Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/611028
30 | Overdrive | December 2015 T he decades-old problem of truck parking was confined for years largely to con- gested metropolitan areas, especially on certain Eastern seaboard and California lanes. Studies now show that it has worsened in those areas and spread into other locales. In recent Overdrive polling, 83 percent of read- ers noted simply that "it's bad all over" when it comes to parking. Here's what's happening in response: • The creation of new parking spaces is accelerating, with the public/private balance shifting to private capacity. • More informational programs to deliver real-time parking space availabil- ity are being implemented. • Some major truck stop chains now offer paid reservations. Data show a large divergence among states in available public and private parking spaces, from a high of 171 spaces per 100,000 miles of annual truck vehicle miles traveled in Montana to just 31 in Rhode Island. Or, measured by mile of National Highway System roadway, the range of spaces runs from 359 per 100 miles in Louisiana to, again at the top of the worst-states list, Rhode Island's 39. One recent catalyst was the August release of the Jason's Law Truck Parking Study, mandated in the 2012 MAP- 21 highway bill. If the study has done anything, it's identified where the need is most pressing across the nation, say parking advocate Hope Rivenburg and Scott Grenerth, director of regula- tory affairs for the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. Grenerth hopes that federal study and the new National Coalition on Truck Parking "will lead to thinking outside the box." Parking: 'It's bad all over' With a major study out and a new national coalition beginning regional meetings, the heat's up on the increasing need for safe parking. BY TODD DILLS While some truck stop chains have added facilities and parking spaces at a strong pace in recent years, the efforts haven't seemed to keep up with parking demand in many parts of the country.