U.S. Truck Parking Shortage: How Will a $200M Government Investment Impact Freight?

About 40% of truck drivers spend over one hour every day searching for parking.

To address this issue, the U.S. Department of Transportation is allocating $200 million to 14 truck parking projects across 12 states, with the potential to add nearly 2,500 new spaces.

The planned additions are concentrated near busy interstate highways, maritime ports, and U.S.–Mexico border crossings.

The initiative aims to provide truck drivers with enough places to park and rest, reducing time wasted searching for parking, reducing illegal parking, lowering fatigue-related accidents, and thereby easing trucking capacity constraints and reducing wasted capacity (transportation.gov).

Locations of the New Truck Parking Spaces

The U.S. Department of Transportation has released details on project locations, federal funding, and projected space increases, showing that funds are primarily directed toward major freight corridors (transportation.gov).

Tennessee has the largest planned increase in parking spaces. Interstates 40 and 24 serve as key interstate freight routes in the region, but current parking shortages force drivers to park on shoulders or ramps. To address this, the government awarded nearly $24 million in partnership with private enterprise to add an estimated 500 parking spaces across five existing truck plazas near Nashville and Knoxville.

Texas and Georgia were each awarded funds for two locations. In Texas, the majority of the funding went toward Fort Worth and the U.S.–Mexico border crossing.

Additionally, Interstate 91 in Connecticut (260 spaces), port-adjacent areas in North Carolina (140 spaces), and the Interstate 40 corridor in California (100 spaces) received funding due to long stretches lacking truck parking facilities.

However, this does not mean the overall space count will increase by the full gross figure everywhere. For example, while Nebraska plans to build 120 spaces, it also plans to close certain aging rest areas, resulting in a projected net increase of approximately 92 spaces.

Which Cargo Routes May Benefit?

Inland Shipments from Ports to Warehouses

Freight moving from the Port of Savannah to Atlanta typically travels west on Interstate 16 before turning north onto Interstate 75. Trucks serving this route must retrieve containers at the port. The planned 275 new parking spaces in Garden City, located less than two miles from Port Gate 4, will give drivers an additional parking location near the port before entering the port or after picking up containers. Trucks hauling freight along Interstate 40 from the Port of Wilmington into inland North Carolina may also utilize the 140 planned port-adjacent spaces; furthermore, approximately 50 container staging slots will offer space for containers requiring temporary storage near the port (dot.ga.gov).

Eastbound Freight from Southern California

Trucks traveling from Southern California toward Flagstaff or Albuquerque pass through Needles if traveling through Barstow and heading east on Interstate 40. A project near the intersection of Interstate 40 and Highway 95 plans to add approximately 100 parking spaces, giving drivers on this route another rest stop option before exiting California into Arizona.

Freight Moving Between Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga

Trucks moving between Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville primarily utilize Interstate 40, while those moving between Nashville and Chattanooga typically use Interstate 24. Tennessee plans to add approximately 500 parking spaces across five Pilot Travel Center locations near Nashville and Knoxville along these two interstates. Drivers hauling freight between these cities or passing through to other regions will gain additional rest options. Under the project plan, these new parking spaces will be free and accessible 24/7 once completed.

Long-Haul Freight Crossing Iowa and Nebraska

Trucks moving from Chicago to Denver via Interstate 80 connecting to Interstate 76 travel across Iowa and Nebraska. Iowa plans to add approximately 150 parking spaces across six rest areas along Interstate 80, while Nebraska plans to build 120 parking spaces in Dawson County, potentially giving long-haul drivers more rest options along this route.

Southbound Freight from Atlanta or Chicago

Trucks hauling freight south from Atlanta along Interstate 75 to Macon or onward to Florida pass through Monroe County, where approximately 109 parking spaces are planned across two southbound facilities, giving southbound drivers more mid-route rest stops. Trucks hauling freight south from Chicago along Interstate 57 to Southern Illinois may also utilize 38 planned new spaces at the Green Creek and Post Oak southbound rest areas.

Freight Moving North from Fort Worth or Crossing via Los Indios

Trucks traveling from Fort Worth to Denton and continuing toward Oklahoma can take Interstate 35W north to merge onto Interstate 35. This route passes near the State Highway 170 interchange in northern Fort Worth, where approximately 100 new parking spaces are planned, potentially making mid-route rest more convenient for drivers on this line. Trucks moving between the U.S. and Mexico via the Los Indios port of entry may utilize 305 planned parking spaces near the border. Since drivers must stop in the area for cross-border processing, the facility will provide a parking location close to the port of entry once opened.

Will Additional Parking Spaces Alleviate U.S. Trucking Capacity Tightness?

The U.S. trucking market currently faces capacity constraints. Fewer available trucks and drivers have driven the tender rejection rate for truckload orders to 14.17%, meaning shippers may need to spend more time and pay higher freight rates to secure carriers (FreightWaves).

Because strict U.S. regulations govern truck drivers' driving and rest hours, drivers who cannot find parking in time may be forced to end their driving shifts early or detour to locate rest areas.

Therefore, adding truck parking spaces will indeed help improve vehicle transport efficiency.

However, the U.S. Department of Transportation has not yet announced opening dates for the new parking spaces. Current capacity tightness remains more strongly linked to shortages of compliant drivers and trucks, meaning new parking spaces can only temporarily ease certain issues. Furthermore, because these projects still require construction time, their short-term impact on freight rates will be very limited.

While added parking spaces will provide truck drivers with more rest options, whether freight arrives on time still depends on carriers coordinating port container pickup, en-route transit, and warehouse receiving times smoothly.

FBD GROUPS provides port drayage, LTL/FTL Transportation, warehousing, and last-mile delivery services, operating warehouses in California, Texas, and Georgia.

If your business needs to transport cargo arriving at ports to U.S. warehouses or deliver shipments from warehouses to customers, contact FBD GROUPS to learn more about our solutions and request a quote.