Washington, D.C. — The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has launched a dedicated informational webpage designed to help professional drivers and owner-operators educate federal lawmakers on the national truck parking shortage. Data compiled by the association highlights a severe infrastructure deficit across the United States, showing just one official parking space for every eleven commercial motor vehicles on the highway. Federal hours-of-service mandates require drivers to take mandatory rest breaks, but finding a legal, secure spot to park often wastes valuable driving time and forces operators to park on dangerous highway shoulders or exit ramps.
To combat this ongoing safety crisis, OOIDA integrated an action tool into the new webpage at FightingForTruckers.com, enabling stakeholders to directly contact their elected officials. The campaign urges constituents to pressure their representatives into co-sponsoring the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, introduced in Congress by Senators Cynthia Lummis and Mark Kelly alongside Representatives Mike Bost and Angie Craig. If passed, the bipartisan legislation—designated as H.R. 2367 in the House and S. 1034 in the Senate—would dedicate $755 million over three years to fund parking construction projects that provide free access without paid reservations.
The legislative push comes as freight haulers face mounting pressure from federal enforcement while lacking basic highway infrastructure. OOIDA President Todd Spencer noted that commercial trucks transport roughly 70 percent of all American freight, yet the stark lack of capacity creates daily hazards for everyone sharing the road. H.R. 2367 has already picked up bipartisan backing from 13 House members, including Representatives Brian Babin, Eric Crawford, John Garamendi, Lance Gooden, Dusty Johnson, Nancy Mace, Daniel Meuser, Troy Nehls, Katie Porter, Pete Stauber, Eric Swalwell, and Dina Titus alongside co-sponsor Angie Craig. Meanwhile, the Senate bill has drawn support from Senators John Boozman and Kevin Cramer alongside lead sponsors Mark Kelly and Jon Tester.
What This Means for Drivers
For an OTR truck driver or independent owner-operator, the chronic lack of safe parking directly threatens daily operations and compliance with strict FMCSA regulations. When legal spaces fill up hours before mandatory rest periods begin, drivers are forced to choose between violating federal hours-of-service limits or parking on unlit off-ramp shoulders where the risk of cargo theft or collisions spikes dramatically. The proposed $755 million federal investment aims to relieve this pressure by building non-reservation, free-access spaces, directly addressing the root cause of parking-induced fatigue for cross-country haulers.
Industry Reaction
Driver advocacy groups and industry stakeholders have praised the legislative push as a long-overdue step toward addressing highway safety and driver retention. Trucking companies hiring quality talent frequently hear complaints about infrastructure decay and the severe stress drivers experience simply trying to park for a ten-hour break. By streamlining constituent outreach through the new web portal, OOIDA is giving independent contractors and company drivers a unified voice to demand that Congress prioritize driver safety over bureaucratic delay.
Key Points
- OOIDA launched a new webpage to help truck drivers lobby lawmakers for federal parking funds.
- Current national data shows only one designated parking spot for every 11 trucks on U.S. roads.
- The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act proposes $755 million in funding for free-access parking projects over three years.
- Drivers can check their representatives' support and contact them directly via FightingForTruckers.com.
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