The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) calls on states to close the widening gap between public and private truck parking.
ATRI’s latest report on parking availability in the U.S. found there are 30,440 truck parking spaces available at rest areas across the 47 surveyed states, with an average of 662 per state. The average rest area includes 19 truck parking spaces, but the report highlights major regional variation—some states provide a significant share of truck parking outside of rest areas altogether.
“Drivers routinely struggle to find available parking and many end trips early to find scarce truck parking. Trucks parked in unauthorized spaces alongside shoulders or highway on/off ramps increase the risk and severity of crashes,” the study reads. “Furthermore, the truck parking shortage may cause drivers to drive off-route searching for available truck parking, resulting in unnecessary emissions.”
Nationally, 79% of public truck parking is still located at rest areas, but 8,086 spaces exist elsewhere. Alaska, Wyoming, Idaho, Arkansas, and Maryland all provide more truck parking spaces at locations outside traditional rest areas than within them. In Alaska, this percentage is as high as 95%, 84% in Wyoming, and just over 50% in the remaining states.
Private-to-public ratio
One of the report’s most revealing metrics is the public-to-private truck parking ratio. Currently, a 1:4 ratio is the recommended benchmark — one public truck parking space for every four private truck parking spaces. But 37 of 47 states exceed this threshold, indicating expansion opportunities. States with the highest disparity include Louisiana (1:42.1), Oklahoma (1:27.9), and Arkansas (1:20.5), Texas (1:18.6) and Colorado(1:15.1). Meanwhile, the most balanced states include Vermont and Massachusetts (both 1:1.5), as well as as New Hampshire (1:2.2), Maine (1:2.5), and Alaska (1:2.6).
The report emphasizes that public truck parking infrastructure also plays a key role in supporting gender equity within the industry. Referencing prior ATRI research, the report notes that women are 55% more likely than men to park at public rest areas—making the availability and quality of these facilities particularly important as the industry looks to attract and retain more female drivers.
Parking expansion opportunities and costs
When it comes to investmets into the public paking network expansion, only 26% of states have acquired land or right-of-way for parking development in the last decade. The most commonly cited issues cited were lack of funding, community resistance, and difficulty finding suitable land.
However, 64% of states reported evaluating whether state-owned properties could be repurposed for truck parking, with weigh stations, park-and-ride facilities, and former welcome centers cited as the most common options. Ohio, for example, converted 10 former weigh stations into truck parking areas, creating 164 spaces equipped with restrooms and trash receptacles.
Driver preferences are also important to consider during infrastructure planning. According to ATRI, the top three factors drivers consider when deciding where to park are proximity to their route (97%), availability of restrooms and showers (80%), and expected availability of space (76%).
To better meet these expectations, the report outlines a series of best practices for state DOTs. These include leveraging formal public-private partnerships to build additional parking capacity, generate revenue to offset maintenance costs, and provide temporary parking solutions during winter weather events. Safety improvements—such as lighting, fencing, emergency call buttons, and regular patrols—are also critical.
On the cost side, the average construction cost per truck parking space was reported $113,395(all numbers U.S.), with a median of $93,500. Funding remains challenging—41% of states rely on a mix of federal and state dollars for projects, and 40% have applied for U.S. Department of Transportation grants. Between 2022 and 2026, nearly $752 million has been awarded through federal programs. However, dedicated state funding for truck parking is uncommon.
ATRI also analyzed rest area amenities, finding that most states do provide lighting, restrooms, and trash disposal, but fewer offer walking trails (58%), dump stations (35%), or 24-hour security (19%). Sixty-one percent of states reported offering six or more of eight core amenities. When it comes to rest area maintenance, most states fund rest area service and maintenance through internal state funds and per rest area, the average annual service and maintenance budget is $215,189 and the median is $179,630.
Beyond infrastructure, the ATRI also evaluated state practices in weather alerts and technology systems. In Colorado and Wyoming, 90% of drivers said they received weather notifications, and 54% of all drivers felt the information came early enough to reroute. Adoption of Truck Parking Information Management Systems remains mixed—only 34% of drivers reported using them, and just 25% fully trust the accuracy of availability updates.
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