ATA Applauds House Appropriations for Approving Pro-Trucking Policies

The House's FY27 Transportation Appropriations bill includes $200 million for truck parking and other industry priorities

Washington - The American Trucking Associations applauded the inclusion of numerous provisions to support truckers and strengthen the supply chain in the fiscal year 2027 transportation funding package that was passed by the House Appropriations Committee last night.

Notably, under the leadership of Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Steve Womack (R-AR), the bill includes a $200 million line item for truck parking expansion projects. This investment builds on the $200 million in dedicated truck parking funding that Chairman Womack secured earlier this year.

"The legislation approved by the House Appropriations Committee represents a meaningful step toward addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing our industry," said ATA President & CEO Chris Spear. "By advancing commonsense policies that strengthen safety, combat cargo theft and fraud, and support enforcement, this bill reflects a growing recognition in Washington that a strong trucking industry is essential to our economy and a resilient supply chain."

"ATA would also like to thank House Appropriators for prioritizing a significant investment to alleviate the severe shortage of truck parking, which is a persistent safety concern for drivers," Spear continued. "We are especially appreciative of the decisive leadership of Congressman Womack for ensuring this funding was incorporated in the final bill."

According to a USDOT study, 98% of truck drivers regularly experience problems locating safe parking. An analysis by the American Transportation Research Institute found that the average driver sacrifices 56 minutes of drive time per day. This results in $6,813 in lost wages for truck drivers each year.

In addition to the $200 million for truck parking, the appropriations package addresses a number of other trucking industry priorities for which ATA advocated and supported, including:

• Directing USDOT to provide a report and develop a strategy to respond to cargo theft.
• Requiring a study on the effects of congestion pricing
• Urging FMCSA to fill safety-critical vacancies to conduct timely inspections, investigations, enforcement actions, and oversight activities;
• Incorporating provisions of the Stop Scamming Truckers Act that would protect the trucking industry from fraudsters masquerading as government agencies;
• Studying the issue of predatory towing and providing recommendations to protect the public;
• Requiring NHTSA to assess the feasibility of available technology to detect cannabis impairment;
• Urging NHTSA to consider the merits of creating an interagency Impaired Driving Task Force or other partnerships to increase cross-agency collaboration among federal, state, and local levels;
• Authorizing $3 million to study alternatives to GPS, which is important to national security resiliency and can ensure that existing systems that are important to trucking are not disrupted;
• Permitting stopped CMVs to use light-based warning devices in lieu of traditional triangle devices that must be manually placed;
• Directing DOT to review existing inspection requirements and determine what additional standards may be needed to ensure the safety of AV trucks;
• Encouraging FMCSA to engage with state transportation departments to implement anti-human trafficking awareness and prevention programs for CMV operators;
• Preempting disruptive state laws pertaining to meal and rest breaks.