The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) is reaching out to truck drivers to gather crucial insights on the challenges related to truck parking at publicly operated rest areas.
Through its Public Truck Parking Driver Survey, ATRI is collaborating with departments of transportation in every state to identify effective strategies for increasing parking availability at public rest areas and other state-managed facilities.
The survey, which consists of 12 concise questions, invites truckers to provide input on various approaches states are using to address parking issues. These include:
- Implementation of parking information systems
- Repurposing state-owned properties for parking
- Strategies for parking during adverse weather conditions
The findings from the survey will culminate in a report evaluating how states are currently addressing truck parking needs. It will also showcase the most effective practices for expanding parking options at public rest areas.
Dan Murray, ATRI’s Senior Vice President, emphasized the importance of driver feedback in tackling the truck parking shortage.
“At the end of the day, it doesn’t make any sense to ask anyone but a truck driver what is needed to improve truck parking,” Murray shared with Land Line. “This particular ATRI survey is focused exclusively on truck parking at public rest areas. There are only 40,000 truck parking spaces at public rest areas in the U.S., based on driver feedback. States should probably double that number.”
The ongoing issue of inadequate truck parking has consistently ranked as a top concern within the industry. According to ATRI’s 2024 Top Industry Issues report, the shortage of available parking stood as the second-highest overall concern and has remained the number one issue for drivers for several years.
“On ATRI’s annual Top Industry Issues report, ‘truck parking’ has been the No. 1 issue for truck drivers in four of the last five reports,” Murray explained. “We’re hoping that real-world data can address the problem and finally move truck parking down the list.”
Truck drivers can participate in the Public Truck Parking Driver Survey and make their voices heard by completing it online here.
Source: Land Line
