Truck parking shortage: a growing challenge for the U.S. freight industry

Funding: the primary obstacle for truck parking expansion

This shortage has significant repercussions, affecting not only driver comfort but also road safety and operational efficiency. A 2016 ATRI study found that, on average, drivers lose 56 minutes per day searching for suitable parking before reaching their hours-of-service limit. This time loss translates to approximately 9,300 miles not driven per year per driver, equating to roughly $7,000 in lost annual income. Given the expansion of freight routes and the decline in available parking over the years, it can be assumed these figures have only increased.

The report also highlights stark inequalities among states. While Vermont maintains a balanced ratio of one public space for every 1.5 private spaces, others—such as Louisiana—show disparities as wide as 1 to 42. ATRI classifies the most balanced states as “on target,“ while labeling the most imbalanced as “expansion opportunity states,“ pointing to an urgent need for action in the latter. For more on this data, see our article “Truck Parking: Report Ranks the States.”

Expanding the number of parking spaces is no easy task. The main obstacles identified by states are:

• Funding (36%)
• Community opposition (27%)
• Difficulty in finding suitable land (25%)

The average cost to build a single truck parking space is estimated at $93,500. Regionally, Southern states face the highest costs, with average project budgets reaching up to $6.5 million—compared to $3.7 million in the West and Midwest.