In recent years, the national truck parking shortage has received considerable attention. Insufficient truck parking, combined with the Hours of Service regulations, has inconvenienced truck drivers and sometimes even forced them into dangerous situations.
Since truck drivers may only legally drive a certain number of hours each day, they must stop at some point, regardless of whether or not there is space for them at the local truck stop.
Have we seen any improvement in truck parking availability over the last few years? Let’s find out.
Truck Parking Availability in 2021
In 2021, truck parking was at a particular low. The national average for availability was 40.7% between 11:00 and 14:00. However, it’s worth mentioning that only specific truck drivers seek parking during those hours. Even though this number is high, it’s ludicrously low compared to the figures for peak hours.
Between the hours of 19:00 and 22:00 when many more truckers are taking their sleeper berths, the national truck parking availability dropped to only 17.1%.
Some states had better availability than others, with Montana having up to 82.5% availability between 11:00 and 14:00. During those same hours, Nevada only had an availability of 58.5%.
The same was true during the evening hours, with Montana’s truck parking availability at 69.7% between 19:00 and 22:00. During the same timeframe, Florida’s was only 27%.
Truck Parking Availability in 2023
In 2023, the truck parking shortage saw some significant improvements. The average national truck parking availability between 11:00 and 14:00 improved by an impressive 16.3%, bringing it up to 64%.
Between 19:00 and 22:00, the improvement was even more significant, at nearly 22%. This brought it up to 38%, which, while still not great, is much better than 17%.
In 2023, the number of truck drivers unable to find a parking space dropped to 9% (during the 11:00-14:00 time slot), a decline of 7.7% from 2021. The 19:00 to 20:00 time slot dropped nearly 25%, bringing it down from 50.6% to 26%.
As far as state specifics are concerned, some states still performed better than others. For instance, Montana had 73.9% availability between 11:00 and 14:00, while Montana had 82.5%. It’s certainly less of a dichotomy, but it’s there nonetheless. Between 19:00 and 22:00, Montana had 69.7% availability, while Oregon only had 58.6%.
The inevitable conclusion is that truck parking availability increased between 2021 and 2023. But why? We’ll examine the factors below.
Factors Causing an Increase in Truck Parking Availability
Over the last five years, government-owned and private initiatives have worked hard to solve the truck parking shortage. But what are some of the factors leading to the difference in results between 2021 and 2023? Let’s look into it.
A Boom in Privately-Owned Truck Parking
Since it became apparent that the truck parking shortage was a significant problem, many private individuals have stepped up to the plate and opened up unused land and parking spaces for use by truck drivers.
Not only has this helped to alleviate the truck parking shortage, but it has also boosted local economies by providing an additional source of income for local residents.
One way that people are doing this is by using the Truck Parking Club App to register their available properties for use by truck drivers. In so doing, truck drivers have been given access to a myriad of parking spaces that they can’t access elsewhere.
This type of privately owned parking initiative has made a considerable dent in the parking shortage.
New Government Initiatives
Several new initiatives are currently in the works to help alleviate the truck parking problem, and they are slowly coming into effect.
For instance, Florida has been implementing a Truck Parking Information System in the form of the Truck Parking Availability System, or TPAS, which lets truck drivers know where space is available before they ever arrive.
Other initiatives have included the construction of several additional truck parking areas along Interstates.
A Decrease in Freight Volume
In 2021, many businesses and regions were in recovery mode. As a result, many places were ordering, and sending, immense volumes of stock. However, in 2023 the freight volumes were lower, leading to more abundant truck parking availability.
Final Thoughts
It’s clear that there has been a significant increase in truck parking availability over the last few years. However, we’re still nowhere near where we need to be in terms of having sufficient truck parking availability.
If you want to ensure that you have the best possible chances of finding truck parking in your area, register for Truck Parking Club. Registration is free, and you will have access to a wide range of truck parking spots that aren’t listed elsewhere.
The information published herein is for general informational purposes only. Truck Parking Club does not make any representations or warranties about the completeness, reliability, legality, and accuracy of this information. Any reliance placed on such material is strictly at the user’s own risk. Truck Parking Club shall not be responsible for any losses or damages incurred in connection with the information published herein.
