New report says the lack of adequate parking for truck drivers causes widespread labor law violations
Truck driving is one of the most essential professions because we rely on truck drivers to transport goods to retailers nationwide. However, recent trucking news shows that, despite being necessary for the economy, the companies that employ these drivers often mistreat them. Now, a new report says that most truck drivers have to violate labor laws just to find parking.
The field of truck driving needs more support
There’s a ton of value in entering the field of truck driving. There can be job security, the drivers see parts of the county they may not have otherwise, and the pay is also good. However, recent trucking news shows that the industry needs more support in several ways. According to CDL Life, there is a significant lack of parking for truckers, causing them to work longer than allowed hours just to find a spot.
Luckily, the American Trucking Association (ATA) exists for people in the truck driving profession. Now, the organization has a new campaign to raise awareness of the lack of adequate parking for truckers. This campaign aims to convince lawmakers to approve funding for more usable parking areas for these big trucks.
So, how bad is the parking situation for truck drivers? The report says about 3.5 million people are in the truck driving profession. However, there are only about 313,000 parking spots to accommodate the vehicles. Sadly, this means about 70 percent of drivers are forced to go against the hours-of-service regulation to find a place to park.
The American Trucking Association had this to say, “A chronic, nationwide lack of truck parking is forcing America’s professional truck drivers into an untenable position—either violate federal hours-of-service regulations that mandate rest breaks at specific times, or park in unsafe and unauthorized locations.”
Naturally, hours of service regulations are put in place to ensure driver safety. The regulations include several guidelines. Among the most important is that a driver can only drive up to 11 hours. However, this much follow ten straight hours off duty. Of course, violating these regulations can result in various forms of punishment.
