The ongoing national truck parking shortage in the U.S. continues to be a major crisis garnering significant attention. While several legislative bills are currently in motion to help aid expansion efforts, funding remains elusive and truck parking safety and relief for drivers remains a long way off. Thankfully, drivers are finding new ways to locate, reserve, and pay for on-route parking fast and conveniently.
With more than 2 million over-the-road truck drivers and less than 315,000 overnight truck parking spaces, it’s no surprise that the Federal Highway Administration deems the supply-and-demand discrepancy a national safety concern. Drivers who are forced to park along roadsides and highway shoulders inevitably put themselves and others at risk with 84% of the driving community stating they feel unsafe when parked illegally.
Truck parking safety isn’t the only issue. Looking for truck stop parking can be incredibly time-consuming and often requires drivers to cut into their valuable service hours. Studies show that OTR drivers spend an average of nearly an hour a day hunting for truck stop parking.
“We owe our truckers a safe place to rest—not just because it’s the right thing to do and not only because it’s going to save drivers time and money, but because everyone is better off when truckers can do their jobs to the best of their abilities,” said Pete Buttigieg,
U.S Secretary of Transportation.
Find truck stop parking with Relay
With its in-app, GPS-driven database of truck stop parking locations across the country, drivers can easily enter their routes and find safe, available options along the way. Finding a truck parking spot is easy and can be done ahead of time, helping drivers to avoid the frustration of arriving at a facility only to discover it’s sold out.
In addition to finding truck stop parking, the Relay app also allows you to reserve and pay for spots ahead of time, significantly reducing the amount of time spent searching and eliminating the need for unsafe or illegal parking.
While the national truck parking shortage has yet to improve across state lines, drivers don’t have to resort to lengthy lot searches or unsafe parking alternatives. Relay empowers owner-operators to take control of their daily parking dilemmas by allowing them to see all of their options at one time, conveniently, from the palm of their hand.
In addition to daily truck stop parking options, the Relay app also allows owner-operators to book safe, secure, and convenient monthly parking when they are not on the road.
Download the Relay app today to secure your truck stop parking for tomorrow.