The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has released a video of a knowledge session that examined a number of truck parking issues at its 2026 Washington Briefing in Washington, D.C., and how state departments of transportation are collaborating with the private sector to solve them.
[Above photo by AASHTO]
John Hartland, director of North American surface transportation for Amazon – the session’s presenter – moderated the session’s panel, which included Mike Carroll, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation; Erica Hawkins, assistant director, business and human resources, for the Ohio Department of Transportation; Ray Moravec, deputy chief engineer for the Maryland Department of Transportation; and Darius Pakbaz, director of the Division of Transportation Development within the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The session examined how truck parking shortages represent a safety and security issue as well as how solving the shortage remains elusive due to funding challenges for land acquisition, construction, operations, and maintenance, among other hurdles.
Industry estimates indicate that, for every 11 truck drivers in the United States, there is one truck parking space. As a result, drivers have parked in unauthorized areas, presenting a significant safety risk, or cut trips short to find parking, which decreases supply chain efficiency.
States have sought a variety of federal and state funding sources for truck parking to try to solve these issues, with a handful exploring public-private partnerships or P3s to support those parking infrastructure needs.
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