FMCSA to poll ‘several thousand’ drivers on truck parking

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration wants to poll thousands of drivers on their truck parking experience with the intention of finding out how adding parking spaces will benefit truckers.

The effort, to be conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, comes after years of lobbying by large and small trucking companies pushing lawmakers for dedicated funding sources, along with studies estimating how the lack of parking is costing the industry.

“To help state and local policymakers make informed decisions about the construction of truck parking spaces, FMCSA is conducting a research study, titled Quantifying the Benefits of Creating New Truck Parking Spaces, which will survey truck drivers about their parking habits and experiences, gaining the exact information needed to quantify the benefits of new truck parking spaces,” the agency stated in a notice posted on Wednesday.

“Several thousand truck drivers, from a wide range of sectors, will be asked to complete the 25-minute online survey, with a goal of obtaining approximately 1,000 complete responses.”

While some will see FMCSA’s survey as a step forward, others may be frustrated by the government’s desire for more data on such a well-documented problem.

The Biden administration was lobbied hard by the American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association on the lack of truck parking and how it was costing the industry.

ATA and OOIDA wrote to the Department of Transportation in 2022 asserting that 98% of drivers report problems finding safe parking, costing drivers more than 56 minutes of drive time. The groups estimated the wasted time caused a $5,500 loss in annual compensation, roughly a 12% pay cut.

In its new survey plan, however, FMCSA insists that while researchers have conducted many surveys on truck parking, “none have reliably estimated the statistics needed, including how often and how long truck drivers (a) park in unauthorized spaces, (b) stop driving early to obtain a parking space, (c) drive off their routes to find parking, and (d) drive past hours-of-service limits to find parking,” the agency stated.

“The results of this survey will be combined with related research to produce estimates of the benefits of creating new truck parking spaces in different areas, which could be beneficial to the many government and private organizations that decide where to build new truck parking spaces.”

FMCSA stated that while the main objective of the survey is to estimate the benefits of new truck parking spaces, the goal is to also answer four research questions:

How many trucks are parked in authorized and unauthorized areas per day, on average – in other words, how large is the nationwide shortage of truck parking spaces?
What are the most cost-effective methods for increasing truck parking capacity?
Which truck parking information management systems are used most often and are most effective?
What percentage of drivers routinely make reservations, pay for parking, or use various other truck parking services?

Before starting the survey, FMCSA must receive clearance from the White House. As part of the approval process, the agency is seeking feedback on any aspect of the project, including:

Whether the proposed collection is necessary for the performance of FMCSA’s functions.
The accuracy of the estimated time it will take to complete the survey.
Ways for FMCSA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information.
Ways respondents’ efforts could be minimized without reducing the quality of the collected information.

The public has until January 27, 2026 to submit comments.