Truck Parking and Rest Areas

Oct. 22, 2025, 5:32 a.m.
Truck parking and rest areas in Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC)’s purview, including current conditions, challenges, and key initiatives for the trucking industry in Kentucky.
Truck Parking and Rest Areas

Current Situation

Supply vs. Demand

  • On an average weekday night, about 9,000 trucks in Kentucky are parked for 4 or more hours.  

  • The state (in a recent study) counted 7,196–7,550 truck parking spaces statewide.  

  • Private sector truck stops supply around 82% of the parking spots; the rest (~18%) come from KYTC rest areas and weigh stations.  

  • Some corridors (for example, the Interstate 71/Interstate 75 in Boone County) show severe unmet demand for truck parking. 

Key Facilities & Upgrades

  • KYTC offers a “Truck Parking” section on its website that outlines major findings and an “Action Plan” for expansion/upgrades.  

  • A significant technology initiative: Truck Parking Information Management System (TPIMS) is being implemented to display real-time parking availability for truck drivers along major corridors (I-65, I-71, I-75). 

  • Example project: Expansion of truck parking at rest areas and weigh stations on I-71/I-75 in Boone County to address overflow and safety issues. 

 Why It Matters

  • Driver Hours of Service (HOS) constraints: Truck drivers must stop after a certain number of hours, which makes having available parking critical for compliance and safety.  

  • Safety and unauthorized parking: When official parking is full, trucks may park on ramps, shoulders or undesignated areas — creating hazards. 

  • Freight/logistics growth: With increased tonnage and demand in trucking, particularly through Kentucky’s interstate corridors, pressure on parking infrastructure is growing.  

 Challenges & Gaps

  • Many rest area facilities lack sufficient amenities for truck drivers (e.g., enough spaces, restrooms, lighting). For example, KYTC’s study noted lighting and trash receptacles as “essential baseline amenities”.  

  • Geographic clustering: Demand is not uniform; certain corridors have much higher unmet demand. For example, I-75 near the Tennessee border and I-24 in West Kentucky.  

  • Limited right-of-way and funding constraints make expansion difficult — especially near urban zones or where residential land use abuts existing sites.   

  • Real-time visibility: Without good information on parking availability, drivers may spend unnecessary time hunting for a spot, increasing fatigue and inefficiencies.

 KYTC Action Plan Highlights

  • Conducted the 2022 Truck Parking Assessment & Action Plan to map supply/demand, identify key locations for new/expanded parking. 

  • Leverage existing right-of-way (e.g., rest area expansions) for low-cost, high-impact parking additions. 

  • Deploy dynamic signage and data feeds (via TPIMS) to inform drivers of available parking spaces ahead of exits.  

  • Prioritize high-demand “clusters” (interchange areas) for expansion or improvement.  

 What Truck Drivers & Carriers Should Know

  • On Wednesday nights, parking demand tends to peak in Kentucky. Planning ahead for that can help.  

  • Use tools (like TPIMS where available) or apps/dispatch coordination to know parking availability before committing to a stop.

  • If a rest area or weigh station is full, avoid pulling off on ramps/shoulders — this is both unsafe and may lead to enforcement issues.

  • Consider alternative parking sooner rather than later: arriving early may secure a legal spot and avoid HOS violations.

  • Monitor KYTC announcements: rest areas may undergo closures or renovations (e.g., the I-75 rest area in Scott County underwent a building closure while truck parking remained open).