Tyson Fisher
In 2020, Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., introduced a new bill that would devote funding for the creation of more truck parking. Five years later, he’s not giving up.
On Thursday, Feb. 27, Bost – along with Reps. Angie Craig, D-Minn., Pete Stauber, R-Minn., and Salud Carbajal, D-Calif. – reintroduced the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act. If signed into law, the bill, HR1659, would dedicate $755 million to expanding parking capacity.
“I grew up in a family trucking business,” Bost said. “I know firsthand how difficult, and oftentimes dangerous, it can be when America’s truckers are forced to push that extra mile in search of a safe place to park. By expanding access to parking options for truckers, we are making our roads safer for all commuters and ensuring that goods and supplies are shipped to market in the most efficient way possible. This is a matter of public safety for everyone, and I’m committed to do all I can to drive this legislation over the finish line.”
Right out of the gate, the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act has 26 co-sponsors. That includes a bipartisan, 50/50 split of 13 Democrats and 13 Republicans, ranging from Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., representing urban Kansas City to Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., who represents mostly rural Western Colorado.
Bost first introduced the bill in March 2020.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association worked closely with Bost to develop meaningful truck parking legislation that would garner support throughout the industry. OOIDA President Todd Spencer thanked Bost and Craig for continuing their efforts to address the nationwide parking crisis.
“Lack of safe truck parking has been a top concern of truckers for decades, and as a former truck driver, I can tell you firsthand that when truckers don’t have a safe place to park, we are put in a no-win situation,” Spencer said. “We must either continue to drive while fatigued or out of legal driving time or park in an undesignated and unsafe location like the side of the road or abandoned lot. It forces truck drivers to make a choice between safety and following federal hours-of-service rules. The current situation isn’t safe for the truck driver, and it’s not safe for others on the road.”
This will be Congress’ fourth chance to address truck parking by dedicating money that is already available to projects that increase capacity. The bill was first introduced in March 2020 in the 116th Congress. Although it died in committee with 14 bipartisan co-sponsors, the bill has gained more traction each year it was reintroduced.
In the 117th Congress, the truck parking bill picked up 39 co-sponsors and cleared the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. However, it never made it to a vote by the full House.
The last version of the bill attracted 53 co-sponsors – 27 Democrats and 26 Republicans – and had a similar fate. It passed the committee with a 60-4 vote but never reached the full House.
The four committee votes against the parking bill were Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.; Scott Perry, R-Pa.; Chuck Edwards, R-N.C.; and Eric Burlison, R-Mo.
The Senate version, spearheaded by Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., appeared in the last two Congresses. Although it picked up only two co-sponsors in 2022, more than a dozen signed on last year.
The Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act has enjoyed broad support from the trucking industry. Last year, more than a dozen trucking industry stakeholders led by OOIDA urged the House to move forward with the bill.
“Accessing safe and secure truck parking is an integral part of daily life for professional drivers, many of whom travel the nation’s interstates for weeks at a time,” the coalition told House leadership. “Members of Congress from every corner of the country and across the political spectrum have supported HR2367 because they understand their constituents are affected by truck drivers’ ability to meet necessary rest requirements and operate as safely as possible.”
