CHAPTER 2

TPIMS Information Review

Gathering and reviewing literature and other information was an early effort undertaken by the research team. It synthesized relevant information on TPIMS research, planning, and deployments that have been done in the United States and internationally, where literature was available. Various resources were used to gather this data, including domestic and foreign literature, research findings, and other sources that included published and unpublished reports. The purpose of this review was to document the comprehensive history of TPIMS and structure these findings as a reference for agencies looking to embark on a TPIMS deployment.

This section includes material on the issue of truck parking capacity, though the subject of interest is truck parking availability. This was intentional, as many research findings that relate to truck parking capacity also influenced the motivations and considerations for TPIMS. For example, TPIMS could assist truck drivers based on their motivations and needs for parking

The literature review is organized into four areas:

• Research on TPIMS. This focused on topic areas including research on estimating or monitoring parking availability, research on modeling travel and parking behavior when TPIMS is present, and other relevant research that could impact TPIMS operations, such as oversize/overweight (OSOW) vehicle use and policy options for incentivizing parking options over alternatives. The purpose of this section is to inform core research aspects of TPIMS.
• Research on truck parking preferences. This focused on research related to trucker parking preferences, motivations, and specific tools used to aid in truck parking. While many of these topic areas are directly relevant to truck parking facilities themselves, drivers’ motives and needs, in addition to other relevant topics to truck parking facilities, could substantially contribute to smart investment in TPMIS. The purpose of this section is to inform the development of considerations for prioritizing TPIMS investments in a complex environment.
• Research on technology, hardware, and software associated with TPIMS. This provided a comprehensive scan of the technology, hardware, software, and design considerations that go into TPIMS, based on published experience. This scan provided insights on equipment types without getting into specific vendors.
• Information on real-world TPIMS deployments. This provided a review of TPIMS deployments in the United States and internationally, covering topics such as adopted technology, operational constraints and restrictions, adoption of TPIMS into ITS programs, successes and failures found both immediately and over the long-term, and funding and policy issues, where referenceable material is available. The purpose of this section is to describe the real-world efforts that are completed or underway.

Research on TPIMS

This section discusses research on the topic of TPIMS and related studies on subjects that affect the operations and success of TPIMS. It touches on three key research areas:

• Techniques for estimating or monitoring parking availability.
• Modeling or evaluating the benefits of TPIMS being present.

• Other relevant research that highlights TPIMS-related challenges, such as the impact of OSOW vehicles or options associated with private-sector TPIMS investments.

This research is relevant because it provides insights into various tangential topics that influence a TPIMS program, such as methods of doing real-time or predictive assessments. The insights from this work help inform considerations in the Guide.

Estimating or Monitoring Parking Availability

Table 1 summarizes findings from six research studies that focused on methods to estimate, monitor, or forecast parking availability.

Table 1. Summary of research on estimating or monitoring parking availability.

Research on Modeling and Evaluating a TPIMS Environment

Table 2 summarizes the findings from two research studies that aimed to simulate truck parking demand with TPIMS in operation.

Table 2. Summary of research on modeling and evaluating a TPIMS environment.

Truck Parking Preferences

This section discusses research and publications on the topic of truck driver parking preferences. While this topic area is often focused more on investments in truck parking capacity, it includes information on parking preferences that provide insights into how and where TPIMS could be a valuable solution. This is especially relevant when budgets may require choosing one investment over another. It focuses on the work—primarily found in state freight plans—that documents various truck driver preferences. This informs several topics, including where truckers choose to park:

• What are the challenges of finding parking? Aside from the general lack of capacity, what creates challenges for truckers trying to find parking? These challenges can help inform how TPIMS information and wayfinding should be designed.
• Why is parking needed? Why do truckers need parking? What are the differences in parking needs between short-haul and long-haul truckers? These differences can help identify the extent TPIMS could be informative on corridors with prevalent types of freight operations.
• Who chooses where truckers park? Are truckers enabled to make their own routing and parking decisions, or are they directed to follow a strict plan by their company and/or dispatchers? These choices could influence the utility of TPIMS and prioritize the need for strategic locations.
• Where do truckers want to park? Without capacity constraints, where would truckers choose to park when making certain types of trips? These preferences can influence the placement of TPIMS, depending on certain corridor characteristics.
• What are the preferences and challenges between urban and rural applications? What are the differences in rural versus urban parking needs? These differences could help determine what type of TPIMS is of value, depending on the application.
• When are the desired parking times? When do truckers normally seek out parking? Understanding when the peak hours occur could help prioritize certain TPIMS applications.
• Who needs real-time information? Do truckers believe that real-time availability information is useful, or is it not helpful for their applications? This could help inform whether a TPIMS investment would provide operational benefits.
• How valuable is existing TPIMS? Have the truckers that have used real-world TPIMS deployments found them to be useful to their parking needs? The utility of existing TPIMS is useful to determine what models work best and how to better align future TPIMS systems with truckers’ needs. Table 3 summarizes the findings from 19 studies that were examined related to truck parking preferences.

Table 3. Summary of research on truck parking preferences.

TPIMS Technology, Hardware, and Software

This section discusses insights from literature and publications on TPIMS-related technology and the diverse options in the practice. Transportation agencies looking to embark on a TPIMS deployment conducted a state of the practice assessment to determine what technologies, tools, and practices were available for effectively building their system. As a result, most literature on this topic were findings from various white papers and reports. Findings touched on certain key areas:

• Truck Parking Availability Data Collection Technologies. This included devices such as magnetometers, video detection, microwave radar, laser, and mobile applications.
• Truck Parking Availability Data Processing Technologies. This included central software (often a transportation agency’s Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS)), independent software, or software-as-a-service.
• Truck Parking Availability Data Distribution Technologies. This included roadside signs, web-based platforms, in-cab systems, GPS navigation systems, Highway Advisory Radio, Citizens Band Radio, other radio options, call-in phone systems, and traveler information kiosks.

Understanding the options available contributed to the identification of the practice and what options existed for transportation agencies to consider.

Table 4 summarizes five technologies related to truck parking availability data collection technologies, followed by additional variants and combinations.

Table 4. Summary of truck parking availability data collection technologies.

Table 5 summarizes three technologies related to truck parking availability data processing technologies.

Table 5. Summary of truck parking availability data processing technologies.

Table 6 summarizes nine technologies related to truck parking availability data distribution technologies.

Table 6. Summary of truck parking availability data distribution technologies

Information on Real-World TPIMS Deployments

This section discusses research and publications available on real-world TPIMS deployments, including those both planned and deployed. This section starts off by identifying the early precursors that led to TPIMS deployments, which were then followed by regional coalition initiatives to secure grant funding and

deploy technology over a wider scale. This section also explores the available published material on TPIMS found outside the United States, although it was noted that many of the projects are found within the United States. Lastly, this section looks at some private-sector examples of TPIMS, and some overlap of private-sector concepts (e.g., parking reservations) in a public-sector environment.

This section provides the real-world examples that helped inform the identification of practices for inclusion in the Guide, as the summation of these experiences reveal the options that a new TPIMS deployer will have to face.

State TPIMS Program Examples

Table 7 in this subsection summarizes six early stage TPIMS program examples. Following the table is additional narrative discussion on these activities.

Table 7. Summary of State TPIMS program examples.

Minnesota 1305 Grant Award and Initial TPIMS Deployment

Minnesota was the first state in the U.S. to deploy a TPIMS pilot. Minnesota used a combination of state funds and FHWA’s Section 1305 Truck Parking Grant Program to implement a pilot study that detected parked trucks at various locations (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018). Video cameras with stereoscopic video analytics tools were used to assess parking utilization and availability in real-time. The information about parking utilization was then conveyed to truck drivers via roadside message signs, a website portal, and in-cab telematics applications.

This pre-MAASTO TPIMS had a project cost of $2,040,940. The University of Minnesota, ATRI, MnDOT and FHWA’s Office of Freight Management and Operations conducted a study, published in January 2017, to test the effectiveness of this deployment. The researchers sought feedback from drivers and operators to better understand their perceptions of parking shortages and the utility of the parking information delivery mechanisms. Overall, the system was reported to provide accurate 24/7 information about truck parking availability to drivers.

Michigan 1305 Grant Award and Initial TPIMS Deployment

Michigan installed TPIMS on I-94 as part of the FHWA’s Truck Parking Facilities Discretionary Grants program (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018), which pre-dates the MAASTO effort a few years later. This grant amount was $4.5 million and used wireless magnetometers for entry/exit count detection at public rest areas and per-space detection using video cameras at private facilities. Roadside DMS, smartphone apps, in-cab displays, and multiple websites published the real-time information for drivers. In 2012, MDOT began this effort through development of a TPIMS ConOps to deploy TPIMS along I-94 from the Indiana border to east of the I-94/I-69 interchange (Michigan Department of Transportation 2012). In May 2016, MDOT evaluated the TPIMS, and the results of the evaluation confirmed that the parking system was successfully implemented using modified off-the-shelf equipment, and output data was successfully

integrated with existing traffic management systems (Woodroofe et al. 2016). Further, the evaluation found that directing more resources to detector and system optimization could improve parking count accuracy.

Drivers who were surveyed agreed that parking information systems were personally valuable to the driver and could save them time while driving. The study found that drivers selected dynamic truck parking signs as their preferred source of parking information as compared to other sources such as website-based applications or smartphone applications. Drivers found the signs to be both clear and useful, suggesting that acceptance of this source to be quite high. However, the results of the safety evaluation conducted as part of this study showed that the safety effects from the TPIMS were not detectible in the study. This is due to the limited area of implementation of the pilot parking information system. Nevertheless, prior research on the impact of rest areas showed that they provide a real protective effect, reducing crashes along the roads where they are located. Thus, there is evidence to support that providing information about the availability of truck parking would have a protective effect as well. Analysis of data also indicated that there was good consistency in the parking space occupancy during the duration of the pilot. The calibration corrections were significant for both the private and public rest areas but showed improvements over time. Similarly, the number of malfunctions per month showed improvement towards the end of the pilot period.

The initial deployment is still in operation today and is relevant to the MAASTO TPIMS Partnership project, as it is a comparable system and located within project corridors (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018).

California Smart Truck Parking Implementation

The Smart Truck Parking project was a collaborative implementation and research effort among the FHWA, Caltrans, the University of California at Berkeley, and other partners. The project, supported by an FHWA Section 1305 grant, was designed to demonstrate real-time parking availability at truck stops on I-5. The project tested video detection and in-ground sensors (including induction, magnetic, infrared, RFID, and optical) at truck parking facilities in the cities of Sacramento and Stockton. Four (4) stakeholder outreach efforts were planned to discuss design options, recruit early adopters, and facilitate accelerated deployment.

Information collected from these areas was broadcast on DMS and on americantruckparking.com, where information is updated every 5 minutes. The site had information on both private and public rest areas, and truck fueling locations. Dynamic truck parking availability for certain sites in California would be updated at least every 5 minutes. The site also had a broader truck parking availability demonstration effort, where users can submit truck parking spot locations (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018, Martin 2014).

TDOT and FMCSA Efforts

Tennessee was one of the early TPIMS deployments done in the U.S., although its footprint is smaller than efforts done by peers in Minnesota and Michigan. This effort—which included TDOT and FMCSA—aimed to reduce illegal and dangerous parking practices along I-75 in eastern Tennessee (Perry et al. 2015). The FMCSA program, named SmartPark, implemented a National Transportation Safety Board recommendation that the agency provide information on truck parking availability.

In 2007, the FMCSA began research and development of an experimental truck parking information system as part of an ITD, formally Commercial Vehicle Information Systems and Networks (CVISN), grant. Starting in 2011, two rest areas in Tennessee approximately 20 miles apart on I-75 north were equipped with truck parking information infrastructure to support two project phases. Phase I was to demonstrate a technology sufficiently accurate to determine truck parking occupancy count. After determining that magnetometers and video detection did not suffice, an FMCSA-tested Doppler radar combined with either laser scanning or light curtain was used instead. CCTV cameras, a network video recorder, and a project website were used to verify accuracy of the truck parking occupancy count. A study

determined that different combinations of Doppler radar combined with either laser scanning or light curtain were all at least 93 percent accurate in performing truck counts and classifications.

After determining that the optimum technology was Doppler radar combined with side-fire laser scanning, FMCSA used this technology in Phase II to demonstrate (1) how two truck parking areas could be linked so that trucks can be diverted from a full area to one with availability, (2) how a truck parking reservation system could work, and (3) how truck parking availability information could be disseminated. Methods of dissemination that were demonstrated included: dynamic message signs, IVR, a SmartPark Research Project Website, and a mobile application (smartphone). Phase II of the study was conducted using the truck parking areas at mile markers 23 and 45 northbound on I-75 in Tennessee, located about 20 miles north of Chattanooga and halfway between Chattanooga and Knoxville, respectively. The field test ended in September 2016 (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018).

According to the literature, TDOT is not currently using truck parking availability following this demonstration period because the system was reportedly too cumbersome to keep calibrated.

I-95 Corridor Coalition TPIMS Grant Award

The I-95 Corridor Coalition (now named the Eastern Transportation Coalition) received an FHWA grant award to pilot a truck parking system called Truck ‘N Park (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018). This system uses space-by-space availability monitoring through in-ground sensors, comprised of both radar and magnetometer. Initial testing of this technology was conducted at I-95 Northbound at Ladysmith, Virginia, and at the I-95 Northbound Welcome Center in Maryland. Final deployment of the Truck ‘N Park system includes five public rest areas in Virginia, three of which are located on I-95 Northbound at Ladysmith, Carson, Dale City, and two of which are located on I-66 at New Kent Eastbound and New Kent Westbound.

In March 2018, the I-95 Corridor Coalition transitioned operation and maintenance of the Truck ‘N Park system to VDOT, where it was integrated into VDOT’s Statewide ATMS. Dissemination of the truck parking availability information is done in the following ways:

• Truck ‘N Park website.
• Interactive voice response system with an automatic call-back feature.
• Roadside message signs operated by VDOT.
• VDOT 511 system.
• VDOT SmarterRoads Data Portal.

The SmarterRoads cloud-based portal allows access to Truck ‘N Park data to third-party enterprises (including for developer incorporation into apps) and the general public. However, as of 2022, this truck parking availability feature does not appear on the VDOT 511 website (Virginia Department of Transportation n.d.).

CV program, including all applications (Balke and Simek 2022)

Florida TPIMS Program

FDOT invested in deploying TPIMS with a pilot along I-95 at one site in St. John’s County, using microwave vehicle detection system (MVDS) sensors to count trucks and ingress/egress points of the truck parking lot, as well as provide advance notification on a roadside sign along I-95. The University of Florida also conducted an evaluation of in-ground sensors, testing four separate vendors to measure availability and contrast this reported availability against ground-truth data collected via video logs (University of Florida 2016). FDOT received two Federal grants to support this effort, a $1M Federal AID grant and an approximately $11M FASTLANE grant. From there, TPAS was deployed along four corridors: I-95, I-4, I-75, and I-10 (Florida Department of Transportation State Traffic Engineering and Operations Office 2016).

This deployment totaled to 45 rest areas, 20 weigh stations, and three welcome centers where trucks frequently park (Tucker and Frost 2018). This equated to a total of 2,352 truck parking spaces, of which 477 were monitored via MVDS and 1,875 were monitored using WDSs. This spanned across all FDOT districts and utilized multiple vendors that met the established specification (as determined in coordination with the University of Florida evaluation). Data collection used either the in-ground sensors or sensors to monitor ingress/egress.

TPAS devices were integrated into the ITS communication network with minimal disruption, and existing ITS service drops were used wherever feasible to reduce the electrical impact. Uninterruptible power supplies and solar panels were not used to provide electrical power.

Concept plans were developed for each design-build effort, which identified sign locations and guide sign worksheets for design. Roadside signs were deployed based on certain criteria, including being 2 to 3 miles upstream of the parking facility (preferably prior to an upstream entrance ramp for better decision-making), compliance with the MUTCD, nearby presence of ITS communication and power services, and co-location with a CCTV camera for message verification. Unique to FDOT was use of supplemental sponsorship signs, which is posted on TPAS signs and required FHWA approval. Other information dissemination included the Florida 511 system and, in the future, acknowledgment of connected vehicle communications.

All processing occurred in FDOT’s Regional Traffic Management Centers using their SunGuide ATMS platform

MAASTO Regional TPIMS Grant Award and Deployment

The MAASTO project is one of the more recognizable public-sector TPIMS deployments in the U.S. because of its geographic extent and interoperability requirements. MAASTO, which represented a participating block of Midwestern States including Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, received a $25 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from FHWA to develop and implement a regional TPIMS. As discussed earlier, two of the participating MAASTO States (Michigan and Minnesota) had already deployed TPIMS as part of a separate initiative, allowing for expansion in their respective States.

The overall project cost was $29 million, with the remainder of funds coming from participating States. The project was led by KDOT but represented a coordinated truck parking management solution in the Midwest region. Means of detection and notification were uniquely defined within each state, but the information from each state was to be collected through standard extensible markup language (XML) feeds and shared through a common application programming interface (API) via DMS, traveler information websites, and a smart phone app. One key development in this project was the Regional TPIMS Data Exchange Specification Document (MAASTO 2018), which standardized the data feed containing JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) scripting language that all third-party application developers would need in order to display TPIMS data on their platforms. This data exchange specification, which has been updated as requirements evolve, is one potential tool that could help lead toward national interoperability on TPIMS programs.

TPIMS was installed under this grant at public rest areas and private sites along key Midwestern Interstate truck routes, including I-35, I-64, I-65, I-70, I-71, I-75, I-80, I-94, and I-135 in various States. Each state led the design and development of their respective TPIMS, which often saw different approaches in terms of public/private lot use, construction approach, and means to collect, process, and distribute the data. The complete system went online in 2019.

Table 8 summarizes eight TPIMS examples within the MAASTO Regional TPIMS Grant Award.

Table 8. Summary of MAASTO Regional TPIMS Grant Award and deployment examples.

Wisconsin TPIMS Program

WisDOT deployed TPIMS in 2016 on I-94 for 157 truck stalls, originally prior to the MAASTO deployment and as part of an initiative to provide truck parking continuity between Wisconsin and neighboring Minnesota (with a system discussed in the Examples of TPIMS Deployments section of the Identifying the Purpose and Need for TPIMS chapter) (Wisconsin Department of Transportation 2016). The 2016 deployment used video pattern recognition (developed by the University of Minnesota and utilized at one site) and magnetometer detection (utilized at three sites). The magnetometers counted vehicles entering and exiting the truck parking areas, and the video system analyzed how many parking spaces were occupied in real-time. The data was deployed to Wisconsin 511, roadside DMS, and through the WisDOT traffic data feed for third-party apps, such as TSPS. The 2017 deployment of TPIMS as part of the MAASTO project expanded the I-94 eastbound and I-94 westbound portions and consisted of 241 public truck stalls using the same technology. WisDOT received approximately $2 million and contributed a state match of $300,000. A total of 12 public rest areas utilized entrance/exit counting (Wisconsin Department of Transportation n.d.). No private sites are included in the Wisconsin TPIMS (Illinois Department of Transportation 2019).

Minnesota TPIMS Program

MnDOT’s initial TPIMS effort—discussed in Section 5.1—served as a starting point for subsequent systems added as part of the MAASTO project. Upon receiving the $1.2 million TIGER grant and contributing approximately $177,000, MnDOT installed TPIMS at seven rest areas on I-94 and I-35 that used in-ground sensors to detect the presence of trucks (Minnesota Department of Transportation n.d.). MnDOT also planned to retrofit the pilot sites with this technology. The information from the sensors was

sent to MnDOT’s Regional Transportation Management Center, where it was relayed to DMS along the highway that displays the number of spaces available at a rest area. The information was also displayed on MnDOT’s trucker 511-highway information page and forwarded to trucking company dispatch centers (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018).

All sites in the Minnesota deployment are public. 130 parking spaces are equipped across five public sites. No private sites were part of this deployment (Illinois Department of Transportation 2019). Various sources provide slightly different counts, which may be a result of changes that occurred during project development.

Kansas TPIMS Program

KDOT began installing their TPIMS in December 2017. DMS provide the number of available truck parking spaces at 18 rest areas along I-70. The information on each sign was updated every 5 minutes and showed parking space availability for two to three rest areas to provide truck drivers an idea how full parking areas are in advance of reaching the facilities. KDOT used a "computer vision" system that uses cameras to build a 3D image of the parking area so available spaces could be automatically detected using a space occupancy detection method (Fisher 2022). Most rest areas would have two camera poles installed near the truck parking area and each pole will have three cameras mounted on it to produce the 3D image. Kansas received approximately $5 million from the TIGER grant and contributed 10 percent, approximately $487,000 (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018).

Among the rest areas, about 160 public parking spaces were monitored as part of this effort. No private sites were included in this deployment. Information distribution used roadside DMS, the 511 system, and third-party applications. One noted challenge was that good lighting is necessary for the system to work (Illinois Department of Transportation 2019). Various sources provide slightly different counts, which may be a result of changes that occurred during project development.

Iowa TPIMS Program

In December 2017, the Iowa DOT announced that it has partnered with a contractor to collect truck parking availability data from parking areas along I-80 using a variety of in-pavement and entrance/exit ramp sensors. Iowa used a combination of space detection via in-ground sensors, video cameras, and entrance and exit counts for their TPIMS. The TPIMS was deployed across 41 facilities—24 rest areas, 15 private truck stops, 1 casino and 1 restaurant. The roads associated with the TPIMS included I-80, I-29, I-35, I-235 and I-380. Truck parking information was disclosed via Iowa’s 511 Traveler Information System, mobile apps (hands-free, FMCSA–compliant), and in-cab applications (eX2 2019). The system was scheduled to go live in January of 2019. Unlike other TPIMS deployments, Iowa’s does not use DMS. The combination of public and private truck parking spaces exceeded 2000 (Illinois Department of Transportation 2019).

Iowa DOT was awarded a $3.9 million contract to implement and test the TPIMS, as well as maintain it for three years following final deployment. Iowa DOT received $3.4 million from the TIGER grant and contributed a match of $498,086 (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018).

Ohio TPIMS Program

ODOT deployed TPIMS at four rest areas on I-70, all rest areas on I-75, and one set of rest areas along the U.S. 33 Smart Corridor between Dublin and Marysville. This system used in/out counting through use of magnetic and/or infrared pucks, with some stall counts done using the same equipment. Data was distributed to traveler information websites, message signs, and mobile trucker applications (Illinois Department of Transportation 2019).

ODOT utilized a performance-based contract which allows the contractor flexibility regarding the method of parking space detection the contractor utilizes. Ohio received $6.4 million from the TIGER grant and matched approximately $785,000. ODOT awarded a 3-year design, operate, maintain contract. The contractor deployed a series of signs, denoting spaces available as trucks approach each rest area. The construction portion of the contract was completed by 2019 (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018). The contractor is responsible for making sure information is distributed to the public

Indiana TPIMS Program

INDOT used in/out sensors at 19 sites to track where open truck parking spaces exist in real-time (Indiana Department of Transportation 2019). The sensors were calibrated according to how many spaces exist in each lot. The sensors then count the number of trucks that enter the facility to park and the number of trucks that exit the parking site. The number of open spaces is automatically calculated and displayed on DMS along the Interstate, overseen by INDOT’s Traffic Management Center (TMC). The sensor equipment features magnetometers, which are in-ground, wireless pucks at the entrances and exits of the parking lot. The system was recalibrated once a day, and the information was automatically updated to the system every 15 minutes to appear on DMS, as well as to traveler information websites and trucker mobile applications. DMS were installed approximately 15 miles before the truck parking area and included not only the amount of parking spaces for the closest parking area, but also for the one or two parking areas after that. Indiana’s 19 sites include rest areas on I-65, I-69, and I-70. Indiana received approximately $5.32 million from the TIGER grant and had a state 12.7 percent match of $608,580 for the original Federal funds of $4.15 million (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018).

Indiana installed cameras that oversee the parking areas to aid the TMC as a backup confirmation on the number of trucks in the parking lot. Indiana hoped to eventually expand the project to include all of INDOT’s welcome centers, rest areas, and weigh stations. At that time, private truck stops could be invited to join the system by their investments into the sign additions and construction expansion, but no private sites were included as part of this rollout (Illinois Department of Transportation 2019)

Kentucky TPIMS Program

KYTC deployed TPIMS along I-65, I-71, and I-75 (Kentucky Transportation Cabinet n.d.). The TPIMS disseminated parking information through a variety of means, including DMS and traveler information websites. Kentucky used an in/out data collection method in the entrance and exit driveways to the truck parking areas. Kentucky received $2.7 million from the TIGER grant and contributed approximately $407,000 in matching funds (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018).

The Kentucky TPIMS covered both public and private sites. Approximately nine sites with 375 public spaces were included, as well as 14 private sites with 1560 private parking spaces (Illinois Department of Transportation 2019). Various sources provide slightly different counts, which may be a result of changes that occurred during project development

Michigan TPIMS Program

MDOT’s initial TPIMS effort—discussed in Section 5.1—served as a starting point for subsequent systems added as part of the MAASTO project. MAASTO allowed MDOT to expand TPIMS to include new parking locations at additional sites along I-275, I-75, and I-94, as well as additional truck parking availability signs on the roadside (eX2 n.d.). This expanded the capabilities to a larger footprint.

MDOT displayed real-time parking availability at these locations to drivers via DMS, smartphone apps, in-cab displays, and multiple websites (including MDOT’s Mi Drive traffic information site). The DMS are placed a maximum of 30 minutes or 30 miles upstream from the farthest destination on the sign. This spacing standard was used to minimize the likelihood that the number of available spaces would

substantially change prior to a trucker’s arrival at the parking facility. The data on the signs updated every 3 to 5 minutes. Private truck parking locations were displayed on the sign only by their exit number to remove perception of advertising.

Both public and private sites are part of the MDOT TPIMS effort. An estimated eight public sites provide over 194 public parking spaces, and 22 private sites provide over 942 private parking spaces (Illinois Department of Transportation 2019). Various sources provide slightly different counts, which may be a result of changes that occurred during project development.

I-10 Corridor Coalition TPAS Grant Award and Deployment

The I-10 Corridor Coalition was formed in 2016 and is made up of four DOTs in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018). The goal of the Coalition is to create safer, more efficient commercial and personal travel along this corridor. The Coalition adopted a memorandum of understanding in September 2017 at the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO’s) annual meeting, building on a charter executed in 2016. The Coalition’s first collective pooled-fund project involved the development of a ConOps for technologies and strategies to improve freight movement in the corridor. After preparing a detailed corridor database and synthesis of freight technologies and strategies, the Coalition’s project contract team conducted stakeholder workshops in all four States in the summer of 2016. The group held a workshop in Phoenix in April 2018 to decide which functional steps or applications to include in the ConOps. One of the functional use cases to be documented is truck parking information systems.

In June of 2018, Texas DOT (TxDOT) submitted to the U.S. DOT, on behalf of the four States of the I-10 Corridor Coalition, an ATCMTD grant request for $6.8 million, with an equal amount of state match (Texas Department of Transportation 2020). The purpose of the grant was to deploy the I-10 Corridor Coalition TPAS. The grant was awarded to the I-10 Corridor Coalition, and TxDOT is the lead state on the project.

The project began in late 2019 and will implement a truck parking availability detection and information system at 37 public truck parking locations along the I-10 Corridor from California to Texas. The initial deployment of the I-10 Corridor Coalition TPAS will focus on collecting and providing truck parking information for public facilities. This will be accomplished with roadside signing, as well as existing state 511 and road information system platforms. In the future, the Coalition will explore incorporating the private-sector operated truck plazas into the system and wider options for truck parking dissemination may be developed.

The proposed corridor is anticipated to be launched in 2024, with most construction occurring in 2023 and early 2024.

Table 9 summarizes four examples of state TPAS deployments within the I-10 Corridor Coalition.

Table 9. Summary of I-10 corridor coalitions TPAS grant award and deployment examples.

Texas TPAS Program

TxDOT’s current plan is to deploy TPAS monitoring equipment at 16 SRAs and two TICs along I-10 (I-10 Corridor Coalition 2022). The TPAS equipment will be integrated into TxDOT’s overall ITS program. TxDOT is anticipated to assess real-time parking availability by assessing the real-time entrance counts against the real-time exit counts. To facilitate this methodology, ITS monitoring equipment will be deployed on the entrance and exit ramps to a truck parking site to count incoming and outgoing trucks at each site. TxDOT has selected a contractor eX² to provide the detection technology for ramp counting and to provided available parking space counts at least every 5 minutes. The contractor is responsible for monitoring the available space count accuracy and resetting the number of available spaces to stay within contractual accuracy values. Data from eX² will be sent to TxDOT for posting on dynamic truck parking availability signs and distribution through an API. TxDOT currently uses SwRI’s ActiveITS product (named LoneStar) as the ATMS software in its TMC. TxDOT will use LoneStar to post parking availability on the dynamic truck parking signs, as well as distribute information to other public data portals (e.g., DriveTexas website).

TxDOT will distribute the real-time truck parking availability data through roadside signing with dynamic matrix panels along I-10. These signs will be owned, operated, and maintained by TxDOT. A total of 18 DPAS will be placed along I-10 within Texas, nine in both the eastbound and westbound directions. Certain westbound DPAS in the western portion of Texas will display real-time information for truck parking facilities located in New Mexico due to proximity. Similarly, certain eastbound DPAS along I-10 in eastern New Mexico—installed as part of the NMDOT TPAS project, as part of the I-10 Corridor Coalition effort—will display parking availability data for Texas facilities. TxDOT also has a unique circumstance where one of the DPAS is located across a state boundary in Louisiana, which is not part of the four-state coalition; in this instance, an agreement will need to be worked out with the State of Louisiana for how that sign is operated.

NMDOT and TxDOT will be responsible for maintaining the DPAS that are physically within their state boundaries, regardless of whether the corresponding truck parking sites reported on the sign are located within the state boundaries. Each state will exchange the data feed to provide information on the other State’s DPAS.

TxDOT is planning to use several procurement methods to deploy TPAS:

• For civil elements, TxDOT intends to design and construct TPAS through its conventional design-bid-build process, including field hardware and supporting infrastructure.
• In order to provide consistency of detection equipment, TxDOT is issuing a separate procurement contract. This contract will procure sensors and supporting back office hardware and/or software from a single vendor that meets the necessary technical requirements to detect trucks in a mixed-use traffic environment, like the entrance and exit ramps present at many TxDOT SRAs.
• TxDOT is also going to utilize SwRI to provide updates to TxDOT’s existing ATMS to support TPAS. As discussed earlier, TxDOT utilizes SwRI’s ActiveITS software, referred to as “LoneStar” for TxDOT’s TMCs. Some aspects of LoneStar will facilitate the TPAS project, so TxDOT will be receiving updates to the overall software from SwRI as part of this effort.

Work conducted through this I-10 effort will be used by TxDOT to help expand TPAS into other parts of Texas that face similar parking challenges. This is discussed in the Examples of TPIMS Deployments section of the Identifying the Purpose and Need for TPIMS Chapter 2

New Mexico TPAS Program

NMDOT’s is deploying TPAS monitoring equipment at three rest areas and two welcome centers along I-10 (I-10 Corridor Coalition 2022). NMDOT plans to assess real-time parking availability by assessing the real-time entrance counts against the real-time exit counts. NMDOT has selected a contractor to provide the detection technology for ramp counting and to provided available parking space counts at least every 5 minutes. The contractor is responsible for monitoring the available space count accuracy and resetting the number of available spaces to stay within contractual accuracy values. The contractor will also distribute parking availability through an API. NMDOT will use the API to provide parking availability on the NMRoads traveler information website.

NMDOT plans to distribute the real-time truck parking availability data through roadside signing with dynamic matrix panels along I-10. These signs will be owned and maintained by NMDOT. The contractor will post parking availability on dynamic truck parking availability signs. A total of seven DPAS will be placed along I-10 within New Mexico, four in the eastbound direction and three in the westbound direction. Certain eastbound DPAS in the eastern portion of New Mexico will display real-time information for truck parking facilities located in Texas due to proximity, and similarly certain westbound DPAS in the western portion of New Mexico will display real-time information for trucking parking facilities located in Arizona due to proximity. Certain westbound signs in western Texas and eastbound signs in eastern Arizona—installed as part of the TxDOT and ADOT TPAS projects, respectively, both as part of the I-10 Corridor Coalition effort—will display parking availability data for New Mexico facilities.

NMDOT, ADOT, and TxDOT will be responsible for maintaining the signs that are physically within their state boundaries, regardless of whether the corresponding truck parking site reported on the sign is located within the state boundaries. Each state will exchange the data feed to provide information on the other States’ signs.

NMDOT will roll out TPAS through two procurement methods:

• For civil elements, NMDOT intends to design and construct TPAS through its traditional design-bid-build process, including field hardware and supporting infrastructure.
• As part of the contract for the civil elements NMDOT will also procure the contractor to provide detection technology and operate the system.

Arizona TPAS Program

ADOT intends to deploy TPAS monitoring equipment at eight rest areas along I-10 (I-10 Corridor Coalition 2022). The TPAS equipment will be integrated into ADOT’s overall ITS program. ADOT plans to assess real-time parking availability by assessing the real-time utilization of individual truck parking stalls to determine remaining availability. Data from the field will be sent to ADOT for processing. ADOT currently uses an ATMS to operate the traffic management system. This ATMS will be modified to help manage and/or process truck parking availability counts that can be distributed to road users, as well as distribute information to other public data portals (e.g., AZ511 website).

ADOT plans to distribute the real-time truck parking availability data through roadside signing with dynamic matrix panels along I-10. The signs will be owned, operated, and maintained by ADOT. A total of seven DPAS will be placed along I-10 within Arizona, four in the eastbound direction and three in the westbound direction. Certain eastbound DPAS in the eastern portion of Arizona will display real-time information for truck parking facilities located in New Mexico due to proximity, and similarly certain westbound DPAS in the western portion of Arizona will display real-time information for trucking parking facilities located in California due to proximity. Certain westbound signs in western New Mexico and eastbound signs in eastern California—installed as part of the NMDOT and Caltrans TPAS projects, respectively, both as part of the I-10 Corridor Coalition effort—will display parking availability data for Arizona facilities.

ADOT, NMDOT, and Caltrans will be responsible for maintaining the DPAS that are physically within their state boundaries, regardless of whether the corresponding truck parking site reported on the sign is located within the state boundaries. Each state will exchange the data feed to provide information on the other States’ DPAS.

ADOT will roll out TPAS through two procurement methods:

• For all civil elements, ADOT intends to design and construct TPAS through its traditional design-bid-build process, including field hardware and supporting infrastructure. Projects will be designed and let for construction as part of each ADOT district that has equipment. Construction will be competitively bid.
• ADOT will update their ATMS to accommodate the TPAS equipment, as part of an ongoing software maintenance contract.

California TPAS Program

Caltrans is deploying TPAS monitoring equipment at six rest areas along I-10 (I-10 Corridor Coalition 2022). The TPAS equipment will be integrated into Caltrans’ overall ITS program. Caltrans will assess real-time parking availability using two methodologies. They will use real-time entrance counts against the real-time exit counts and monitor parking space occupancy. The two methodologies are being used because of the unique configuration of some of their truck parking areas. Data from the field will be sent to Caltrans for processing. Caltrans intends to deploy the SwRI’s ActiveITS product as the ATMS software in its TMC in District 8, where all TPAS sites are located. ActiveITS has a module available to ingest, process, and

distribute truck parking-related count information. Caltrans will acquire that ATMS to facilitate operation of its TPAS, as well as distribute information to other public traveler information data portals.

Caltrans will distribute the real-time truck parking availability data through roadside signing with dynamic matrix panels along I-10. These signs will be owned, operated, and maintained by Caltrans. A total of seven signs will be placed along I-10 within California, four in the eastbound direction and three in the westbound directions. Certain eastbound signs in the eastern portion of California will display real-time information for truck parking facilities located in Arizona due to proximity. Similarly, certain westbound signs along I-10 in western Arizona—installed as part of the ADOT TPAS project, as part of the I-10 Corridor Coalition effort—will display parking availability data for California facilities.

Caltrans and ADOT will be responsible for maintaining the signs that are physically within their state boundaries, regardless of whether the corresponding truck parking site reported on the sign is located within the state boundaries. Each state will exchange the data feed to provide information on the other State’s DPAS.

Caltrans will roll out TPAS through two procurement methods:

• For all civil elements, Caltrans intends to design and construct TPAS through its traditional design-bid-build process, including field hardware and supporting infrastructure. Projects will be designed and let for construction as part of Caltrans District 8, which is the only district that has equipment. Construction will be competitively bid. After deployment of the physical infrastructure, Caltrans will operate a pilot project of detection technology to determine the long-term preferred solution for data collection.
• Caltrans is also going to utilize SwRI to provide ActiveITS to support TPAS.

State TPIMS Deployments, Pilot Programs, and Planned Programs

This subsection summarizes other State TPIMS deployments, pilot programs, and planned programs, presented in Table 10. Additional narrative for each follows the table.

Table 10. Summary of State TPIMS deployments and example programs.

Maryland Pilot Program

MDSHA, with support from the University of Maryland at College Park, developed and tested an automated low-cost and real-time truck parking information system (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018). The parking detection system was piloted at MDSHA’s truck parking facility on northbound I-95 at the North Welcome Center from January 2013 to May 2013. The research team used wireless magnetic in-ground sensors to detect vehicles parked at the test site. The team noted that an advantage of in-ground sensors, unlike video detection, is that the truck and driver remain completely anonymous in the parking availability detection process. The research team found that its method for vehicle detection had an average overall detection error rate of 3.75 percent (Haghani et al. 2013).

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Deployment

The Pennsylvania State Transportation Commission identified using complementary ITS applications to inform on parking availability as a potential strategy for dealing with truck parking as part of its final report (Pennsylvania state Transportation Advisory Committee 2007). The PTC elected to move this concept forward, developing a truck parking management system that would be piloted at six service plazas (93 total truck parking spots) on the eastern part of the corridor. A ConOps document was prepared in 2018 and an RFP was issued publicly in 2019. The system is intended to provide parking availability in the form of roadside dynamic message signs along the turnpike, through other travel applications, and through third-party truck parking information systems (Trucker News 2021).

ITRCC Deployment

ITRCC is a private concessionaire that operates a 157-mile segment of I-90 (and portions of I-80) through northern Indiana. ITRCC recently launched a TPAS rollout in combination with their ITS program, adding TPAS coverage to four travel plazas and two dedicated truck parking lots in each travel direction (12 sites total). Their system uses a mix of cameras and sensors to accurately track the number of available parking spaces while distributing that data across their system. Roadside signing provides the information to truckers that are already on the road, the Truck Specialized Parking Services’ Osprey platform is used to share data to commercial applications (Fisher 2022). ITRCC is currently in a demonstration period and will evaluate the system after some time has passed to determine if this system has improved parking operations

Kansas Turnpike Deployment

KTA developed a truck parking management system that informs truck drivers of available spaces (Kansas Turnpike Authority 2019). This system operates separate from the KDOT system, described earlier. While the KTA has done quite a bit to deploy infrastructure, there is limited published research data about the design details or evaluation outcomes. KTA’s traveler information site currently provides commercial parking stalls that are available along its facilities (Kansas Turnpike Authority n.d.).

Colorado Deployment

CDOT implemented TPIMS to communicate real-time parking availability to drivers, with funding through a FASTLANE grant (National Coalition on Truck Parking 2018) and through other CDOT funding mechanisms. With this deployment, CDOT would collect information from public rest areas, private truck stops, and new parking facilities along each of the three National Highway Freight Network corridors that traverse the state, specifically I-25, I-70, and I-76. The detection technology that would be deployed would be existing technology that has been used in MAASTO and other TPIMS efforts, such as static cameras and sensors, and would be selected for its cost-efficiency, accuracy, and ruggedness for locations of extreme weather conditions. Data would be disseminated through DMSs, websites and mobile applications (i.e., the COtrip website), and the CDOT 511 smartphone application. CDOT would utilize public-private partnerships to install ITS data collection infrastructure and would consult with a variety of stakeholders to advise on policy and planning-level activities and strategies. Further, CDOT would engage with neighboring States to ensure Colorado TPIMS has interoperability with other systems and would adopt common software and communication interfaces. CDOT would leverage existing working relationships to build toward a regional TPIMS. CDOT used a technical approach and schedule that encompassed stakeholder participation, parking detection strategies, dissemination strategy, design and construction of the ITS infrastructure, monitoring and refining strategies, and evaluation (Colorado Department of Transportation 2016). The system was reportedly deployed in 2019 (TrucksParkHere.com n.d.).

Nevada Planned Program

NDOT developed their Nevada Truck Parking Implementation Plan in 2019, which identified a plan for expanding, improving, and integrating freight truck parking and truck parking communications systems (Nevada Department of Transportation 2019). Within this implementation plan, NDOT identified TPAS as a technological solution that could make finding truck parking easier and reduce the impacts of idling, which were often the impetus behind community opposition to truck parking facilities. The implementation plan identified a two-phase TPAS deployment among its recommended projects. The first phase would install TPAS at six priority locations (three truck turnouts on I-15, and three locations on I-80), and complete all the necessary data integration and systems engineering work to create a seamless system. The second phase could install TPAS at all remaining public rest areas on I-15 and I-80, which included an additional 15 locations. It is currently slated for 2023 funding in the amount of $4 million, per the 2022 Nevada Freight Investment Plan update (Nevada Department of Transportation 2022). No further details are published about preference regarding how availability will be monitored, what technology will be present, or what dissemination methods will be used.

The Nevada Truck Parking Implementation Plan did discuss urban versus rural TPAS options, noting that a difference exists between the two in terms of the audience that is served. Information dissemination in urban areas may focus more on an application or web service rather than message signs, as the distribution of origins/destinations, parking options, and routes available makes it more difficult to inform drivers of options and conditions via a limited number of signs. Additional challenges existed by virtue of the state owning few urban truck parking sites, suggesting a public-private partnership with a private truck parking facility may be an interim solution.

Nevada recently updated their 511 system to include a trucker information on their state traveler information system (Transport Topics 2022). This system can provide map insights on commercial truck parking facilities along Nevada Interstates, their amenities, and the number of truck parking spaces, but this is static information as of 2022.

Illinois Planned Program

IDOT is planning to deploy TPIMS as part of their initiative to reduce truck parking issues in the State of Illinois (Illinois Department of Transportation 2019). In 2019, IDOT proposed installing TPIMS into all IDOT rest areas on the Interstate system that included truck parking, which equated to a total of 53 IDOT rest area plazas. In addition to various information kiosks and video security systems, this TPIMS deployment would include automated truck parking counting stations, cameras to verify counts back at the TMC, and data provided via websites and trucker mobile applications.

IDOT piloted two technologies at one rest area to help inform on a preferred technology and counting strategy. Insights gained from these pilots, as well as work being undertaken in adjacent MAASTO States, would help inform of a statewide strategy for TPIMS. In April 2022, IDOT published a notice of letting that would install TPIMS at the Spoon River and Mackinaw Dells rest areas along I-74 (Illinois Department of Transportation 2022).

North Carolina Planned Program

NCDOT developed a ConOps document as part of their Truck Parking Study Phase II (North Carolina Department of Transportation 2020). Long-haul TPAS was identified as one of the corridor solutions of how to creatively use existing NCDOT facilities to improve freight operations and safety. Specifically, the ConOps explored potential TPAS deployments along the 180 miles of I-95 corridor in North Carolina, which is predominantly rural but carries a substantial amount of cross-country traffic. Within 2 miles of I-95, there are 24 parking facilities with approximately 1,216 truck parking spaces. Of these, eight facilities and approximately 120 spaces are publicly owned. These locations include three of the top-10 privately owned locations by utilization rate and the second busiest publicly owned facility in the state—the Cumberland County Rest Area.

The ConOps recommended eight publicly owned sites along I-95 that could be part of the deployment, and that a space occupancy method of data collection was the better solution for NCDOT if investing in TPAS. Roadside signing was recommended as well. The total cost was estimated to be approximately $1.79 million, with an annual operations and maintenance cost of $155,000. The ConOps also identified private-sector options, which currently collect and report utilization through the National Association of Truck Stop Operators’ (NATSO) Park My Truck application, which was discontinued in 2023. Utilization data is obtained through visual counts by truck stop employees at multiple times during the day. While useful, the lack of consistent updates and the imprecise nature of visual counts can lead to inaccuracies. The ConOps recommended further exploration of grant opportunities to fund this initiative

Texas Planned Program Beyond I-10

TxDOT completed its Truck Parking Study in 2020 (Texas Department of Transportation 2020). Chapter 9 of that study discusses opportunities to address truck parking challenges through technology and programs, citing specifically in its first strategy recommendation that the state should invest in TPAS. The Texas study revealed that truck drivers indicated that one of their top needs is for accurate, real-time information about the availability of truck parking spaces, ranking only behind “toilets” as amenities desired by stakeholders at public truck parking facilities. TPAS was identified as a means to increase the efficient use of existing truck parking capacity and provide opportunities—such as through advanced analytics—to help predict the future supply of truck parking for drivers and dispatchers to make informed travel plans.

Texas had an advantage with the I-10 Corridor Coalition’s efforts to deploy TPAS, which includes several sites along I-10 within the State of Texas. The development of that program, in which each state is leading their own state-specific program, will establish the groundwork for Texas to build out their system.

Washington State Pilot Project

WSDOT Transportation Operations, in collaboration with the UW STAR Lab, began a TPIMS pilot project in 2019 (Washington State Department of Transportation 2022). This came as a recommendation from the Washington State Freight Plan Update to develop truck parking information systems. The focus of TPIMS is at select weigh stations and rest areas (21 SRAs and seven weigh station locations) along I-5 and I-90, supported by grant funds from the FMCSA from August 2021 through September 2025. The goal of the truck parking pilot project is to develop a TPIMS that collects parking space occupancy data, performs data analytics to project future availability, and disseminates this information to the public through a website and application.

At each location, WSDOT is installing detection sensors or other technology to monitor parking occupancy status. At two truck parking locations (Fort Lewis/Nisqually Weigh Station and Scatter Creek Rest Area), WSDOT installed in-pavement occupancy sensors. Using data collected at the truck parking locations, UW developed an algorithm to project space availability from 10 minutes to 4 hours ahead of time, with approximately 12 percent error

Wyoming Connected Vehicle Pilot Program

I-80 runs for 402 miles along Wyoming’s southern border and carries more than 32 million tons of freight deliveries, but a lack of regional alternative routes and Wyoming’s extreme weather can quickly impact traffic operations. In 2015, the U.S. DOT selected WYDOT as one of three locations to demonstrate connected vehicle applications (Wyoming Department of Transportation n.d.). For this pilot, WYDOT will use V2V, V2I, and I2V connectivity to improve monitoring and reporting of road conditions to vehicles on I-80, with one major focus area being on freight operations.

Parking notifications are one of the I2V applications proposed as part of this pilot (Zumpf, et al. 2020). The WYDOT 511 application for personal devices was updated to capture crowdsourced truck parking information and share it with commercial drivers, as well as provide functionality through the app for truckers to submit a truck parking status update through the application for a given truck parking area. As part of the design, the default parking availability is reset if no information is submitted for 2 hours for the truck parking area. No results are published specifically for stakeholder acceptance of this approach; the WYDOT’s Stakeholder Acceptance and User Satisfaction Assessment focused on an evaluation of the

European Models

In the European Union (EU), many truck parking areas are operated without the use of ITS or telematics services to distribute information (European ITS Platform (EIP) 2015), either as pre-trip travel planning or en route information. One of the cited challenges is that installing detection to monitor availability has a poor return-on-investment, since the parking itself is free in many EU countries. The TruckInform system is one solution that aimed to support EU efforts. When deployed, it operated in 40 countries with more than 2,800 parking spots (Transportation Information Service n.d.). TruckParking Europe pooled parking areas that equated to more than 249,000 spaces and acted as a clearinghouse that used truck operator input to catalogue parking locations. The service also offered a mapping tool that could identify parking areas and available bays, based on the operator’s anticipated truck route. As of 2015, neither of these systems are considered operational (Perry et al. 2015).

Beyond that, limited truck parking management systems have been implemented in the EU. Table 11 provides a list of these sites, current as of 2015 (Perry et al. 2015).

Table 11. European TPIMS.

Private-Sector Systems & Truck Parking Marketplace

There are several TPIMS deployment models that exist among private-sector parking facilities, summarized below. An additional emerging practice in truck parking is the idea of managing newfound truck parking availability that, unlike a highway rest area or private truck stop that has a defined number of parking spaces, may be available on an inconsistent or intermittent basis, but still qualifies as viable truck parking. Some examples of this include stadium complexes (which have parking availability during periods where no event is occurring), smaller “Mom and Pop” lots that might serve a unique parking demographic (such as during overnight hours) a downtown parking lot that is empty during a holiday period when commercial workers are at home), or other urban medium-size lots that see a lot of parking availability during off-periods (such as retail centers. Providing information on when and where these parking spaces are available is another means to provide real-time parking availability.

This concept is analogous to the “Airbnb” business model but applied for truck parking. It would match parking providers with truck drivers through an online marketplace, creating new markets that converts private parking lots into paid truck parking. The landowner may choose to allow truck parking for a fee to earn some revenue from otherwise dormant property. The mobile app thus serves as the mechanism for connecting the landowner with truckers in need of parking near or in urban areas.

SecurSpace is one vendor that provides this service to the trucking industry. It provides an online map platform for visualizing truck parking lots with availability and allows a reservation to be booked. Additionally, it provides insights on the types of trucks that are permitted for parking, as well as locational features of the lot itself (e.g., fences, lights, gates, 24/7 access, pavement, security, etc.). However, other vendors could easily break into this market (Nevada Department of Transportation and California Department of Transportation 2020). Table 12 summarizes three examples.

Table 12. Summary of private-sector systems examples.

Alternative TPIMS Models

This subsection summarizes example TPIMS concepts in the industry that often involve a fusion of public-sector infrastructure and private-sector services. Table 13 summarizes three examples under this subsection.

Table 13. Summary of alternative TPIMS models examples.