A recent survey from CloudTrucks has unveiled just how much the trucking industry’s parking crisis is overlooked by those outside of it. The results are startling – a majority of Americans (56%) surveyed remain unaware that this issue even exists.
Participants were educated on the parking crisis midway through the survey. When asked “How serious a problem do you think the lack of trucker parking is for the transportation industry?” 86% agreed the issue was critical or significant. Only 10% claimed the truck parking situation was minor or not a problem.
Once aware of the issue, 90% of those surveyed believed it necessary to increase public awareness of the truck parking crisis. Gaining this knowledge, however, did not seem to change the “not in my backyard” mindset.
While 95% of participants support the construction of more overnight truck parking 80% said they would only support such facilities if they were located at least 3 miles from their homes.
Despite serious safety risks, most truckers keep driving while drowsy due to delivery deadlines. Surprisingly, only one in five respondents made the link between limited truck parking and the danger of driver fatigue on our roads. More than three-quarters attributed it instead to commercial pressure from employers.
“America’s truck parking shortage is dangerous for drivers and the public and costly for the broader transportation and logistics industry,” Tobenna Arodiogbu, cofounder and CEO of CloudTrucks, said in a statement. “As these survey results indicate, when Americans are educated about the gravity of the problem, they want to see action.”
Survey respondents overwhelmingly called on governments to make greater investments in truck parking infrastructure such as rest areas and truck stops. More than two-thirds responded that increased funding is needed, demonstrating a strong consensus among participants regarding the importance of this issue.
Survey results suggest that the majority of respondents want an increase in federal funding when it comes to truck parking. Forty percent felt state governments should take up some responsibility, while only one-fourth supported local government involvement with more money devoted to this issue.
Truckers are viewed in a positive light, according to survey results. Despite the favorable outlook, more than 80% of respondents think these drivers are stretched too thin and half believe they don’t make enough money for their work – highlighting an issue that desperately needs solving. On the bright side, truckers were seen as safer on the roads compared to other motorists by over 50 percent of Americans surveyed.
Check out the study in its entirety HERE.
Source: Land Line
