FMCSA filed a proposed study titled "Quantifying the Benefits of Creating New Truck Parking Spaces" with the White House Office of Management and Budget on April 6, targeting approximately 1,000 complete responses from a 25-minute online survey, according to Overdrive. The survey will measure how often drivers park in unauthorized spaces, stop driving early, drive off-route, or exceed hours-of-service limits to find parking; truck parking ranked second on ATRI's critical-issues list for 2023 and 2024.
Operator takeaway
Drivers who cannot find legal parking drive past their HOS limits, park on shoulders and ramps, and create the roadside hazards your crew responds to. If the study quantifies the safety cost, it gives FMCSA the data to fund parking infrastructure near the corridors where your heavy trucks run.