Dear Senators Lummis, Boozman, Tester, and Kelly
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our support for S. 1034, the “Truck Parking Safety Improvements Act,” which would improve highway safety by addressing the shortage of parking for commercial motor vehicles on the Federal-aid highway system.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, 98% of truck drivers regularly experience difficulty finding safe parking—a sharp uptick from the 75 percent figure reported just four years ago, and these shortages exist in every State and region of the country. The lack of available parking for these truckers impacts public safety because without safe, authorized parking spaces, truckers are forced to either park in unsafe or illegal locations or ignore Federal hours-of-service regulations. This creates safety risks for truckers and other motorists. As law enforcement officers with the responsibility to keep our roads safe for all drivers, we know that increasing the availability of designated legal parking for commercial vehicles is very important to public and highway safety.
This legislation addresses the issue by authorizing $755 million over three years to fund a competitive grant program to expand commercial truck parking capacity across the United States and improve existing facilities. The program will provide safe parking spaces for our nation’s truckers, better protect our nation’s supply chain, and improve the safety of every American on our roads and highways.
On behalf of the more than 373,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I thank you all for your leadership and look forward to working with you and your staff on this issue. If I can provide any additional information in support of this legislation, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President
cc: Tina Trimble, President, Wyoming State Lodge
Kevin “Bart” Simpson, President, Arkansas State Lodge
Paul Sheldon, President, Arizona State Lodge