Truck drivers know that finding parking is a problem nationwide.
A Jason’s Law survey found about 313,000 truck parking spaces across the country. Around 40,000 of those spaces are at public rest areas, and about 273,000 are at private truck stops.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association says the lack of truck parking is one of the biggest challenges truck drivers face today. OOIDA also says that adding more safe truck parking helps make the roads safer for everyone.
Virginia
A lawmaker in Northern Virginia wants to add more truck parking along two of the state’s busiest roadways.
Delegate Rozia Henson, D-Prince William, is bringing back a plan to add truck parking along Interstates 66 and 95. An identical plan in 2025 did not move forward.
House Joint Resolution 6 calls for a study on the need for more truck parking along these two interstates.
Henson said the Federal Highway Administration has called truck parking shortages a national safety issue. His proposal focuses on the lack of truck parking in Prince William County.
Henson wrote that Prince William County sits between I-66 and I-95 and lacks sufficient safe, secure parking for tractor-trailers. Because freight traffic has increased, more trucks are parking in neighborhoods and mixed-use areas.
He said truck drivers need more parking options.
Henson added that commercial vehicles are important to local, regional and state economies. He said freight demand has grown faster than current solutions, such as limiting where trucks can park.
HJR6 would require the Virginia Department of Transportation to study truck parking needs and capacity along and near I-66 and I-95. VDOT would then submit a summary and full report with recommendations to the governor and General Assembly by the end of the year.
Pennsylvania
A Pennsylvania bill would create a tax credit to help fix the state’s truck parking shortage.
PennDOT says there are about 11,500 truck parking spaces across the state. These include private truck stops, PennDOT rest areas and welcome centers. Pennsylvania Turnpike service plazas are also included.
Even so, the Pennsylvania Transportation Advisory Committee has found that the shortage forces about 1,100 trucks to park each night on highway shoulders and ramps.
Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, wants to help solve the problem. He sponsored a bill to encourage businesses to build more truck parking. HB709 would offer a tax credit for creating new parking spaces.
Benninghoff said two main issues drive the shortage: the growth of distribution centers and a lack of parking.
He wrote that many distribution centers do not let truck drivers stay on site if they arrive early. At the same time, drivers must stop when they reach their federal hours-of-service limits.
Because many distribution centers are close together, drivers end up competing for very few truck parking spots. Benninghoff said this forces some truckers to park illegally on shoulders and ramps, which is unsafe for everyone.
He also said many businesses near highways do not offer truck parking because there is no financial reason to do so.
“This tax credit aims to be the economic incentive needed for businesses to create truck parking,” Benninghoff said.
Under HB709, businesses could get a $5,000 tax credit each year for every free public truck parking space they build in the state.
To qualify, a business would need to add at least five new spaces. The maximum tax credit would be $100,000.
Only businesses located in Tier 1 or Tier 2 corridors identified in a state truck parking study would be eligible.
Benninghoff said truck drivers who move food, medicine and other goods deserve safer parking and better support from the state.
HB709 is waiting for possible action in the House Finance Committee.
Truck parking study
Another bill looks at the truck parking shortage.
Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, introduced a non-binding resolution that would have the state conduct a full study of truck parking needs.
In a memo to House members, Heffley said the study would help the state find ways to provide enough truck parking across Pennsylvania.
He wrote that the number of truck parking spaces has not kept up with the growing need. This has caused a statewide shortage. He added that the problem is made worse by different facility types, traffic law enforcement, idling limits and federal hours-of-service rules for truck drivers.
Heffley said that by taking action and planning ahead, Pennsylvania can fix the truck parking shortage and improve safety across the state.
HR20 is now in the House Transportation Committee.
New York
Truck parking is the focus of several New York bills. The proposals would raise fines for parking trucks in certain places.
One bill, S6876, would allow a $1,000 fine for semitrailers or trailers parked or left unattended on New York City streets.
A bill memo says that owners or operators of illegally parked tractor-trailers or semitrailers are often not fined. Instead, they can get their vehicles back by paying a $160 towing fee.
Sen. Leroy Comrie, D-Queens, said that the fee is “a small price to pay” compared to the cost of legal truck parking in the city.
He said the $1,000 fine would push drivers to park legally and help protect the “quality of life” in city neighborhoods.
The truck parking bill has passed the Senate twice in recent years. Both times, it did not move forward in the Assembly.
S6876 is now in the Senate Transportation Committee.
Parking in Southeast Queens
Comrie also sponsored another bill that would fine tractor-trailers for parking overnight in Southeast Queens.
S6877 would set a $400 fine for a first offense. A second offense within six months would result in an $800 fine.
The proposal focuses on the area between John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia airports.
A bill memo says that while trucks have places to pick up and deliver goods, they have nowhere to park. Because of this, trucks often park overnight in residential neighborhoods and take up spaces in front of homes.
Comrie said the parked trucks create environmental concerns and cause problems for families.
The bill is in committee. The Assembly version of the bill, A8005, is in the Assembly Transportation Committee. LL
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