Commercial Driver Rest and Parking Requirements: Making Space for Safety

Abstract

The research described in this paper sought to address a perceived need for additional commercial vehicle parking space along U.S. Interstate highways by generating ( a) a nationwide description of truck parking spaces at public rest areas, ( b) detailed models of trucker demand for and utilization of public rest area parking spaces, and ( c) an evaluation of the ability of privately owned truck stops throughout the country to accommodate parking needs. Most commercial drivers, motor carriers, and even some privately owned truck stop operators acknowledged that there are parking shortages at some locations at certain times. The research projected a current shortfall of 28,400 truck parking spaces in public rest areas nationwide. It also projected that about one-third of privately owned truck stop operators plan to expand their parking facilities over the next 3 years, increasing total projected capacity at truck stops by about 28,000 spaces. Although some of the shortfall at public rest areas might be satisfied by private expansion efforts, variations in survey methodologies precluded any conclusive determination of substitutability. In addition, the truck drivers surveyed did not appear to substitute privately owned truck stops for public rest areas. The two appear to serve different functions and meet different needs. Although just over half of the sampled drivers expressed a preference for public rest areas for short-term needs, two-thirds indicated a preference for privately owned truck stops for overnight or long-term rest needs. The apparent shortfall of truck parking spaces nationwide is a problem requiring creative resolution by both the public and private sectors to ensure that commercial drivers needing a safe place to stop and rest can find one.