Port official warns Virginia faces a truck‑parking shortfall; calls for public‑private solutions

Chris Gullickson told the committee that truck parking is a growing problem for the Commonwealth and for localities along the I‑95 freight corridor. “Right now, we're at a deficit of almost 3,300 truck parking spots here in Virginia per vDOT, and they forecast that they're gonna need another, 5,400 spots by, 2045,” he said.

Gullickson said 73% of truck parking demand is concentrated on I‑81 and I‑95 and that the shortage is a safety concern because drivers must stop when hours of service expire. He described federal, state and private funding options and pointed to peer exchanges where Florida and other states have used public‑private partnerships, rest‑area redesign and commercial truck‑parking offerings to mitigate shortages.

Caroline County staff and committee members discussed land‑use tradeoffs: local opposition to truck stops, buffer and service requirements, and potential revenue (meals and fuel taxes) that larger truck stops can generate for rural localities. The committee said it will consider how Smart Scale and corridor studies could be used to target parking investments and mitigate conflicts with residential areas.