Pennsylvania expanding parking options for trucks
In most recent estimates, there's only one parking spot for every 11 truck drivers out there. But Pennsylvania has a fix on the way, for the first time in decades.
PennDOT said designated truck parking spots will be added at weigh stations used for state police safety enforcement and along some interstate on-ramps, as long as there are no sight distance or safety concerns.
It's a welcome change for truck drivers who say their big rigs have little opportunity to park somewhere safe.
"Parking is horrible," said truck driver Ann Heffron. "You've got trucks that are just parked on the side of the road right here and it's just like, you're full. Every place is full."
"You have a lot of guys parked all night long on the side of the road," said truck driver Robert Ascolese. "It's got to cause accidents. I know it causes truck damage." He also mentioned the subsequent tickets that sometimes happen when truck drivers pull over in places they're not supposed to.
New truck parking on the way
PennDOT said by the end of 2026, more than 1,200 designated truck parking spots will be added in 133 locations in the state. But will that be enough?
"Honestly, we're catching up here a bit in Pennsylvania. This is the first time that we've tackled it in an aggressive way in literally decades," said PennDOT spokesperson Erin Waters-Trasatt.
PennDOT and Pennsylvania State Police collaborated to find the sites. They say all of them are quick, cost-effective and don't require constructing facilities.
"We did focus on everywhere that we could, on making spots available where they need them the most as well," said Waters-Trasatt.
To truck drivers, more parking helps them follow federal restrictions to reduce driver fatigue.
"No state has adequate parking facilities to equal the requirements of the laws for the truck drivers to be off the road for certain hours," Ascolese said.
In western Pennsylvania, there will be more stops in Mercer, Butler and Allegheny counties.
"You're doing a great job trying to expand, but it needs to be bigger," Heffron said. "You're trying to catch up to us now, but 2026, we're going to have more, so we're going to need more."
It's part of an ongoing mission that PennDOT said isn't over. There'll be a new public truck parking option on 511PA.com that will show the newly designated truck parking spots.