Nevada is trying to fix its truck parking shortage, but the state knows it can’t do it without hearing directly from the people who live with the problem every day. The Nevada Department of Transportation is updating its 2026 State Freight Plan, and part of that update will guide how the state plans, funds, and builds future truck parking areas and information systems.
The catch? The results will only be as useful as the feedback they get from the drivers who use these lots.
Right now, NDOT is asking professional truck drivers who run in or through Nevada to take a short, confidential survey about their day-to-day parking experience. Drivers won’t be identified, and no company information will be shared. The survey digs into the realities you face on the road—paid parking, where parking disappears fastest, which corridors are overloaded, and what drivers actually want from a parking facility.
Nevada moves more freight by truck than most drivers realize. More than 80% of the state’s freight relies on trucks, and Nevada has just under 5,000 parking spots spread across 56 locations. With long stretches of desert highway and limited development in rural areas, those spaces don’t always land where drivers need them most.
The challenges aren’t new. Earlier this year, a group of truckers pushed back hard against Clark County’s parking shortages, threatening a $500 parking surcharge if officials didn’t take the problem seriously. The Nevada Hispanic Truckers Association said attempts to build new lots were “chased away by outdated rules and red tape.”
Past planning shows how far behind the state already is. NDOT’s 2019 Truck Parking Implementation Plan reported more than a 550-space shortfall in Clark County alone. Reno was short roughly 250 spots. Most of the state’s parking comes from the private sector, over 90% of all spots, with about 20 truck stops offering more than 100 spaces each. About half of Nevada’s truck parking sits along Interstate 80, leaving gaps in other freight corridors.
NDOT has identified multiple problem areas: staging issues, emergency parking needs, lack of spots for drivers trying to park at home, and municipal restrictions that make building new lots almost impossible in some counties. Nevada isn’t alone there; similar local rules have slowed truck parking development across the country.
If you’ve dealt with Nevada’s parking firsthand, NDOT wants your input. Add your feedback here.
