Bans & The Truck Parking Crisis
How Long-Haul Truckers Are Struggling for Basic Needs as They Transport Our Goods
Bans & The Truck Parking Crisis
How Long-Haul Truckers Are Struggling for Basic Needs as They Transport Our Goods
Prime, now. We want our things. No matter what has enticed us to create an online purchase, we can often become consumed with our expectations of that delivery. But do we ever stop to think about who is actually behind moving that product, and what if it became apparent that their living and working conditions were far from equitable?
The Crisis
Currently, there are 1.4 million commercial truck drivers on the road moving our products, and 80% of them drive long-haul routes. With up to only 4 “home days” per month, their home becomes the road. The dire issue for these drivers, however, is finding safe places to stop and take federally mandated breaks and gain access to restrooms, meals, showers, laundry, and sleep. Publicly-owned and operated rest areas are ill-equipped to handle such needs, and privately-owned truck stop owners are being met with challenges from local communities when they attempt to expand or develop new facilities. However, what if the parking and driver amenities could be provided at the warehouses being served by these drivers? Sadly, that turns out to be an uphill battle. Communities certainly support the economic benefits that this sector brings, however, they often perceive truck parking as a nuisance that they don’t want in their backyard. Communities have even threatened to deny industrial warehousing projects unless they omit truck driver support facilities. By not allowing on-site provisions for drivers, the problem is pushed to local streets or unauthorized areas which creates greater safety risks for the drivers and even worse impacts for the residents.
Compounded by population growth, economic activity, and a growing reliance on e-commerce and trucking activity, truck parking demand has also become a critical national transportation issue. Truck parking shortages actually came to light on the national stage following the murder of a truck driver, Jason Rivenburg, who was unable to find a designated place to park his truck during his long-haul trip. Known as Jason’s Law, it led to the first allocation of federal discretionary funds in 2012 to help address this issue. This further spotlighted the dangers of assault and robbery faced by drivers as they are forced to sleep overnight in their trucks in unprotected and unsecured areas. However, despite the national prevalence, truck parking shortages appear to come full circle and point back to disconnects at the local level. It is the local agencies that hold the zoning and land use authority over the development of truck parking facilities, requirements for new industrial warehouses to provide off-street tractor-trailer parking for the drivers serving them, and control over truck parking on public streets. The truck parking crisis is national in scope but locally resolvable.
Example of Unofficial Truck Parking
The Study
Stemming from our compelling joint panel and presentation at the recent 2023 International WTS Conference that included the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor, Fehr & Peers is leading research for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) aimed at developing local ordinances and policies that will truly resolve the truck parking crisis. For this effort, Fehr & Peers is investigating truck parking issues in cities across the country to ultimately help agencies develop guidance for local truck parking regulations. We are seeking input from diverse stakeholders to help understand truck driver needs, community concerns, truck parking demand, challenges faced by industrial developers and facility operators, and opportunities for developing solutions that would benefit all entities. Pursuing answers at both city and national levels, we are seeking to whittle down to the sources fueling this issue. Why does a truck parking ban appear to be the most common local community response to this problem? Why isn’t the private truck stop industry stepping in to solve it? Are there solutions available like local zoning requirements or on-street truck parking provisions? Can private industry offer ideas? And most critically, how do we improve the quality of life for the 1.4 million drivers that make sure we have food on the table and clothes on our backs every single day?
The Upcoming Guidebook
Fehr & Peers, the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), and REAL Women in Trucking are partnering together to produce the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) A Guidebook for Local Truck Parking Regulations to solve this issue. Utilizing local and national data, the joint project will create local truck parking guidelines in the form of model ordinances, such as industrial development standards and truck parking provisions, as well as general plan policies, such as strategies to achieve truck routing and access and economic and environmental goals. With each state giving local agencies slightly different land use and zoning authority, we are also purposefully incorporating the different limitations that might exist between states.
By bringing awareness to this very critical issue, we hope to inspire agencies and cities to assess how their own ordinances line up to treat long-haul drivers and such an important part of our economy. With the upcoming guidebook, we hope to empower them with an invaluable tool to create equitable solutions for these drivers and for truck parking demand that can help address this rampant issue across our country. If you are a city or agency that is interested in learning more about our findings or want to further inform your own local truck parking strategies, contact us!
Women in Trucking
Pursuing Equity and Safety
Also daylighted at the conference through the Fehr & Peers joint panel were the alarming rates of discrimination and sexual assault faced by female truck drivers. Over 70% of the 245,000 female truck drivers in this country spend more than three weeks away from home at a time, most often sleeping in their truck cabs. 75% of them drive with a partner. The “team business model,” prevalent during onboarding, pairs trainees with trainers for extended periods and has notoriously led to frequent incidents of harassment and misconduct. Organizations like REAL Women in Trucking have raised concerns about the lack of support and action against the harassment, leaving women vulnerable, traumatized, and causing early exits from the industry, particularly for women of color. The industry’s increasing recruitment of women, including female high school graduates, to address labor shortages further exacerbates the problem. Insufficient accountability, support, and training in Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) schools and starter fleets leave new entrants unaware of their rights and reporting procedures, hindering efforts to address and quantify the problem. Significant efforts are needed to improve safety, transparency, and heighten standards, especially among student fleets, to protect female drivers. Fehr & Peers is proudly partnering with REAL Women in Trucking to pursue a Fostering Access, Rights, and Equity (FARE) grant to address these issues and provide necessary resources and support.
Contributors
Jolene Hayes
Senior Associate
AICP
Fatemeh Ranaiefar
Freight Practice Leader
PHD
Tino Jonga
Transportation Engineer/Planner
PE
