Truck parking has been a big issue for quite some while. Both ATA and the OOIDA came out demanding better handling of the problem. They wrote a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to prioritize truck parking issues. The issue has been around for way too long, and it would urgently require a long-term solution.

The letter stated that the truck parking shortage had been an issue for too long. Truckers have suffered a host of consequences as a result of the same. Some of them include compromising highway safety as well as their health. The same has gone as far as deeply affecting the supply chain and the environment.

The letter goes ahead to plead to Washington to for once listen to the truck drivers and grant them their needs. The truckers are at the center of the economy and have been influential in the fight against Covid-19. The fight against the pandemic will be won with the help of the trucking industry. Therefore, it is only fair to support them by sorting out the parking issue.

The Department of Transportation must look for a way to work with all stakeholders involved to develop a solution. Over the years, surveys show that truck parking has been drivers' primary concern. Almost all drivers find it challenging to get a safe place to park. Therefore, they end up parking along highways and other unsafe areas. They, at times, waste a lot of time looking for spaces leading to charges and fines amounting to $5,500 annually.

The situation is only getting worse with time. Research shows that an average of eleven drivers have to share a single parking space. Due to parking shortages, drivers have to park in unsafe and illegal places and violate hours-of-service rules. Parking has become even a more prominent issue because of the fast-growing economy and lack of funds set aside for parking. The government must reward the efforts of the truckers. They can start by listening to and addressing their problems; most importantly, for now, the parking shortage.