Lawmakers, truckers tell House subcommittee to expand truck parking and restroom access to reduce fatigue and crashes

At a hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, witnesses and members urged Congress to expand safe truck parking and pass legislation guaranteeing restroom access for drivers, saying shortages contribute to hours-of-service violations and safety hazards.

The issue is central to the subcommittee’s work on surface transportation reauthorization because truck drivers’ ability to find safe places to rest affects compliance with federal hours-of-service rules and roadway safety for all motorists.

Louie Pugh, Executive Vice President of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, told the panel that parking shortfalls leave drivers with unsafe choices. "We're at a place in this country where there's 1 safe spot for every 11 trucks," Pugh said, adding that drivers often must choose between breaking hours rules or parking in hazardous locations. The shortage is an operational and public-safety problem, he said.

Representatives of small-business drivers made similar points. "A good night's rest for an American trucker is probably the number 1 thing we can do just for safety right off the get go," said Mr. Pew, a small-business trucker representative who testified alongside trade groups. Members and witnesses urged inclusion of the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act (H.R. 1659) in the reauthorization package; supporters said targeted federal grants would leverage state and private action to increase spaces.

Witnesses also pressed for passage of the Trucker Bathroom Access Act and related measures that would increase restroom access at shipping and receiving facilities. Supporters said restroom access and parking are closely related safety issues because drivers wind up delaying rest or breaking rules when they cannot reach basic facilities.

Witnesses and members stressed practical steps: direct federal funding for dedicated truck parking, incentives to reopen or repurpose rest areas, and stronger permitting or zoning guidance so warehouses and distribution centers include parking in new construction. Several members said the subcommittee should pair any funding increase with reporting requirements so states and localities track how dollars expand usable parking capacity.

The subcommittee made no formal votes in the hearing. Members said these issues will be considered as staff draft provisions for the multi-year surface transportation reauthorization bill.