Top Factors Driving Truck Parking Demand

07-16-2023 | Clarence Green | 0 Comments

Truck parking spaces are in short supply and in high demand nationwide. This problem has been around for decades and ebbs and flows over time, and it is not very easy to sort out. Accessibility and availability of truck parking spaces are influenced and impacted by several factors. As the trucking industry expands, so does the number of semi trucks on the road. These can be short and long-haul vehicles. Other contributing factors include increased freight volume from e-commerce and online shopping. The pandemic lockdown spurred the shopping upsurge of 2020, 2021, and parts of 2022. Besides, changes to hours of service (HOS), closed rest areas, traffic congestion, population growth, infrastructure expansion, and lack of parking alternatives due to zoning regulations and enforcement make finding decent truck parking spaces difficult for truck drivers. The shortfall of adequate parking spaces leads to safety and security concerns for drivers, residents, local governments, and state and federal agencies.

Trucking Industry Growth

An estimated 13 million trucks are on the road daily, and 2.9 million are tractors and trailers https://www.truckinfo.net/research/trucking-statistics. Trucking industry experts say that means only one truck space per 11 trucks and a shortfall of 44,000 parking spots  https://fightingfortruckers.com/truck-parking-2/. HOS regulations state that truckers may only drive 11 hours after 10 hours off duty within 14 hours. Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT)said, "Recent changes to the process truck drivers to record their HOS have increased the demand for parking. In the past, paper logbooks gave drivers' wiggle room' in reporting… Paper lots allowed for more substantial edits, which could be used to hide the time spent driving over allowed HOS... [M]ost drivers are now required to use electronic logging devices (ELDs) to record their HOS…The automatic recording and tamper-proof nature of ELDs means that drivers no longer have the flexibility when trying to find parking at the end of their day. …”  https://azdot.gov/sites/default/files/2019/08/WP2-Truck-Parking-Demand-Factors.pdf. Drivers can spend an average of 56 minutes meandering, trying to park for the night. Often, truckers must begin looking for parking well before the end of their shift. Many truck-size parking spots start filling up between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. According to the American Transportation Institute, truck drivers lose $4600 in pay a year trying to find safe and secure parking at night  https://www.ttnews.com/articles/truck-parking-shortage-costs-drivers-4600-year-expert-says.

E-commerce and Online Shopping

"…[T]rucks carry over 19 billion tons of a freight valued at more than $18 trillion annually in the U.S. This represents 67 percent of all freight moved in the U.S. by weight and 73 percent by value,"

according to 2022 The Federal Highway Administration Freight Analysis Framework  https://faf.ornl.gov/faf5/Default.aspx. The ADOT says truck tonnage is anticipated to almost double between 2013 and 2040. It also states, "An increase in warehouses and distribution centers will require truck drivers to pick up or deliver loads at scheduled times, and usually don't allow for parking on site. As a result, truck drivers who need to wait for a scheduled pickup or delivery time must find truck parking elsewhere" https://azdot.gov/sites/default/files/2019/08/WP2-Truck-Parking-Demand-Factors.pdf.

When big rig drivers can't find parking, they turn to dangerous alternatives such as on/off ramps, residential streets, road shoulders, strip malls, and vacant lots. Trucks parking in these areas without permission can incur costly tickets, experience criminal activity, or cause serious accidents. For example, Congress enacted Jason's Law to research and find solutions to the nation's truck parking problems. The law results from the 2009 homicide of Jason Rivenburg, a South Carolina trucker killed within miles of his last delivery. He didn't have a place to park, so he stopped at a vacant lot where he was murdered and robbed for $7 in his pocket. In 2015, the Federal Highway Administration reported that the Jason's Law Truck Parking Survey claimed, "[M]ore than 75 percent of truck drivers reported experiencing problems with finding safe and adequate parking, while 90 percent reported struggled to find secure and available parking during night hours https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/infrastructure/truck_parking/jasons_law/truckparkingsurvey/eshtm.

Population Growth and Urbanization

Truck parking spaces are usually along major highways, interstates, railways, airports, or industrial areas. Americans love their vehicles. As the population of the U.S. grows, the need for more housing, places to work and play will expand outside regular suburban, urban centers or downtowns. Overcrowding in large metropolitan areas causes congestion and limits parking spaces for cars and trucks. Nearly 70 percent of the world's population is expected to live in cities by 2050, according to the Transwestern Investment Group  https://resources.investormanagementservices.com/public-transportation-investments-lead-to-growth-for-cre/.

Formerly expansive open vacant lots and yards have built homes and businesses on the property and are closer to industrial zones, which used to be on the edge of city limits. In many municipalities, truckers could park for free or at a minimal cost in these now-filled spaces. The zoning laws and ordinances changing may not allow truck parking spaces on new residential streets, further reducing the places for tractors and trailers to park. If laws aren't changed to include the trucking industry's needs and truck parking spaces, problems like congestion, increased accidents, and crime will continue to worsen.

Infrastructure Development

The National Highway System and other primary infrastructure require urgent repair or rebuilding. The Biden Administration announced funds during the COVID-19 pandemic and earmarked them to repair and build bridges, roads, water pipelines, and high-speed internet. As these projects are underway, some highways, bridges, and rest stops may have to be closed or limit traffic and parking in construction zones. Periodic updates get made regularly. This renewal process will temporarily task the already strained truck parking system. In May 2023, Congress began reconsidering the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act. The bill could allocate $755 million over three years for building truck parking spots  https://landline.media/ooida-launches-truck-parking-information-webpage/.

Expanding truck parking capacity nationwide will help, but it won't solve the problems overnight. As of 2021, there is a yearly shortage of about 80,000 truck drivers. the average age for semi-driver is between 46 and 47 years old. The trucking industry sends out a call go out for new drivers frequently. Some industry leaders are reaching out to the immigrant populations and millennials to find younger and more willing workers. Many states require drivers to be 21 years old to get a commercial driver's license for interstate shipping. In 2022, 15 governors called for an age reduction to help stem the driver shortage trend.

The trucking industry's growth is going to continue for a while. However, some believe freight volume capacity may drop by the end of 2023. It is feared that this will cause companies to lay off drivers in the tens of thousands. For now, high freight volume means tractors and trailers on the road for interstate and intrastate trade. Americans like their online shopping. That trend is expected to climb unless there's a severe economic downturn. It is hard to know which path the economy will take. Despite that, truck drivers need rest and safe places to rest to comply with HOS regulations from the federal government. Population growth and urbanization are removing alternative places for semi-drivers to park. The demand for more housing and business locations is pushing out into industrial areas that used to be exclusively for transport. Congestion on residential streets and highway make it hard to get around for deliveries, maneuver, and settle down quickly at night. The Biden Administration is striving to take measures to improve the overall plight of truck drivers. They have taken steps to repair and rebuild bridges, central corridors, and highways damaged from age, natural disasters, and catastrophes.

Additionally, the Biden Administration seeks to build a high-speed internet system. Congress is also considering legislation to expand the number of truck parking spaces. If passed, funds will be dispersed for projects over three years. All factors mentioned in this blog drastically affect truck drivers' safety and efficiency, whether short or long-haulers. Any steps to relieve a semi-driver's anxiety and stress are most likely welcome. Imagine how hard it is to go to work every day, wondering if there will be a place to sleep, eat, and rest. Consider the pain of deciding whether parking illegally is worth the ticket. Being the cause of a serious accident would not rest on anyone's conscience well. As a reminder, it is helpful to pre-plan shipping routes and reserve a truck parking spot before embarking on a long-haul trip. Knowing ahead of time what to expect can reduce fear of the unknown. Safe truck drivers make the road better for other motorists and vice versa.

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