A new report shows that the number of trucks on the road has grown, but the number of parking spots for trucks has not, leaving many truckers with no choice but to drive illegally and unsafely.
According to the NHTSA, the number of trucks on the road has risen from 8.2 million in 2004 to 10.6 million in 2013. But truck parking has not grown to reflect the rising number of trucks on the road, say experts.
Truck driver Angela Sanders agrees: “It’s awful because when I first started there wasn’t as many trucks out. I think it’s dishonest for the system to give us the rules and not prepare a place for us to park.”
ATA Vice Chairman Kevin Burch agrees that something needs to be done. He says, “The truck stops are full. The rest stops are full. The shopping centers have no parking. It is a big problem that no one seems to care about.”
While the parking problem has been no secret in the trucking community for years, the mainstream news seems to have finally caught on. The report, originally written by the Dayton Daily News has spread quickly to ABC News, the Washington Post, and other news outlets.
Sources:
Dayton Daily News
Washington Post