Do You Think There Is A Truck Parking Shortage?

Do you guys think there is a truck parking shortage? Would you be able to get more miles in if there were substantially more? How would you feel about a new tax that was introduced on carriers to pay something like $100 per truck driver employed to put towards the construction and expansion of public parking for trucks as well as subsidizing the private sector of truck stops?

Do you guys think there is a truck parking shortage? Would you be able to get more miles in if there were substantially more? How would you feel about a new tax that was introduced on carriers to pay something like $100 per truck driver employed to put towards the construction and expansion of public parking for trucks as well as subsidizing the private sector of truck stops?

No, I don't think there is a truck parking shortage. I KNOW there is. On occasion I could get more miles if I knew there was parking available. Sometime we have to cut it short because we know theres nothing available if we go further.

Now, the tax issue...if I'm not mistaken we already pay huge amounts of taxes to cover infrastructure, parking is part of infrastructure. The government currently wastes enough of our tax dollars that we dont need another windfall tax on truckers to cover the politicians pet projects. If this tax were implemented not a single new parking spot would be built. Look at what Pelosi has proposed, spending hundreds of million of tax dollars to built electronic parking availability signs that are completely worthless, spend that money adding pavement, not signs telling how many spots are available 50 or 100 miles ahead. Rather than continually taxing us how about they use the money they already get with purpose instead if stupid ideas or taking it for other uses. The only thing that will help is more pavement.

Why would we want our employer to be taxed for having us on the payroll? There is already a shortage of drivers and now you want to create an incentive to hire less drivers? Why does the private sector of truck stops need subsidization? They are already gouging us each time we need to make a purchase inside their stores or restaurants. The prices they charge are exorbitant.

There are a lot more privately owned cars on the road than trucks. Why don't we tax them a 100 dollars each for some additional truck parking? That makes about as much sense to me. They would like having less of us on the road at a time anyways. That makes about as much sense as what you are asking.

I feel taxed enough already. Besides there is no way of knowing if that money would actually go to truck parking or not. I still remember Barak Obama claiming he had boots on the ground for infrastructure improvements and he needed billions from congress to put those people to work improving our infrastructure. He got the money he requested and our highways are still in shambles. There never has been an accounting of that money to this day. Maybe we should just do an investigation into where all that money went and retrieve it for a taking care of a perceived truck parking shortage.

In 2020 the H.R. 6104 (116th): Truck Parking Safety bill was introduced by Mike Bost a representative from Illinois which would of allocated about 700 million from the current DOT budget over 5 years to construct truck parking. This bill was subsequently died in congress on March 5th and didn’t receive a vote.

I believe the problem with this bill was that it only benefited us. Although I believe that should be focused on the truckers the bill had strong opposition from the private sector of truck stops since the would potentially have less people parked at their stops, and the DOT opposed it since they had no gain.

What I’m suggesting is a bill that would benefit all parties. The private sector would get funding for parking. The DOT would get a larger budget, and we would be given more parking.

Before reading the rest of this it is important for you to know the American Transportation Research Institute says that truckers are losing a year $4600 in lost wages due to the truck parking shortage.

With that being said the rough outline of what I’m suggesting is this: “ to impose a tax on all carriers of $92 per trucker employed each year as $8 per trucker for the DOTs current budget to fund the construction of more parking. This is only 2 percent compared to the loss of revenue compared to what this problem causes. The funding going to both the DOT as well as Subsidies to the private sector for free parking only. The portion for the DOT can be used to expand parking at rest areas, weight stations as well as building new parking areas. The subsidies can be grants to assist in the building of free parking for truckers. Once the supply of parking starts to meet the demand the funds can be moved to the maintenance of truck parking, and improvement of the amenities at the expanded parking. The funding should be focused towards areas that are in shortest supply with the highest demand for parking. Data from company’s like Trucker Path can be used to targets the areas that have parking full most often.”

Why would we want our employer to be taxed for having us on the payroll? There is already a shortage of drivers and now you want to create an incentive to hire less drivers? Why does the private sector of truck stops need subsidization? They are already gouging us each time we need to make a purchase inside their stores or restaurants. The prices they charge are exorbitant.

There are a lot more privately owned cars on the road than trucks. Why don't we tax them a 100 dollars each for some additional truck parking? That makes about as much sense to me. They would like having less of us on the road at a time anyways. That makes about as much sense as what you are asking.

I feel taxed enough already. Besides there is no way of knowing if that money would actually go to truck parking or not. I still remember Barak Obama claiming he had boots on the ground for infrastructure improvements and he needed billions from congress to put those people to work improving our infrastructure. He got the money he requested and our highways are still in shambles. There never has been an accounting of that money to this day. Maybe we should just do an investigation into where all that money went and retrieve it for a taking care of a perceived truck parking shortage.

Corey,

You sound like a politician who has no idea what you're talking about.

It's a good thing there's also a driver shortage, otherwise things would be really bad.

In regards to why the carrier would be taxed instead of the trucker is this reason. If the trucker is directly taxed it would be taken straight from his pay and the burden of paying the tax would solely be on them. If the carrier is taxed the carrier can decide what would be the best way to make up for the loss in revenue due to the tax wether that be a direct loss of wages some for on benefits, or in what ever way they see fit so that it makes it specifics to the needs of the drivers of that carrier as to how they want to have the tax made up for. So, at the end of the day the driver is still paying but they are able to pay in a way that suits there needs better for their company.

Why would we want our employer to be taxed for having us on the payroll? There is already a shortage of drivers and now you want to create an incentive to hire less drivers? Why does the private sector of truck stops need subsidization? They are already gouging us each time we need to make a purchase inside their stores or restaurants. The prices they charge are exorbitant.

There are a lot more privately owned cars on the road than trucks. Why don't we tax them a 100 dollars each for some additional truck parking? That makes about as much sense to me. They would like having less of us on the road at a time anyways. That makes about as much sense as what you are asking.

I feel taxed enough already. Besides there is no way of knowing if that money would actually go to truck parking or not. I still remember Barak Obama claiming he had boots on the ground for infrastructure improvements and he needed billions from congress to put those people to work improving our infrastructure. He got the money he requested and our highways are still in shambles. There never has been an accounting of that money to this day. Maybe we should just do an investigation into where all that money went and retrieve it for a taking care of a perceived truck parking shortage.

I agree with you on everything you said, my reply to old school explains why I’m suggesting what I’m suggesting, and gets into more of the detail as to what that is.

I’m going to be writing to my states representatives to introduce a bill and are looking for other truckers feedback on the issue before I send the letter.

Do you guys think there is a truck parking shortage? Would you be able to get more miles in if there were substantially more? How would you feel about a new tax that was introduced on carriers to pay something like $100 per truck driver employed to put towards the construction and expansion of public parking for trucks as well as subsidizing the private sector of truck stops?

No, I don't think there is a truck parking shortage. I KNOW there is. On occasion I could get more miles if I knew there was parking available. Sometime we have to cut it short because we know theres nothing available if we go further.

Now, the tax issue...if I'm not mistaken we already pay huge amounts of taxes to cover infrastructure, parking is part of infrastructure. The government currently wastes enough of our tax dollars that we dont need another windfall tax on truckers to cover the politicians pet projects. If this tax were implemented not a single new parking spot would be built. Look at what Pelosi has proposed, spending hundreds of million of tax dollars to built electronic parking availability signs that are completely worthless, spend that money adding pavement, not signs telling how many spots are available 50 or 100 miles ahead. Rather than continually taxing us how about they use the money they already get with purpose instead if stupid ideas or taking it for other uses. The only thing that will help is more pavement.

There are 1/3 fewer public available spaces than there are trucks. There has been a shortage for a long, long time.

BAD BAD BAD idea.

Why not give tax incentives for truck stops to build. No way could they claim they wouldn't make money due to more competition. Take a ride along any interstate at 11pm and you will see lines parked on ramps...parked illegally and even on shoulders of the road. If you build it they will come.

Do you realize you will be putting an even larger burden on owner ops? That ever regulation causes carriers and one man operations to lose money or close down? Are you aware there is a proposal to increase insurance for truckers by 20%? How much money do you think we all make? Not to mention that companies will only reduce trucker pay to make up for it. We all know it will never be $100 per year. It will be much more. So much for the American dream of owning your own business cause these types of policies will destroy it.

If you think truckers or companies aren't already paying $100 per year to park you are crazy. Why not require all industrial parks to allow street parking? Many do not. Why not require any consignee over a certain size to allow drivers to park before/after deliveries. Many do not. Why not require all sanctuary cities and states to provide sanctuary for trucker parking? Don't ticket or tow us as long as we are reasonably parked, nit blocking intersections, fire hydrants etc.

When building new industrial parks zone them to have parking.