New $200 Million Federal Truck Parking Investment Rewards States That Prepared—And Pennsylvania Is Ready
Congress’s recent passage of a federal spending package that sets aside $200 million specifically for truck parking projects within existing U.S. Department of Transportation discretionary grant programs marks a major turning point in how policymakers view one of trucking’s most persistent challenges. For the first time, truck parking is explicitly eligible for dedicated funding through competitive federal infrastructure grants, elevating it alongside other nationally recognized transportation priorities.
For years, the lack of safe, legal truck parking has been discussed as an industry problem, currently number 4 on ATRI's Critical Issues list. With this funding, it is now clearly recognized as an infrastructure priority — and states that are ready with data, documented need, and implementation plans will be best positioned to benefit.
Thanks to years of proactive advocacy by the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, Pennsylvania is one of those states.
A Federal Breakthrough Years in the Making
The new federal truck parking funding — supported by industry leaders including the American Trucking Associations — did not emerge overnight. It reflects sustained pressure from motor carriers and trucking associations that repeatedly elevated truck parking as a safety, workforce, and compliance issue.
Over the past three years, PMTA made truck parking a consistent priority during its Calls on Washington, direct meetings with Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation, and conversations with federal transportation policymakers. PMTA members and staff reinforced a simple message: drivers cannot comply with hours-of-service rules or operate safely if safe parking is not readily available.
As Congress now turns federal attention — and funding — toward truck parking, the question becomes not whether money will be available, but which states are prepared to make a compelling case for it.
PMTA Saw This Moment Coming — and Prepared Pennsylvania Early
Long before dedicated federal truck parking funding became a reality, PMTA recognized that Pennsylvania needed more than anecdotes to address the truck parking shortage. Documenting the scope, location, and impacts of the problem was essential — not only to compete for future funding, but to support better policy decisions, smarter infrastructure planning, and meaningful near-term action.
That understanding drove PMTA’s push to make truck parking a formal research and policy priority within Pennsylvania’s transportation planning process.
Through sustained engagement with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the state’s Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC), PMTA was a primary advocate behind the 2023 TAC truck parking study. The study provided a data-driven assessment of truck parking demand, utilization, safety impacts, and geographic gaps across the commonwealth.
Those findings served multiple critical purposes. They:
- Validated what drivers and carriers experience every day
- Identified key freight corridors most in need to additional truck parking and developed an objective framework for evaluating potential sites, based on safety, access, and demand.
- Gave state agencies and local partners a defensible basis for action and investment
- Provided policy recommendations that have already led to meaningful action
- Helped align enforcement, safety, and planning conversations around shared data
- Provided clarity on where limited resources could have the greatest impact
Just as importantly, the study created a strong foundation for future opportunities — including federal funding — by translating industry experience into documented need and actionable recommendations.
While many states are still relying primarily on anecdotal evidence to describe their truck parking challenges, Pennsylvania has entered this moment with credible analysis, established priorities, and a clear roadmap.
PMTA’s advocacy did not stop at analysis.
Using the TAC study’s findings as a roadmap, PMTA worked closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to push Pennsylvania beyond planning and into implementation.
That effort led to Pennsylvania’s first-ever statewide truck parking expansion initiative, an unprecedented step that moved truck parking from a recognized problem to an active infrastructure program.
Through this initiative:
- Hundreds of new truck parking spaces have already been designated statewide
- More than 1,200 spaces in total are planned at over 100 PennDOT locations
- The Pennsylvania Turnpike is evaluating opportunities for hundreds more spaces across its system
- Truck parking locations are being integrated into the 511PA system to improve driver visibility
This progress demonstrates something federal agencies increasingly look for: a state that not only understands the problem, but is already acting on it.
Why This Gives Pennsylvania a Competitive Edge for Federal Funding
Federal truck parking funding will be competitive. States will need to show:
- A clearly documented need
- Data tying parking shortages to safety and compliance issues
- Defined project concepts
- Evidence of stakeholder and industry engagement
Pennsylvania checks all of those boxes.
The TAC truck parking study gives the commonwealth defensible, broadly supported justification. The statewide expansion initiative demonstrates readiness to deliver. And PMTA’s role provides proof of meaningful industry partnership — a critical factor in federal evaluations.
In short, Pennsylvania is not starting from scratch. It is ahead of many states that have yet to conduct similar studies or commit to statewide solutions.
Advocacy That Anticipates the Next Step
PMTA’s work on truck parking reflects a broader philosophy: effective advocacy means anticipating where policy is heading and preparing to succeed when opportunities arise.
As federal truck parking funding programs are finalized and applications open, PMTA will continue working with state and federal partners to ensure Pennsylvania is well positioned — not just to apply, but to compete and win.