ATRI Research Examines Commercial Driver Views On Critical Truck Parking Issues

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American Transportation Research Institute

Sep 21, 2015, 11:10 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) today released the results of its Commercial Driver Perspectives on Truck Parking survey, the first in a series of technical memoranda focused on critical truck parking issues. The survey collected information from truck drivers on the use of private versus public rest stops, preferred locations for reserved parking, and the value of reserved truck parking. More than 1,400 surveys were collected by ATRI.

ATRI's analysis of the survey data revealed several findings, including:

Nearly half of commercial vehicle drivers surveyed would refuse to pay for reserved parking;
Reservation parking systems near large metropolitan areas would have the highest utility; and
A disconnect exists between drivers' interest in parking reservation systems and their willingness to pay for parking reservations.

"Understanding the expectations of trucking companies and professional drivers is of critical importance to truck stop operators," said Lisa Mullings, President & CEO of NATSO, the association representing truck stops. "ATRI's analysis will provide important guidance to truck stops as they work to meet their customers' operational and safety needs."

ATRI's Managing Critical Truck Parking initiative was driven by the selection of truck parking as one of the top priority research topics for 2015 by ATRI's Research Advisory Committee. Subsequent tasks in the Managing Critical Truck Parking initiative include: synthesizing ATRI survey data with FHWA's newly released Jason's Law report; assessing truck parking supply and demand utilizing ATRI's extensive truck GPS database; and analyzing the impact of non-commercial vehicle use of truck parking spaces.

A copy of the Tech Memo is available from ATRI at www.atri-online.org.

ATRI is the trucking industry's 501(c)(3) not-for-profit research organization. It is engaged in critical research relating to freight transportation's essential role in maintaining a safe, secure and efficient transportation system.

SOURCE American Transportation Research Institute