Commercial Truck Parking Shortage & Danger of Semi-Truck Crashes

An amazing number of large trucks carry freight through our part of the country every day. These commercial motor vehicles are invaluable contributors to both national and global economies; the U.S. Department of Transportation explains that the “…trucking industry is vital to the U.S. economy, with trucks moving more than 73 percent of the Nation’s goods by value, and more than 67 percent by weight.”

The semis, tractor-trailers, reefers, tankers, 18-wheelers, and big rigs rumbling the roadways of Indiana and Illinois provide important and indispensable services as they move all sorts of cargo and goods across our region or across the country. For more on the high volume of large truck traffic here, read our earlier discussions in: Huge and Growing Freight Truck Traffic in Northern Indiana: Increasing Danger of Semi-Truck Crashes and Semi Trucks and Big Rigs: High Indiana and Illinois Commercial Truck Traffic Creates Dangerous Conditions.

Parking is a must for these rigs. Obviously, they have special parking needs: their size and weight mandate parking spaces that can accommodate their length (especially tractor-trailers and oversized loads) as well as their tonnage. For instance, strong surfaces are required for the day after day, week after week parking of trucks that can weigh tens of thousands of pounds.

It is shocking for many to learn that there is a longstanding problem not just here in Indiana and Illinois, but across the United States where truckers are not able to find large-truck parking on their truck routes.

Driving along our highways and interstates, many may have seen truck drivers forced to stop alongside ramps or shoulders. This is because the truckers have to rest, or sleep, or inspect their rigs, and there is simply no other place for truck parking in the area.

For more, see Prozzi, Jolanda P., et al. Assessing Truck Parking Capacity Usage to Inform Truck Parking Needs Assessments and Determine the Feasibility and Benefits of Truck Parking Capacity Management Platforms. No. FMCSA-RRT-24-008b. United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 2024.

Deadly Dangers of Insufficient Semi-Truck Parking

Forcing commercial truck drivers to stop their trucks anywhere other than in a designed and designated large truck parking space endangers not only the trucker and rig occupants, but those sharing the roads with them. The alternative, to keep driving until a parking space meant for big rigs can be found, also increases the risk of a serious or fatal truck crash.

1. Risk of Crashes With Parked Trucks

Parked trucks on the side of the road, either on shoulders or on ramp areas is a hazard that can result in catastrophic or deadly large truck crashes. Other motor vehicles moving along the roadway may crash into the stationary rig with tragic results.

The National Transportation Safety Board reports that semi-trucks forced to park illicitly on ramps or shoulders have been involved in a significant number of fatal collisions involving motor vehicles colliding into them. Read, “NTSB adds to call for safe truck parking,” published by National Safety Council’s Safety & Health Magazine on June 4, 2025.

Also see: “Lack of parking for semi-trucks can have fatal consequences,” written by Kris Van Cleave and published by CBS News on September 25, 2023.

2. Fatigued Drivers Forced to Keep Driving

Truckers that cannot find a place to park their truck may decide to keep driving rather than stop along the side of the interstate or truck route. They may do so despite the federal regulations recognizing the risks of driver fatigue causing accidents, found in the Hours of Service (“HOS”) rules.

This is not a new problem. Ten years ago, the Federal Highway Administration warned that over 75% of commercial truck drivers faced the problem of finding proper truck parking on a regular basis, especially at night, with many truckers being forced to keep driving. Read, “Jason’s Law Truck Parking Survey Results and Comparative Analysis,” published by the U.S. Department of Transportation (2015) and “USDOT: Truck parking a growing national concern,” published by Freight Waves on August 24, 2015.

Also see: “How the truck parking shortage is impacting all of us,” written by Dustin Grove and published by WTHR on November 6, 2023.

Government Efforts to Solve Truck Parking Crisis

At both the federal and state levels, government action is working to help truckers to be able to park safely and easily in proper truck parking spaces, such as:

1. Indiana Plan for More Semi-Truck Parking in the Hoosier State

In response to this serious problem that impacts all of us on local highways, interstates, and truck routes, the Indiana Department of Transportation has budgeted $600 Million in infrastructure upgrades to state rest areas and truck stops, which is forecast to take ten years to complete. Read, “INDOT to invest $600 million in rest areas, truck parking over next 10 years,” written by Meredith Hackler and published by WRTV-Indianapolis on June 14, 2024.

2. Congress Considering Federal Funding Bill to Help Truck Parking Problem

This year, Illinois representative Mike Bost reintroduced the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act to Congress, which would provide $755 Million in federal grants for large truck parking projects in this country.

From American Trucking Association President Chris Spear in response:

“One of the most meaningful ways Congress can show its support for America’s professional truck drivers is to ensure they have a safe place to park and sleep when they take their federally mandated rest break or finish their shift. The chronic lack of truck parking poses an unacceptable risk to both truckers and the nation’s motoring public. Congress must step in to provide a solution.”

Crash Dangers Today With Lack of Semi-Truck Parking

While these government responses are welcomed, today’s reality is that truckers in Indiana and Illinois still have to deal with the dilemma of insufficient and inadequate truck parking on the job.

Truckers are not finding things getting better for large truck parking. Some truck drivers are asking if the problem of parking shortages is even getting worse in this country, from lack of safe parking spaces to overcrowded truck stops. For more, read the recent Reddit discussion of truck drivers on this issue.

This seems like a simple matter, but it is a complex problem, where truck drivers, rig occupants, and others on our roads are all in danger of preventable accidents where people will be hurt in life-altering ways or killed in truck crashes involving a parked rig or a semi-truck driven by a tired trucker forced to keep driving because there is no place to park.

For more on truck crashes and the dangers of driving while fatigued, read:

Truck parking is a serious problem here in the Crossroads of America that deserves a fast solution. Truck crashes are often catastrophic or deadly to those involved. Please be careful out there!