The $1.3 trillion funding package passed Tuesday by the U.S. House of Representatives did not just restore the operation of the federal government, but also contained several pro-trucking provisions, most importantly $200 million for new truck parking.
The bill, which passed 217-214 vote, also made a law out of an executive order signed last year by President Donald Trump requiring truckers to be proficient in English.
Trump said he will sign the spending package as soon as it reaches his desk.
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The parking funding comes after several years of congressional promises that never came to fruition. While Washington understood the research that showed there’s one truck parking space in the U.S. for every 11 trucks on the road, no concrete action was taken. Solving the issue was left to the states and private companies to add to the truck parking inventory.
Once the money is handed out, recipients will not be allowed to charge for access to the truck parking spaces. The legislation also prohibits funds from being used for electric vehicle charging stations.
A leading trucking industry advocacy group praised the inclusion of parking funds in the legislation that was passed.
“When truck drivers finish their shift or take their federally mandated rest break, the last thing they should have to worry about is finding a safe place to park,” said ATA President & CEO Chris Spear. “Unfortunately, chronic underinvestment in this essential infrastructure has resulted in severe shortages, making it extremely difficult for truck drivers to do their jobs and creating significant hazards for all motorists.
“This substantial new funding that ATA championed will help us turn a corner on this issue. We thank the members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for prioritizing truck parking, the first time that Congress has allocated funds specifically for this purpose. We are especially appreciative of the decisive leadership of Congressman (Steve) Womack for ensuring the truck parking provision was incorporated in the final bill.”
The massive spending bill includes a provision that cements Trump’s orders on English proficiency for truckers.
On April 28, 2025, Trump issued an executive order to enforce existing federal rules that require commercial vehicle drivers to “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries and to make entries on reports and records.”
The following month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced in Austin, Texas, that the U.S. Department of Transportation would begin enforcing English-proficiency regulations and take violators out of service.
In addition to the funding for truck parking, and the English laNguage provision, ATA praised several other trucking priorities it sought to include in the funding package, including:
- Directing USDOT to provide a report and develop a strategy to respond to cargo theft
- Addressing distracted and impaired driving
- Studying the growing issue of predatory towing
- Reporting on the availability and feasibility of technologies that could measure intoxication, including marijuana impairment
- Demanding the issuance of long-overdue guidance that will allow motor carriers to use hair testing to detect drug use
- Providing an update on the establishment of a national AV framework
- Requiring a study on congestion pricing, specifically relating to its effect on finances, safety, emissions, and congestion
- Strengthening oversight of the Training Provider Registry
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