Truck parking has been studied, discussed, and debated for years; yet, the day-to-day reality for drivers has not changed quickly enough. The third version of the Jason’s Law truck parking survey is now underway, and it is one of the most important chances drivers have to influence where and how new parking is built.
While many drivers are understandably tired of surveys, this one directly affects how federal and state agencies justify spending on truck parking. The data collected will shape decisions for years, not months.
Why Jason’s Law Exists
The federal government formally recognized truck parking as a national issue in 2012 with the passage of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, commonly referred to as MAP-21. That law included Jason’s Law, which officially labeled the truck parking shortage a national priority.
Jason’s Law did two critical things. It opened truck parking projects to more federal funding and required the Department of Transportation to conduct a recurring national survey measuring the scale of the parking shortage across states.
What Past Jason’s Law Surveys Revealed
The first Jason’s Law survey was published in 2015. The 180-page report was the most comprehensive look at truck parking ever produced at the time. It clearly showed state transportation agencies and the public how widespread and severe the shortage had become.
A follow-up survey was released in 2019. That update found many of the same problems still existed and confirmed that relatively few new parking spaces had been added in the years between surveys. The Federal Highway Administration cited planning challenges, funding limitations, and land use conflicts as major obstacles.
Those findings reinforced the need for better data and stronger justification for future investment.
What Has Changed Since the Last Survey
A lot has happened in the seven years since the last Jason’s Law survey was completed. Awareness of the truck parking shortage has increased, and more states have started to prioritize parking projects.
Federal funding has also increased. The Department of Transportation announced more than $275 million in truck parking grants last year as part of its Pro Trucker Package. In 2024, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act cleared the way for nearly $300 million more in parking-related projects, with additional funding awarded through smaller programs.
States have begun to act on that funding. Ohio is adding approximately 1,400 parking spaces at rest areas. Indiana and Pennsylvania are each adding about 1,200 spaces.
At the same time, private operators have stepped in. Paid truck parking has expanded rapidly as demand continues to outpace supply. While many drivers have criticized paid parking, the private sector has added capacity faster than government projects in many areas.
Why Driver Participation Still Matters
Despite recent progress, the truck parking crisis is far from solved. Decisions about where to build new parking depend heavily on data. State departments of transportation must demonstrate need before spending public money, and local governments often require detailed justification before approving land use changes.
That justification comes from surveys like Jason’s Law.
Dr. Nicole Katsikides has spent much of her career studying truck parking. She is currently a senior research scientist at the Texas A and M Transportation Institute and has previously worked with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Maryland Department of Transportation. In 2021, she explained why parking studies carry so much weight.
“It’s not as easy as the state just using their formula funds to build parking,” Katsikides told Land Line. “It’s a conversation with locals. It’s a local land use discussion. It’s a business arrangement discussion, and states don’t have a lot of resources to understand these arrangements.”
Without strong participation from drivers, the survey results may not accurately reflect real-world conditions. That creates the risk of parking being built in the wrong places or not built at all.
Why This Survey Is Different
The Jason’s Law survey is not just another feedback form. It is the primary dataset used by local, state, and federal agencies to evaluate truck parking needs. Lawmakers rely on it when approving funding. Transportation agencies use it to prioritize projects.
If drivers skip the survey, the data will not match reality. That leads to misinformed decisions that affect safety, hours of service compliance, and daily trip planning.
The Bottom Line for Drivers
Truck drivers are encouraged to participate in parking surveys whenever possible, but if only one survey is completed this year, it should be the Jason’s Law survey. The information collected now will influence where parking is built and how quickly new capacity comes online.
The survey is available now and can be completed here.
Source: Land Line Media
