Press Release

For Immediate Release

Congress again fails to address truck parking crisis

In the midst of National Truck Driver Appreciation Week, House Democrats show they have none

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association issued the following response today regarding the passage of the U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s portion of a new $3.5 trillion federal spending bill, which failed to provide funding for truck parking projects:

Todd Spencer, president and CEO:

“Despite the long history of broad, bipartisan support, numerous government studies and repeated pleas from truck drivers, Democrats on the T&I Committee opposed efforts to address trucking’s number one safety concern, the lack of safe parking. Truckers likely face another five years of a worsening crisis that jeopardizes their safety on a daily basis.

It’s tough to swallow the fact that in a year when Congress is authorizing hundreds-of-billions of dollars for infrastructure projects and highway safety programs, not a single penny was set aside for truck parking.

America’s professional drivers have been working tirelessly to keep the country safe and productive throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Every region of our country and segment of our economy rely upon long-haul truck drivers, yet their biggest safety need continues to be ignored by Congress.

Addressing the parking shortage would also have supported efforts to reduce carbon emission from the transportation sector. Truck drivers waste approximately 56 minutes per day looking for parking, all the while needlessly burning fuel, emitting carbon and contributing to congestion.

And although we are disappointed with the outcome, we want to thank Rep. Mike Bost for having introduced an amendment, which would have provided $1 billion for truck parking projects. We will continue working with him and other allies on Capitol Hill to find opportunities to enact meaningful truck parking legislation. We also thank all the Republicans for their vote.”

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is the largest national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers. The Association currently has more than 150,000 members nationwide. OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the greater Kansas City, Mo. area.

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