Report ranks states on truck parking space, safety, and amenities

The ATRI in collaboration with the AASHTO, has published a study on truck parking at public rest areas.

The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), in collaboration with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), has published a study on truck parking at public rest areas. This research, which included a survey of the Departments of Transportation (DOT) from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, reveals a critical shortage of parking spaces, with only one space available for every 11 truck drivers nationwide.

The study examined the costs and challenges associated with land acquisition, construction, and maintenance of parking areas, as well as the services provided to drivers. Based on the data collected, ATRI developed an interactive online dashboard showing the truck parking capacity and available services in each state, taking into account factors such as state size and proximity to key freight routes. This data allows for easy identification of the states with the highest and lowest truck parking availability.

Statewide public truck parking facilities

To rank the states, the ATRI research team identified key metrics based on truck driver priorities, focusing especially on areas with the greatest need for parking. Each state was evaluated according to the following criteria:

Amenities: availability of restrooms, lighting, pet areas, trash bins, waste disposal stations, vending machines, walking trails, and 24-hour security.
Safety measures: adequate lighting, fencing, surveillance cameras, regular patrols, and emergency call buttons.

Taking into account eight types of amenities and five safety measures, ATRI created a ranking table that evaluates states based on: total number of available truck parking spaces, the average number of spaces per 100 miles, the amenities and safety features provided, and annual investment in parking infrastructure.

States with the Highest Truck Parking Capacity

Based on the total number of available truck parking spaces, the top ten states are:

Florida – 2,100 truck parking spaces
Illinois – 1,449 truck parking spaces
Texas – 1,409 truck parking spaces
Ohio – 1,403 truck parking spaces
Indiana – 1,402 truck parking spaces
Michigan – 1,300 truck parking spaces
California – 1,203 truck parking spaces
Missouri – 1,152 truck parking spaces
Georgia – 997 truck parking spaces
Oregon – 914 truck parking spaces

From this list, only Texas provides all eight amenities, though it only meets three out of five safety measures. Illinois, on the other hand, offers all five safety features, but only five amenities. Florida maintains the top spot thanks to seven out of eight amenities and four safety measures.

However, Tennessee, despite not appearing in the top ten for parking capacity, is the only state that meets all evaluated amenities and safety measures. Still, it has just 584 truck parking spaces.

States with the Lowest Truck Parking Capacity

On the other end of the spectrum, the study also highlights the states with the lowest availability of truck parking spaces, which additionally offer fewer amenities and safety features. These states are:

Utah – 295 truck parking spaces
Louisiana – 280 truck parking spaces
Oklahoma – 263 truck parking spaces
Colorado – 241 truck parking spaces
Vermont – 236 truck parking spaces
South Dakota – 215 truck parking spaces
Maryland – 215 truck parking spaces
New Hampshire – 194 truck parking spaces
North Dakota – 190 truck parking spaces
Alaska – 70 truck parking spaces

The state with the highest annual maintenance budget for rest areas is Virginia, which invests $32,982 per year for 758 spaces. In contrast, Indiana, ranked fifth in number of parking spaces, allocates only $344 annually.

This study highlights the significant disparity in investment when it comes to providing safe and well-equipped truck parking, as well as the urgent need for adequate facilities to improve the quality of freight transportation across the country.