The report highlights the gap between what drivers need and what is actually available. Across the country, truckers require about 2.4 million parking spaces to meet rest requirements. Today, only 697,000 spots are accessible.

The study did find that 23.4 million heavy-duty truck spaces exist nationwide, but 98 percent of those are reserved privately for company fleets. That leaves the majority of drivers scrambling.

Perry explained how drivers are forced to adapt: truckers “make the best of a bad situation” by using “a combination of off-highway and informal on-highway spaces to get their required rest.” But those workarounds come with real costs.

“Fifteen miles of ‘circuity,’” Perry noted, “costs the driver $59 between the operating costs and lost time. If a driver stops an hour early to snag an available space, it costs them $110.”

The Bigger Picture

Beyond what it costs individual drivers, the shortage is draining the industry at scale. The study estimates $37.7 billion is lost each year from wasted miles while searching for parking. Another $82 billion is lost when drivers are stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time, unable to fully use their federally allowed driving hours.

Recommendations from the Study

The report doesn’t just size up the issue; it also lays out solutions that could ease the burden on drivers:

• Expand the number of dedicated truck parking areas, though this is costly and slow to implement.
• Open up legal parking opportunities at restaurants, retail lots, carriers’ yards, and shippers’ facilities.
• Provide truckers with real-time data on parking availability.
• Offer reservation systems for legal spaces.
• Encourage shippers and carriers to factor parking into their planning and scheduling.
• Coordinate supply chain timing to reduce unnecessary wait times.

While truck stop expansions and state investments, like Ohio’s recent plan to add 1,400 spaces, help, Perry’s findings show the problem is systemic and much larger than piecemeal fixes.

The full study can be downloaded here.

Source: Overdrive

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“You get to use one superpower while on the job. What is it?”

The answers? Hilarious, creative, and totally relatable. Here’s what truckers told us when asked about their ultimate power behind the wheel.

The Power to Skip Traffic—Literally

Erik Williams said it best: “Teleporting… like the movie Jumper.”
No traffic jams, no detours, no hours lost in a backup. Just blink, and you’re there.

Brandon Thomas and Bj Bearer also backed up the teleportation dream. It’s clearly a favorite.

And then there’s Chris Noll, who wants flight and super strength “so I can lift my entire semi truck over traffic.” Now that’s commitment.

Invisibility, Cloning, and Mind Control—Yes, Please

Sometimes, it’s not about skipping traffic—it’s about skipping everything else.
Ace Zen wants the power to “make everyone else disappear,” while Charles P. Holtz, Lori Sheridan, Clayton Willard, and Lloyd Dobbler all voted for invisibility.

Aaron York wants “clone on demand. He can do all the work while I sit back and chill.” Respect.

Ryan Nash aims for mind control to score the best parking spot consistently and “clear lanes ahead forever.”

And Teg Turbski would use mind control to “get extreme pay from the company with no questions asked.” Clever and practical.

The Fix-It Superpowers

Robert Pence chose molecular manipulation: “Make all the roads in front of me perfect and indestructible. No more construction and a nice smooth ride. My truck always runs perfectly.”

Ralph Vander Kooy just wants “to fix stupid.” (We get it.)

Festus Lemmers would love “the ability to deal with the inept.” If only that came with a GPS update, too.

And Annette Hardman dreamed up a time warp to eliminate miles and wear and tear from the truck. Genius.

Big Wins and Big Money

Daniel Newton wants “the power to pick the winning lottery numbers.”

Kay Brubaker dreams of winning big and quitting the road altogether.

Geronimo Forbes went with “double pay—like double XP.” Every mile counts twice? Yes, please.

Brianne Krigbaum kept it simple and honest: “Get paid more money.”

Martin Ash wants “the Midas touch—with a special glove so it doesn’t turn everything into gold.” Just enough to retire, no big deal!

Laser Eyes, X-Ray Vision, and Just Plain Chaos

Jim Sorrells and John Taylor wanted X-ray vision—hopefully for safety checks, but who knows?

Rick Munson would go telekinetic to “launch bad actors 10,000 feet in the air.”

And Jed Davis wants the power to make others hallucinate, mainly to keep dangerous drivers far, far away—bonus points for creativity.

The Quiet Heroes

Not every answer was about power—some were about healing.

Carlton Ross Jr. chose “To heal the sick.”
Kenneth G Gholson Jr. said, “To do away with cancer.”

A Few More Worth Mentioning

• J Scott Fischer: “Always sunny.” (Because bad weather is the real villain.)
• Jack Potts: “More hours.” (A rare one, but maybe there’s a bonus involved?)
• Bobby Johnson: “3 more mph.” (For that smooth, legal cruise.)
• Aki Hytönen: “Change Mercedes to Scania. Or even Volvo.” (Brand loyalty is real.)
• Octavia Corral: “Flying.” (Classic. Efficient.)

Got a superpower we missed?

Whether you’re teleporting past traffic in your mind or wishing for a clone to take the wheel, you’re not alone. These answers show just how creative—and real—truckers get when imagining a smoother day on the job.

Want in on more conversations like this?
Join thousands of drivers who are already part of the Truck Drivers USA community. Share your own stories, get driver-relevant news, and connect with others who understand life on the road. Join the community today here.

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