer Brands Association
- Institute for Safer Trucking
- Mid-West Truckers Association
- National Association of Small Trucking Companies
- National Association of Truck Stop Operators
- National Motorists Association
- National Private Truck Council
- North American Punjabi Trucking Association
- Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association
- Transportation Intermediaries Association
- Truckload Carriers Association
- Western States Trucking Association
- Women In Trucking
