Pennsylvania to Add 1,202 Truck Parking Spaces
State Launches Fast-Track Plan to Ease Shortages, Boost Highway Safety
Key Takeaways:
- Pennsylvania announced plans to add 1,202 truck parking spaces at 133 locations by the end of 2026 through a partnership among PennDOT, state police and the Turnpike Commission.
- Officials said the project aims to reduce driver fatigue and improve highway safety amid a nationwide shortage that leaves only one parking space for every 11 truck drivers.
- The new parking sites will be marked and listed on the state’s 511PA website and app, with additional expansions under evaluation across the Pennsylvania Turnpike system.
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Pennsylvania has unveiled an ambitious plan to add more than 1,200 truck parking spaces at 133 locations by the end of next year on state-owned land, weigh stations and highway interstate on-ramps.
Transportation Secretary a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation partnership Oct. 6 under Gov. Josh Shapiro’s direction to tackle the trucking problem with fast-track solutions.
“Truck parking is a nationwide issue, and with the high volume of freight traffic coming through Pennsylvania, the Shapiro administration knew that we needed to tackle this problem,” Carroll said.
PennDOT will add 1,202 new truck parking places through a joint project with the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
State Agencies Partner on Truck Parking Solutions
PennDOT staff and state police closely collaborated to find state-owned sites that could be turned quickly and cost-effectively into new truck parking areas.
“As a commercial driver license holder myself, I know how important this common-sense approach is to our economy and workforce,” Carroll said. “By adding these spots — and looking at ways to add even more — we’re giving truckers many more options to safely park and meet their rest requirements.”
PennDOT will add new designated truck parking on interstate on-ramps with no sight distance or safety concerns and at other highway right-of-way locations.
Pennsylvania officials will add 291 truck parking spaces to 13 weigh stations used for state police motor carrier safety enforcement. The state has nearly 40 weigh stations. Among the weigh stations earmarked for truck parking slots are key interstate corridors: I-79 (71 spaces), I-80 (32 spaces), I-81 (40 spaces), I-83 (40 spaces) and I-380 (84 spaces).
(Pennsylvania Department of Transportation)
“This initiative directly supports our mission to ensure motor carrier safety by reducing driver fatigue and improving the overall safety of our highways,” said Maj. Robert Krol, state police patrol bureau director. “Safe, designated parking is essential for commercial drivers, and this effort represents a significant step forward in protecting everyone who travels on Pennsylvania’s roads.”
The nation’s second-largest tolling facility, the Pennsylvania Turnpike is exploring ways to add as many as 600 truck parking spaces within its 560-mile system. New parking areas are being evaluated in locations such as emergency pull-offs, interchange on-ramps and service plaza on-ramps.
The turnpike’s key role as a freight route supporting regional logistics has contributed to a 15% increase in its commercial vehicle traffic compared with pre-pandemic levels.
“The trucking community is essential to our mission of supporting national commerce,” said Mark Compton, turnpike CEO. “We are dedicated to finding innovative solutions that address the increasing truck parking shortages along our system, and we take pride in collaborating with partners throughout the commonwealth to enhance driver safety and improve logistics efficiency.”
The Pennsylvania Turnpike has invested more than $30 million to expand truck parking at numerous service plazas, including Highspire, Lawn, New Stanton, North Somerset and Sideling Hill service plazas along I-76. It will also eye possible new parking areas as it converts to open road tolling and .
Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association Pushed for More Parking
Rebecca Oyler, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association, has been assisting with the project. She has spearheaded efforts to give truckers more and safer places to park and praised the state’s latest actions after on the issue.
“Truck drivers are essential to keeping our economy moving, goods on our shelves and food in our pantries — but they need safe places to stop and rest,” Oyler said. “With only one parking space for every 11 drivers on the road, too many truckers are forced to choose between breaking hours-of-service laws or stopping in unsafe locations.”
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She thanked PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission for their commitment to public safety and tackling this problem for truckers.
In December 2023, the State Transportation Commission formally adopted the Truck Parking Study, chaired by Oyler and developed by the Transportation Advisory Committee.
When the STC endorsed the truck parking recommendations, it directed PennDOT to act on the study’s suggestions to use existing rights-of-way and collaborate with state police and turnpike officials to build partnerships. PMTA played a central role in shaping that vision.
“Every new space added to our highway network means one more trucker who has a safe and secure place to stop tonight,” Oyler said.
Parking Sites to Be Listed on 511PA
PennDOT will install clearly marked, standardized truck parking signs at the new locations to help drivers locate safe, legal areas for resting.
As the new truck parking spaces open to the public, each site will be added to the state’s and mobile app under a new “Public Truck Parking” feature. The real-time parking information about space availability will enable truckers to find places to rest more easily.
