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Trucking industry urges secure parking, warns ELDs strain drivers; DOT cites maintenance funding shortfalls
Summary
The New Mexico Trucking Association told lawmakers that the state lacks safe truck parking and that electronic logging devices (ELDs) can force drivers to keep moving, creating safety concerns; DOT officials said maintenance funding and right‑of‑way constraints complicate solutions and flagged federal grant opportunities.
Johnny Johnson, executive director of the New Mexico Trucking Association (NMTA), told the committee that truck parking is both a safety and revenue opportunity for the state. Johnson urged investment in secured, paved truck-parking 'supercenters' that would provide safe rest for drivers and generate ongoing parking revenue.
"If you put the asphalt there, they would pay to park," Johnson said, arguing that fenced, serviced truck parking would be safer than drivers sleeping on off-ramps and could create a revenue stream. NMTA provided a back‑of‑envelope cost cited in testimony of about $360,000 an acre to pave a site and referenced a $275,000,000 federal grant available for truck parking.
Industry witnesses also criticized current electronic logging devices (ELDs). "An ELD forces you to push," Johnny Johnson said, arguing that in some situations drivers took short power naps on the road to stay safe and that ELDs limit that flexibility. NMTA and carriers suggested re-examining ELD policy and enforcement practices to better reflect real-world safety needs.
NMDOT staff and the department secretary acknowledged truck parking is a long-standing priority and said the department has deployed ITS tools to notify drivers about available spaces. The secretary told the committee that maintenance of key corridors (I-40) remains a top priority and that building new truck-parking facilities may require easements and coordination with tribal governments.
Representatives also raised concerns about pavement damage from heavy freight and asked whether new truck parking would reduce wear. NMTA urged the committee to pursue federal grant opportunities and to coordinate siting with DOT and local governments.
No formal action was taken; DOT and NMTA agreed to continue coordinating on potential grant applications and location planning.
