Florida and Colorado Among States Expanding Public Truck Parking Spaces
Florida and Colorado plan to add hundreds of public truck parking spaces by the end of 2028. Florida will add 917 spaces along I-4 across four counties, while Colorado will build a new rest area near Pueblo on I-25 and add 50 spaces. Federal officials say the move aims to reduce dangerous roadside parking and address one of the most persistent challenges facing truck drivers.
Key Takeaways:
- ColoradoandFloridawill add hundreds of public truck parking spaces combined by the end of 2028.
- Florida will add 917 spaces along Interstate 4 in four counties. Colorado's 50 new truck parking spaces are part of a new public rest area project near Pueblo on I-25.
- Regarding the Florida project, FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs said the new spaces will reduce "dangerous roadside parking." He added that this "investment addresses one of the most persistent challenges truck drivers face today while enhancing safety and efficiency for freight movement in central Florida."
Deep Dive:
Colorado and Florida are among many states seeking to expand truck parking and improve technology to help commercial drivers find spaces, along withMinnesota、WashingtonandWisconsin。
According to the announcement, three projects in Florida located in Seminole and Volusia counties are already under construction, with completion expected by mid-2027. Two additional projects in Osceola and Orange counties will begin sometime next year.
Florida received$180 millionin INFRA grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation for its truck parking projects. According to the announcement, 95% of Florida's consumer goods are transported via I-4.
Amber Shipley, a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said in an email to Trucking Dive that the state's public rest area project will begin next fall and is expected to be completed in fall 2028.
While state and federal agencies work to addressthe national truck parking shortage, private companies are also expanding services for commercial drivers and providing more parking for truckers.
Take Love's Travel Stops, for example, which is undergoing a $700 millionfacility expansion and renovation plan. Love's spokesperson Caitlin Jensen said in an email to Trucking Dive that as of July 1, Love's has opened 10 new stores and completed renovations of 18 existing locations. The company's plan also includes opening seven more stores this year and renovating 30 additional sites.
Jensen said Love's has added 991 truck parking spaces to its national network so far this year, bringing its total available free truck parking spaces to 51,556. The company's expansion and renovation plan calls for adding 1,500 truck parking spaces to its network by 2026.