Home Depot warns Congress of port congestion, truck parking shortage and EV truck challenges

Sarah Galitza, vice president of transportation at The Home Depot, testified to the House committee on how infrastructure problems affect retail supply chains and customers.

Galitza described Home Depot's national operations—more than 2,000 U.S. stores and a carrier network spanning ocean carriers, trucking and rail—and said port congestion and labor disruptions create costly bottlenecks. She recommended targeted modernization and operational investments at ports and in intermodal connections to move goods faster and reduce delays.

On trucking, Galitza told the committee truck parking shortages are a growing national safety and operational problem that raises costs and theft risk. She urged Congress to fund truck parking and consider national- or regional-level technology that would let drivers find and reserve safe parking spots, pointing to studies showing drivers regularly spend significant time searching for parking.

Galitza also cautioned that large battery-electric heavy trucks pose practical challenges today: higher purchase prices, charging infrastructure needs and added weight that can reduce cargo capacity. She said Home Depot supports lower-emission freight over time but urged realistic timelines and grid upgrades before a rapid diesel-to-electric mandate for long‑haul freight is imposed.

Galitza described Home Depot's disaster logistics practice—command centers that pre-stage supplies, coordinate with carriers, and work with state and local officials to identify passable routes—and urged clearer, consistent state and interstate rules on emergency weight and Hours-of-Service adjustments to speed disaster response.