2211_TTJM_AllPages

JOB RESOURCES 

Treacherous Conditions: 

Preparation is the key to surviving 

the road in harsh winter weather 

Owning the wheel 

An Ounce of Prevention: 

Tires are one of the most 

important — and most — 

abused items on a truck 

Along for the Ride 

BAUMS AWAY! 

Driving with dogs creates 

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behind the 

Wheel 

thinking POSITIVE 

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WWW.THETRUCKERJOBS.COM THE TRUCKER JOBS MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2022 3


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WWW.THETRUCKERJOBS.COM THE TRUCKER JOBS MAGAZINE | MAY 2022 5

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JOB 

resources 

Treacherous 

conditions 

Preparation is the key to surviving the road in harsh winter weather 

BY CLIFF ABBOTT / CONTRIBUTING WRITER 

T 

By the time this edition of The Trucker 

Jobs Magazine makes it to the newsstands, 

winter will have already arrived in parts of 

North America. The further north and the 

higher in elevation you are, the more likely 

winter weather will be a part of the mix. 

Professional drivers should take the 

time to prepare their vehicles — and 

themselves — for what’s to come in the 

months ahead. Start with a thorough inspection 

of the truck, including stocking 

up with extra supplies. 

Tires need good traction any time 

of year, but this is especially important 

when snow and ice make it tougher to get 

a grip on the pavement. Even if a tire isn’t 

at replacement point, it might be wise to 

put a new tire in its place. Sometimes 

tires with less tread can be put on trailers 

for the remaining 32nds of tread depth, 

while the steering axle gets new rubber. 

Likewise, proper tire inflation is always 

important, but even more so in winter. 

Tires are designed to have a solid “footprint” 

at the right PSI (pound per square 

inch). Over- or under-inflated tires mean 

less tread is in contact with road surfaces. 

Wires are another inspection point. Any 

place a wire has been spliced or connected 

to anything is subject to corrosion. Salt and 

other chemicals used on roadways in icy 

weather, when churned into the air as road 

spray, have a way of getting into the tiniest 

crevices and causing corrosion that can 

shut down the circuit. Applying fresh electrical 

tape, liquid tape or a new connector 

could help ensure a problem-free winter. 

Carrying extra fluids can make a difference, 

too. Oil and coolant should always 

be carried, since sensors that detect low 

levels can shut down an engine. That’s not 

a good proposition when you’re parked 

(or stuck) and need heat. Extra windshield 

wash is a must, as winter road spray can 

quickly dry on windshields and windows, 

forming a layer of gunk that’s hard to see 

through. A small spray bottle and a short 

squeegee come in handy for giving the 

mirrors a quick cleaning. Heated mirrors 

dry water droplets, leaving anything 

mixed in as a residue on mirror surfaces. 

Every driver should have at least one 

spare fuel filter, along with the tools 

needed to change it. Most fuel retailers 

blend fuel for winter conditions, and 

trucks are equipped with return fuel lines 

that help keep the fuel in the tanks warm 

enough to prevent gelling. Still, every 

year you’ll see drivers stuck on the roadside 

with a truck that stopped running 

because of paraffin (gel) buildup in the 

fuel. When the fuel gels up, APUs and 

bunk heaters don’t work, either. Having 

a spare fuel filter, a gallon of fuel deicer 

and the tools — and knowledge — to 

change filters can literally save your life. 

Don’t forget chains. Some states require 

them during winter months, even if they 

aren’t needed. Many drivers feel that if the 

weather is bad enough to require the use of 

chains, they should park and wait it out. That 

can be a good strategy; however, chains 

may be needed to get through a mountain 

pass or even to get to the next safe parking 

space. Drivers traveling in areas prone 

to winter weather should carry chains, and 

should know how to put them on. 

Your truck’s winter supplies should in- 


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JOB 

resources 

Scan the code 

to visit 

thetruckerjobs.com 

to search for 

truck-driving jobs 

by state, driver type and more! 

clude products for the driver, too. Every winter there are 

stories of people stranded on highways that are closed due 

to extreme weather or weather-related accidents. A winter 

food kit should include high-protein products such as 

energy bars, jerky or canned tuna. Dehydration can be an 

unexpected problem in cold weather, because you exhale 

water vapor from your body with every breath. Carry a 

supply of bottled water in the truck, just in case. 

Getting used to the climate-controlled environment of a 

truck cab makes it easy for drivers to leave cold-weather 

clothing at home. In fact, many drivers get by with just sport 

shoes and a light jacket to walk back and forth between the 

truck stop and truck. A smarter strategy would be to prepare 

to be stranded, or at least to be outside for a few hours working 

around the truck. Pack a good cold-weather coat, along 

with a hat and gloves. Snow boots are a good idea, too — or 

at the very least, a pair of rubber boots that can be worn over 

street shoes. You should also carry a sleeping bag, too; it can 

provide enough warmth to save a live. 

Don’t forget mental preparation: It never hurts to review 

winter driving techniques, like reducing speed and allowing 

more following distance. Winter weather is sometimes easy 

to predict; either there is snow or ice, or there isn’t. Some dangerous 

conditions, however, aren’t as simple. A light rain or 

mist can turn into treacherous freezing rain with a drop of just 

a degree or two in temperature. Changing elevation, such as 

when going up a mountain, can take a driver through several 

different sets of driving conditions in a short period of time. 

Ice can be particularly dangerous. Ice forms on bridges 

and overpasses before it does on pavement, which is in 

contact with and pulls heat from the ground. Black ice 

has the deceptive appearance of a wet (not frozen) road. 

When in doubt, assume you’re traveling in the most dangerous 

road conditions, and act accordingly. 

Features on modern trucks make the driving job easier and 

can even save lives, but some of them can be deadly when 

used in the wrong conditions. Engine brakes, for example, 

take much of the anxiety out of descending steep grades. 

However, they can cause a rig to jackknife on a slippery surface. 

Engine brakes should be turned off, or at least a lower 

selection, when conditions are slippery. Cruise control can 

instruct the truck to accelerate at the worst possible time and 

should also be turned off when conditions are slippery. 

Advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) such as automatic 

braking and steering assist can also create problems in 

bad weather by applying brakes or adjusting steering when 

it’s the wrong thing to do because of surface conditions. Be 

aware of these tendencies. 

Winter presents a unique set of challenges to drivers 

and to the vehicles they pilot. Being prepared with extra 

supplies and warm weather gear, plus preparing mentally, 

will help you truck on through winter weather and make it 

safely to spring with a minimum of problems. 


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BEHIND 

the wheel 

thinking 

POSITIVE 

New York driver finds sense 

of family, brotherhood in 

trucking industry 

BY JOHN WORTHEN 

THE TRUCKER JOBS MAGAZINE STAFF 

For professional driver Richard Jones, building 

a successful career in trucking is all about attitude 

— a very positive attitude. 

Jones, who drives for NFI Industries, 

shrugs off many of the issues that make other 

truck drivers’ blood boil, such as four-wheeler 

traffic (the bane of many truckers’ existence), a lack of 

convenient and safe parking, and sometimes-lousy truck 

stop food. 

“You have to put things in perspective,” said the 

Brooklyn, New York, resident. 

“A lot of people are just not used to being around big 

rigs and don’t understand how we work,” he explained. 

“Or they are intimidated by the size of the rigs. I don’t 

think anything they do is intentional. Things happen. 

The sound, the size — it can be intimidating.” 

No matter what type of situation he faces while in 

traffic or working with shippers and receivers, Jones is 

as cool, calm and collected as they come. 

He’s also curious by nature, he says, sharing the 

events of the day he decided to become a truck driver. 

“I needed to kill some time one day, so I went into 

this trucking business to talk to them because I was curious,” 

he said. “They told me it was a good opportunity 

to see the country. So, I said I would take a chance, take 

a course and do that.” 

Jones did exactly that. At first, he says, he thought he 

could put his CDL in his back pocket to use one day as 

a “backup plan” for his career. 

But then he was bitten by the trucking bug. 

“(Going into it), I didn’t know I liked trucks — but I 

did. I liked working outside,” he said. “I just made the 

decision to go and pursue it. I met a lot of interesting 

people along the way who taught me a lot. I had a really 

great trainer that I liked.” 

After earning his CDL, Jones worked for Covenant 

Transport for 12 years as a long-haul driver. From there, 

he was hired by his current carrier, NFI, where he has 

driven for another dozen years. 

During his nearly two and a half decades behind the 

wheel, Jones says, he has seen a lot of changes in the 

trucking industry. While he met most of those changes 

with his usual cool, calm demeanor, Jones admits that 

transitioning from paper logs to electronic logging devices 

(ELDs) was not his favorite experience. 

“It was a challenge,” he said — but it was a challenge 

he met. 

As for other changes in equipment and technology, 

such as the increased use of automated transmissions in 


PHOTOS BY ROBBY RALSTON/THE TRUCKER MEDIA GROUP 

When Richard Jones, a driver for NFI 

Industries, earned his CDL, he initially 

planned for trucking to be a “fallback” 

plan for his career — but then he was 

bitten by the trucking bug. Earlier this 

year, Bobby Ralston (left in above 

photo), CEO of The Trucker Media 

Group, had a chance to ride along with 

Jones for a day. 

tractors, Jones says they don’t really bother him. 

“Stick shift versus automated” is a hotly debated topic 

among truck drivers, especially those who have been around 

a while. They prefer standard-shift transmissions every time. 

“I do prefer sticks, too,” Jones said. “But I have been getting 

used to the automatics, and they are very good.” 

Earlier this year, Bobby Ralston, CEO of The Trucker 

Media Group, had a chance to ride along with Jones and get to 

know the man behind the wheel of the big rig. 

“It was a great experience,” Ralston said. “I was impressed 

with how hard he worked. He is in great shape. He moved a 

pallet jack faster than anyone (else) could, and they had to 

stand out of his way.” 

Another thing about Jones that Ralston quickly noticed was 

that the NFI driver is well-liked and respected. 

“Everyone loves him,” Ralston said. “At every stop, everyone 

knew him, and they were excited to see him. It seemed to 

be the joy of their day when he arrived.” 

When asked about some of the the bigger issues facing truck 

drivers today, such as a lack of parking for big rigs, Jones 

said he has developed different techniques to handle various 

situations. 

“You try and get all the information you can if you are familiar 

with your route,” he said. “That is one thing. 

“But if you’re going to new places, you try and do some 

homework about those places,” he continued. “With all the 

technology now, you can see the place before you go. You 

need to figure out how you get in and out. You have to develop 

a plan.” 

Jones says he has run into many helpful people while out on 

the road, and he firmly believes that the brotherhood of trucking 

is still strong. 

He recalls a time when his truck was stuck in frigid 

weather, and he shared, he was in dire need of assistance. 

“I was in 25-below weather, and my truck froze up,” he 

said. “Someone came up, and they got out of their truck and 

took the time to help me. They saved me.” 

Another time, Jones says, he was lost in a cornfield in Nebraska 

and thought he’d never find a way out — and it was 

getting dark. Today, many years later, he laughs as he remembers 

the predicament. 

“Suddenly this voice came over the CB and said, ‘Honey, 

you lost?’ And I told them I was,” he said. “She told me where 

to go. It was so dark, and I couldn’t see. I was grateful to hear 

that voice out of nowhere.” 

When it comes to being successful, whether as a trucker or 

simply as a human being, Jones says it’s all about paying it 

forward. 

“I try to think that way,” he said. “We are a big group — a 

big family out here.” 

In addition to driving his regular route, Jones says he sometimes 

trains new drivers for NFI. He’s always careful to educate 

his trainees about the “certain decorum” that the carriers’ drivers 

are expected to have — safe, professional and courteous. 

When it comes down to the bottom line, he says, it’s all 

about following the rules, being considerate and maintaining 

the tradition of helping others when you can. 

When asked what advice he has for newer drivers, he shared 

the following: 

“Monitor your surroundings, and as you get more years under 

your belt, you will notice more hazards,” he said. 

“Just be a professional. You have to carry yourself accordingly. 

And you have to keep your mind open as far as learning 

things. It makes everything better,” he continued 

“Attitude is everything. It makes you a better driver. It 

makes your job easier,” he concluded. 


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OWNING 

the wheel 

an ounce of 

PREVENTION 

Tires are one of the most important — and most — abused items on a truck 

BY CLIFF ABBOTT / CONTRIBUTING WRITER 

Modern trucks are equipped with features that truckers several 

decades ago couldn’t even dream about. They are incredibly complex 

machines. Yet, there is one feature of every truck that is pretty 

simple. It’s also one of the most neglected. 

That vital component is the tires. 

If there’s an example in trucking of a product that has gotten so 

good that it’s taken for granted, it’s tires. The days of dangerous split 

rims, tubes and frequent maintenance are long gone. Today, tires are 

almost an install-and-forget item, providing 100,000 miles or more 

of flawless service without a problem. 

Tires aren’t, however, infallible. Tires can suffer damage from 

improper inflation, road hazards, overload and other conditions — 

and they can fail spectacularly, often at the most inopportune moments. 

A steer tire blowout can cause immediate loss of control and 

result in a catastrophic accident. That’s a worst-case scenario, but a 

failed tire can easily cost a truck owner both hours and dollars in an 

industry when both are at a premium. 

Good drivers know that a small amount of care can help keep 

tires faithfully performing their job longer. 

It starts with selecting the right tires for the job. 

Discounted, off-brand tires may save money at purchase time, but 

they could end up costing much more because of problems down 

the road. Drivers are often dismayed to notice uneven wear or even 

tread damage to tires that aren’t very old. In many cases, uneven 

wear can be caused by improper inflation or by wheels that are out 

of alignment. 

Cheap tires, however, are sometimes made with inferior rubber 

and other materials, or they can be improperly molded — including 

out-of-round or other imbalance conditions — right from the 

assembly line. 

One way to save money on new tires is to ask about “blems.” 

These are blemished tires that might have some cosmetic damage 

but are otherwise just as sound as unblemished versions. Blems can 

often be mounted so that the blemish can’t be seen without crawling 

under the truck, and they provide the benefits of quality tires at 

a reduced cost. 

Retreaded tires are another option, and some drivers have great 

success with them. Unfortunately, while some retread companies 

are reputable and reject damaged carcasses, there are a few that will 

retread just about anything. Inspect retreaded tires carefully, including 

a look inside for patches or hidden damage. 

Occasionally, it may be necessary to purchase a used tire to replace 

one that is too damaged to repair. If the used tire is to be paired 

with a tire already on the vehicle, the tread depth and diameter of 

the two tires should match. If they don’t, one tire may take on more 

weight than the other. 

When purchasing a new truck, wide-base tires may be an option 

for the drive axles. These tires have evolved from the “super-sin- 

18 THE TRUCKER JOBS MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2022 WWW.THETRUCKERJOBS.COM 


gle” versions that were tested back in the ’90s. They’ve come a 

long way, providing more traction and longer life expectancy than 

their predecessors. Wide-base tires save weight — and therefore, 

fuel — and because of this, they are popular choices. A potential 

downside is that when one goes flat, there isn’t another tire next to 

it to absorb the load. A flat tire will put your truck on the side of the 

road until help arrives. 

It’s the driver’s responsibility to make sure the truck’s tires are 

inspected regularly, and that includes air pressure in the tire. A 

whack with a “tire thumper,” a hammer or even a flat hand can 

indicate that a tire is flat or dangerously low on air, but only an airpressure 

gauge can detect smaller discrepancies. 

In some cases, an inflation pressure that is only a few PSI 

(pound per square inch) off can cause damage. In the case of steer 

tires, differing air pressures can cause the truck to pull to one side 

or the other. In cases where tandem tires are used, low air pressure 

in one tire can cause the tire beside it to absorb more of the 

weight that should be split evenly between them, increasing heat 

buildup and possibly overloading the tire. In any case, too little or 

too much air pressure can cause uneven tread wear, reducing the 

tire’s useful life. 

Every driver should carry a tire gauge. In addition, a handy device 

to have on hand is an air hose that will connect to the tractor’s 

emergency brake like. By pushing in the tractor protection valve, 

leaving the red trailer valve engaged, the air line is charged with 

enough pressure to air up a truck tire. Without an air hose, the 

driver must hope the truck makes it to the nearest truck stop and 

that there is an accessible air hose to use. 

Tires should be thoroughly inspected, including both the sides 

and the tread, during every pre or post-trip inspection. Foreign objects 

lodged in the tread can work their way through steel belts 

and into the tire’s air chamber, causing problems later. Often, objects 

such as screws and nails can be pulled out of the tread before 

they break through. Even when objects penetrate deeply enough to 

cause an air leak, the sooner they are removed the better. The longer 

they remain, the more damage they can do, potentially creating 

holes that are too large to repair. 

Holes, cuts and tears in tire sidewalls can’t be repaired, so it’s 

very important to inspect them regularly. Even on the brightest 

day, a flashlight may be necessary to get a good look between tandem 

tires or to view the inward side of tires. If damage is found, 

the tire must be replaced. Bulges or bubbles in the sidewall indicate 

a problem with an inner layer of the tire, allowing air to push 

out the sidewall. These should be looked at quickly. These bulges 

will only get worse if left alone — and they will eventually result 

in a blowout. 

Additional, quick inspections should be done whenever the 

truck is stopped. Checking each tire’s air pressure more than once 

a day is not necessary unless a problem is detected. A walkaround 

and visual inspection, however, can help identify recent damage 

and prevent a bigger problem later. Some drivers make a habit 

of walking down one side of their truck on the way to the truck 

stop’s restaurant or restroom and then checking the other side on 

the walk back. 

Tires are one of the most abused items on a truck. Take care of 

yours — and they’ll take care of you. 

The Trucker Media Group is 

looking for a multi-media 

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RIG 

of the month 

INTERVIEW BY LINDA GARNER-BUNCH / PHOTOS COURTESY OF KATE WHITING 

You probably won’t see this truck trundling down the highway hauling 

a load — but you just might spot it at a truck show or a parade. Kate 

Whiting, driver and owner of KW Pony Express LLC, shows off this 

1973 Kenworth W900A at events throughout the year. At shows, she 

blasts the band Warrant’s 1990s anthem “Cherry Pie.” The truck is 

named after the song because of its cherry-red paint job, and Whiting 

always has a pie dish filled with red candies to hand out. She became 

a driver after attending her first truck show in 2014, where she was 

impressed by the relationships that formed between drivers and their 

trucks. Whiting developed a fondness for the Kenworth A models. One 

day, when driving some back roads, she spotted one. She stopped to 

talk to the owner and spent the next year “bugging” him to sell it. In 

2016 she got her wish, and she bought the truck that became Cherry 

Pie. Overall, Whiting says, Cherry Pie was in good mechanical shape, 

and after some scrubbing and brushing, she found the vibrant red and 

cream finish. Her son pointed out that it “looked just like cherry pie.” 



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along for 

the ride 

Baums 

AWAY! 

Driving with dogs creates 

a happy family for this 

trucking couple 

BY DWAIN HEBDA / CONTRIBUTING WRITER 

When it comes to love of the open road, Larry 

and Angie Baum are in rare company. The 

Illinois-based couple, who drive for Landstar 

and have about 3 million miles under their 

belts, are so in love with driving that they’ve 

taken the life-altering step of living in their 

rig with their pups — Gizmo, Bandit and Nova. 

“Used to be, we’d be out for two or three months, go 

home for a week; out two or three months, go home for a 

week,” Larry said. “But now, we have the Volvo 180 super 

sleeper that has all the amenities — toilet, shower, stove, 

sink, a big refrigerator. So, we are selling our house and 

living on the road.” 

For Angie, it’s all part of the adventure. 

“I’ve done so many firsts with him since we’ve been driving,” 

she said. “To see all the landscapes and wake up every 

day to a new city is so cool. We just love it!” 

These niceties aside, there’s an awful lot in Larry and 

Angie’s backstory that suggests the two never would have 

wound up together, much less live the life of a driving team. 

Larry spent his youth catching waves in Southern California. 

The loss of his first wife so upended his world that 

he went into a downward spiral that eventually cost him his 

job, home and a relationship with his daughter. In time, he 

finally started to come around, but he had no idea what the 

future held. 

“I was on unemployment,” he recalled. “Went to one of 

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LARRY AND ANGIE BAUM 

For Illinois-based team drivers Larry and Angie Baum, 

life on the road is three times better with their canine 

companions, Gizmo, Bandit and Nova. The couple, who 

drive for Landstar, say they now live on the road full-time. 

30 THE TRUCKER JOBS MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2022 WWW.THETRUCKERJOBS.COM 


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along for 

the ride 

those classes that they had on unemployment and they’re 

like, ‘What do you like to do?’ I said, ‘I like to do masonry, 

plumbing, carpentry, construction and I like to drive.’ 

They go, ‘You like to drive? Here, call this number.’” 

He called the number, reported to the address he was 

given — a Rite Aid distribution center contracted to Swift 

Transportation — and asked if they were, in fact, hiring. 

In the retelling of the story, he stops and chuckles at how 

green he was. 

“They go, ‘How long have you had your license?’ I 

said, ‘Since I was 16, like everybody else,’” he said with 

a laugh. 

“They go, ‘I mean, how long have you had your trucker’s 

license?’ I’m like, ‘You need a special license to be a 

trucker?’” he continued. “The guy just shook his head and 

said, ‘Here, call this number — and if you get your CDL, 

give me a call.’” 

In short, Larry did go on to earn his CDL and began a 

career as a professional driver. 

Angie, on the other hand, grew up in Springfield, Illinois. 

She was well into a career in office work and was 

busy raising two girls of her own when she and Larry 

crossed paths. 

“I met Larry about eight and a half years ago,” she said. 

“I’d always told my friends, ‘There’s no way I’m ever going 

to date a trucker,’ given their lifestyle. And, of course, 

the one guy I fall for is a trucker. About a year later we 

were married.” 

The wedding meant more than just a change of marital 

status for Angie. 

“We were sick of being apart because he would be gone 

for weeks at a time, and I’m like, ‘This is no fun!’” she 

said. “One day his boss was like, ‘You guys, your kids are 

all grown. Why doesn’t Angie get her CDL?’ Larry was 

my driving trainer and that’s how I got my license.” 

The road hasn’t always been smooth, but the couple has 

learned how to pick their battles and navigate life as a both 

a couple and a driving team. That’s partially what led them 

to add a pet to the mix. 

Like a lot of drivers who travel with pets, the road to 

the couple’s family expanding to include three dogs started 

with one. Gizmo, a Shih Tzu-Pomeranian mix who joined 

the family three and a half years ago. It was Angie’s idea. 

“I just missed having a pet, because I always had a pet 

at home. I’m like, ‘Let’s get a puppy,’” she said. “Then we 

both fell in love with Gizmo. Gizmo’s the one we always 

say is our comedian. He’s so funny, and he just blended in 

so well with the truck.” 

They loved the first pup so much that the decision was 

made to get Bandit, a second “Shih Pom” from the same 

mother. In the time since, the two pups have staked their 

respective claims to their owners. 

“Gizmo has pretty much been Larry’s dog,” Angie said. 

“Bandit’s been mine since Day 1.” 

A little more than a month ago, the couple decided to really 

shake up the pack by indulging Larry’s lifelong dream 

of owning a Siberian Husky. Any doubts the pair had about 

adding a large dog to the confines of a semi — even one 

with an expanded sleeper — were quieted upon meeting 

Nova. 

“When we knew we were getting this truck, just out of 

the blue I told Angie, ‘You know what? Since we’re getting 

a bigger truck, maybe I could get my dog,’” he said. 

“She started researching, and she started showing me pictures 

of Huskies. When Nova came across the screen, I’m 

like, ‘Oh my God! She’s perfect. I want her!’” 

It was a match made in heaven. 

“When we first went to get her and the breeder put her 

in my arms, she just melted and was so calm, so relaxed — 

she was like a baby,” Larry said. “She almost fell asleep in 

my arms. I went, ‘Yes, this is it. This is the one.’ She’s been 

perfect ever since.” 

Contrary to what one might think about owning that 

many dogs, especially on the road, Larry and Angie say the 

stress of life behind the wheel has actually reduced with 

the three companions on board. From inspiring the couple 

to get out and exercise more regularly to helping them unwind 

after a hard shift, the dogs have made life better. 

“It’s a stressful job being out on the road,” Larry said. 

“There’s a lot of stress out there. When I shut down and I 

climb into bed, the boys climb in with me, and we snuggle. 

They just totally calm me down.” 

Angie says she also loves having the trio of four-legged 

friends on board. 

“When I’m driving in daytime, I usually (drive through) 

construction and all the accidents throughout the day,” Angie 

said. “Gizmo, especially, can sense when I’m getting 

anxious. As soon as he starts feeling me getting tense, he 

comes up right next to the driver’s side, and he’ll just sit 

there. He doesn’t do anything, but it’s kind of like his way 

of saying, ‘It’s OK, Mom.’ Then I’ll sit there and pet him. 

They really are huge stress relievers.” 


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NATIONAL 

FOCUS 

circling 

the lot? 

Federal agencies promise to prioritize 

safe, secure parking for big rigs 

THE TRUCKER JOBS MAGAZINE STAFF 

There are only 313,000 truck parking spaces in the U.S. Contrast 

that with the almost 3.5 million truck drivers who haul America’s 

goods from ports and warehouses to stores for consumers. According 

to data from the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA), there 

is just one truck parking space for every 11 drivers. As such, truck 

parking is often listed as one of the top issues facing truckers today. 

In late September, the U.S. Department of Transportation (US- 

DOT) convened state, industry and federal leaders at a meeting of the 

National Coalition of Truck Parking to share resources available in 

the President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address the 

nation’s truck parking shortage. USDOT officials say the issue “puts 

all road users at risk and is costing truck drivers time and money.” 

At the meeting, USDOT shared a new handbook for states that details 

strategies for developing truck parking, along with best practices on designing 

and constructing new truck parking. Officials also discussed the 

new and expanded funding resources that are available for truck parking 

projects to make the nation’s freight system safer and more efficient. 

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he has heard directly 

from truck drivers and industry partners that the availability of truck 

parking is a top concern for drivers. 

“It costs them time and money — not to mention making our 

roads less safe and weakening our supply chains,” Buttigieg said. 

“We’re using funds from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure 

Law to help address truck parking shortages, and we’re working 

with state and industry leaders to develop more parking that will 

improve safety and quality of life for our nation’s truck drivers.” 

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) and Owner-Operator 

Independent Drivers Association wrote a joint letter to USDOT 

earlier this year citing that 98% percent of drivers report problems 

finding safe parking, costing drivers more than 56 minutes of 

drive-time to find parking. That wasted time is estimated to cause 

a $5,500 loss in annual compensation — roughly a 12% pay cut. 

In October, for the first time ever, the USDOT announced significant 

investments to expand the nation’s truck parking capacity 

on the interstate system through the Nationally Significant Multimodal 

Freight and Highway Projects program. 

These first-of-their-kind investments include $15 million 

to add approximately 120 new truck parking spaces along 

the Interstate 4 corridor in Florida between Tampa and Orlando, 

and a $22.6 million investment to add approximately 

125 spaces along Interstate 40 east of Nashville, Tennessee. 

USDOT officials say the projects will improve safety and freight 

operations, and make freight transportation more sustainable. 

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) 

also awarded $1.4 million in grant funding to Montana and Kentucky 

to improve truck parking through its High Priority Innovative 

Technology Deployment grants. 

“One of the leading causes of truck crashes is driver fatigue. It 

is clear that adequate rest for drivers is foundational for safe operations. 

We have heard loud and clear from drivers — they need 

more places to rest, and they need to be safe and secure while doing 

so,” said FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson. 

“We are proactively working at the local and regional level to 

point to the numerous resources across USDOT for truck parking 

construction, expansion, and technology solutions, and we will 

continue to work collaboratively with agencies within USDOT and 

with all of our partners in the industry,” she said. 

USDOT has also updated guidance on the sources of federal 

funding that are eligible for states interested in making further 

investments in truck parking. States and other government entities 

can apply for grants or prioritize formula funding for capacity 

projects from over $47.4 billion in eight programs. 

“Truck parking is a safety issue — both for truck drivers and all 

other road users, which is why FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) 

has updated our guidance to ensure there is no question about 

eligibility for truck parking projects in new formula and discretionary 

grant programs authorized under the Bipartisan Infrastructure 

Law,” said FHWA Acting Administrator Stephanie Pollack. 

“This new information will help states, localities and other eligible 

entities identify eligible formula funding sources and apply for discretionary 

grants to fund truck parking projects that not only support the 

increased demand for truck deliveries and strengthen our supply chains, 

but also provide safe truck parking, which is critical to protect the truck 

drivers we rely on, as well as the traveling public,” she concluded. 

36 THE TRUCKER JOBS MAGAZINE | | NOVEMBER 2022 WWW.THETRUCKERJOBS.COM


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