The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $61.7 million in grants to expand truck parking capacity in Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi and Wyoming, addressing one of the trucking industry’s most persistent infrastructure challenges.
The funding, announced through the department’s Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program, will support new truck parking spaces and related technology improvements along key freight corridors.
The largest award, $25 million, went to Kentucky to add truck parking at seven rest areas and install real-time parking information systems. Mississippi received $22.1 million to expand a rest area by 54 truck parking spaces and add similar parking information technology. Illinois was awarded $13.2 million to add 45 truck parking spaces at a rest area, while Wyoming received $1.4 million to improve winter truck parking.
“The chronic lack of truck parking poses a public safety risk, raises costs for consumers, and makes professional drivers’ tough jobs even harder,” said American Trucking Associations President and CEO Chris Spear. “When drivers finish their shift, they deserve to know that they will be able to find a safe place to sleep that night.”
The ATA said the investment is a step toward addressing a nationwide shortage of safe truck parking. According to a U.S. Department of Transportation study cited by the association, 98% of truck drivers regularly struggle to find safe parking. Research from the American Transportation Research Institute estimates drivers spend an average of 56 minutes each day searching for parking, costing them about $6,800 annually in lost wages.
And Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, also welcomed the news.
“Most folks probably don’t realize that 70% of American freight is transported by truck, yet incredibly there is only one parking spot for every 11 trucks on the road,” he said in a statement. “When truck drivers don’t have a designated place to park, they end up parking on the side of the road, near exit ramps, or elsewhere. This isn’t safe for the driver and it’s not safe for others on the road.”
Congress has already approved $200 million for truck parking in the fiscal 2026 appropriations package, and lawmakers are considering an additional $200 million in the next federal funding bill.
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