The road to better truck parking looks different from the driver’s seat
Truck parking is often framed as a capacity problem. Drivers know it’s more complicated than that.
Ask a transportation planner about truck parking and you might hear about capacity, utilization, hot spots, and investment needs.
Ask a truck driver, and you may hear something very different:
- Where can I stop before my clock runs out?
- Is there somewhere to wait for my delivery window?
- Will the lot be safe?
- Is there a restroom?
- And, most importantly, will there actually be a space when I get there?
That was the perspective Jia Yuan, a senior consultant at CPCS, brought to the recent conversation on Sirius XM’s On the Move with Dan Ronan, a program on the Road Dog Trucking Channel that focuses on the people who keep freight moving every day.
Drawing on CPCS’s work with states including Minnesota, Ohio, and Washington, Jia talked about what happens when technical analysis meets experience from behind the wheel.
The conversation centered on four questions that unpack a practical challenge:
- What can drivers tell us that data cannot?
- Why is adding spaces not enough?
- Who can help solve the problem?
- How do you get from a hot spot on a map to something drivers can use?
What can drivers tell us that data cannot?
Parking data can show where trucks stop and when facilities fill.
Drivers explain why: whether they need an overnight break, a place to stage before a delivery window, or a safe stop close to a destination. They can also tell us whether an available space is accessible, secure, and equipped with the services they need.
Those distinctions change what kind of investment will help.
As Jia explained:
“We go out into the field and talk to drivers so that we can bring that information back to decision-makers and make sure the solutions reflect their needs.”
For Jia, whose background is in urban planning, understanding the people behind the data is fundamental to good planning. CPCS pairs field visits and conversations with drivers and industry with its analysis so that a pattern on a map does not get mistaken for a complete account of the problem. Those firsthand insights provide critical context that lead to more practical, implementable solutions.
Why is adding spaces not enough?
A parking space is only valuable if drivers can access it safely and if it provides the amenities and services they need.
In Washington State, CPCS identified a site with plenty of room for trucks, but a field visit revealed it lacked the utility connections needed to support the services drivers require. It was a reminder that truck parking requires more than available land. Before a site can become a working facility, partners must resolve access, amenities, safety, development, maintenance, and driver needs.
“You cannot just say, ‘we have a big empty lot, so we can put trucks there’ and call it a truck parking facility. That is something we are informing the state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) about – what truck drivers actually need and how they can get to a satisfying product with the funding they have,” says Jia.
The same test applies to existing capacity. A space may be open but of little use if a driver cannot find it before reaching the end of their driving time. Reliable, timely truck parking information can help drivers use the spaces that are already available, alongside investments in new capacity where it is needed.
“It is not just a capacity question. It is also about whether truck drivers can actually find the existing spaces in time,” Jia adds.
Who can help solve the problem?
No one organization controls the entire journey from need to usable parking.
- Private operators provide about 80% of US truck parking spaces and bring expertise in development, customer demand, amenities, and operations.
- State DOTs control public facilities, highway operations, and many investment and information tools.
- Local governments shape land use, permitting, and the conditions for staging near freight destinations.
- Drivers know whether the result works in practice.
As Jia noted:
“When we look at the inventory data, 80% of truck parking spaces in the US are actually provided by the private sector. The biggest question is how do we mobilize the different players – the state DOT, the private sector, and the local agencies – to work together?”
CPCS brings those perspectives into the same conversation. The aim is to identify which partner can address each barrier, and where public and private efforts need to meet.
How do you get from a hot spot on a map to something drivers can use?
A common analytical approach can reveal distinct regional patterns. An analysis CPCS delivered for The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) identified multiple truck parking hot spots, including what the team calls ‘the logistics triangle,’ connecting Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton.
These findings helped ODOT consider where public investment is appropriate and where engagement with private truck stop operators could encourage additional capacity in the right locations.
CPCS helps partners translate truck parking needs into implementable solutions
CPCS helps state DOTs, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), local agencies, truck parking providers, and other industry partners translate truck parking needs into feasible, fundable, and operable solutions. Our team combines data analysis and field investigation with stakeholder engagement, site and policy evaluation, partnership development, funding readiness, and implementation planning.
The objective is practical: identify a place drivers can actually use, define a solution that public and private partners can realistically deliver, and establish a clear path from documented need to improvement on the ground.
“There is no silver-bullet solution. Each state and each region must figure out the best truck parking solution for itself,” says Jia.
About SiriusXM’s On The Move
On the Move is a program on SiriusXM’s Road Dog Trucking Radio that covers the latest developments affecting the trucking industry, from transportation policy and regulations to freight, logistics, and industry trends. Hosted by Dan Ronan, the show features conversations with industry leaders and experts who help keep drivers and transportation professionals informed.
Listen to Jia’s full interview:
Jia Yuan is a Senior Consultant as CPCS specializing in truck parking, urban planning, and transportation policy. She helps public and private sector clients develop practical, implementable solutions that improve freight mobility.
You may also like:
- CPCS delivers truck parking insights you can act on
- US truck parking enters its implementation era, and CPCS is helping lead the shift
- Where freight depends on trucks in the US and what it means for decarbonization
- The 2026 National Freight Strategic Plan raises the bar for freight planning across the United States
