en.Wedoany.com Reported - The U.S. Department of Transportation has allocated $61.7 million to expand truck parking capacity in Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Wyoming, addressing a long-standing infrastructure challenge facing the trucking industry.

This funding, distributed through the Department's "Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development" (BUILD) grant program, will support the expansion of truck parking spaces along key freight corridors and related technological improvements.

Kentucky received the largest grant, totaling $25 million, to add truck parking spaces 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 received $13.2 million to add 45 truck parking spaces at one rest area. Wyoming received $1.4 million to improve winter truck parking conditions.

Chris Spear, President and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, stated that the chronic shortage of truck parking spaces creates public safety risks, drives up consumer costs, and makes the job harder for professional drivers. When drivers finish their shifts, they should be able to find a safe place to spend the night.

The association said this investment is a step toward addressing the nationwide shortage of safe truck parking spaces. According to a U.S. Department of Transportation study cited by the association, 98% of truck drivers frequently struggle to find safe parking. Research from the American Transportation Research Institute estimates that drivers spend an average of 56 minutes per day searching for parking, losing approximately $6,800 in wages annually as a result.

Todd Spencer, President of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, welcomed the news. He noted that 70% of goods in the U.S. are transported by truck, but there is only one parking space for every 11 trucks on the road. When truck drivers have no designated parking location, they end up on roadside shoulders, near exit ramps, or elsewhere, which is unsafe for both drivers and others on the road.

Congress has already approved $200 million in truck parking funding in the fiscal year 2026 appropriations package, and lawmakers are considering adding another $200 million in the next federal funding bill.