Tale Lites Issue 55

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🚛 DOT Insider Wants 1,000 Truck Parking Facilities In Three Years!

At Truck Parking Club we are firm in our belief that it is going to take everyone to help solve the truck parking crisis. Which is why we always share news and updates on what the state and federal government is doing to add more truck parking. Over the weekend we found out a Department of Transportation insider has bold aspirations like us: build 1,000 truck parking facilities in just three years.

Truck parking has technically been on the federal government’s radar since Jason’s Law passed in 2012. But despite bipartisan acknowledgment of the problem, meaningful progress hasn’t really happened.

Dedicated federal funding for truck parking didn’t start flowing until recently, and even now, the dollars being allocated are a drop in the bucket for the nationwide shortage that forces drivers onto ramps, shoulders, and unsafe roadside spots every night.

The Creation of the DOT Advisory Board

Last year, DOT launched its first Advisory Board, tasked with providing “strategic vision and high level guidance” to modernize the nation’s transportation system.

The board’s chair, Gregg Reuben, told Land Line the goal is to push through as much change as possible during the current administration’s three year window.

Reuben has a background in parking. He’s the CEO of Centerpark, a company that owns and manages parking garages, primarily in New York City. Unsurprisingly, truck parking is where he believes he can move the needle.

The proposal: 1,000 facilities, 40,000 spaces

• 1,000 DOT sponsored, certified, or approved truck parking facilities

• 40,000 new truck parking spaces

• Built by the end of President Donald Trump’s second term

There’s not a whole lot of details, but the concept includes minimum standards for safety, quality, and amenities at each location.

The most important question: Who pays for it?

Public/private partnerships take center stage

At the DOT Advisory Board’s December meeting, members focused heavily on public/private partnerships (PPPs) and something called “asset recycling,” monetizing underused or abandoned properties.

• Old weigh stations

• Defunct airports

• Closed military bases

• Vacant or outdated truck stops

Most of these properties are owned by states, not the federal government. Coordinating between 50 state DOTs and USDOT, Reuben admits, is “like herding cats.”

His solution is a rapid expansion of public/private partnerships.

Reuben points to infrastructure grades as evidence the US needs a new approach. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, US roads earn a D+ and bridges a C.

Other countries rely heavily on PPPs. Between 1990 and 2006:

• United Kingdom: $50 billion in transportation projects funded through PPPs

• United States: just $10 billion

Does this mean more paid parking?

With a public/private partnership, any of the “private” side that comes into the picture, isn’t going to come in without a return on investment. Despite the fact that every private business relies on the safe movement of tractor trailers, rent, property taxes, and employee salaries come due. Something can’t come from nothing.

Reuben doesn’t deny this. In fact, he all but confirmed that paid parking would likely be part of the equation.

That said, he insists it doesn’t have to be the only revenue source.

Still, he acknowledges the reality on the ground: without driver buy in, the plan fails.

Truckers have a say

Three years is not a long runway to build 1,000 facilities.

Right now, the Advisory Board is “hot mapping” the country to identify the areas with the most urgent parking shortages. Next comes coordination with state DOTs, cost estimates, and identifying private investors.

Reuben says stakeholder input is critical, and that includes the industry’s largest stakeholder, truck drivers.

If you’ve got ideas, concerns, or strong opinions about how truck parking should be built, or paid for, now is the time to speak up. Email: 📧 [email protected] with all of your ideas!

What do you think? For Driver Submissions, questions, and comments contact me at: [email protected] or Text me directly at 423-275-2444

Tale Lites Throwback

My relative Francis R. Lombard was the Editor of Tale Lites, here’s some of his own life advice!

📝 Florida Moves Driver License Exams to English Only Starting Feb. 6

Florida is making a change on how driver’s license exams are administered statewide, which would include CDLs

Beginning Friday, Feb. 6, all Florida driver’s license knowledge and skills exams will be conducted exclusively in English, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). The policy applies to all license classifications, including oral exams, and language translation services or interpreters will no longer be permitted.

Florida previously offered knowledge exams for most non commercial licenses in multiple languages. Commercial Learner’s Permit and Commercial Driver License knowledge tests were available in English and Spanish. Under the new system, all exams, commercial and non-commercial, must now be taken in English only.

FLHSMV says the update is part of a statewide overhaul of its driver testing system. Any printed exams in languages other than English are being removed, and the policy applies not only at state offices but also to third party testing providers.

The change could have a significant impact. According to the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office, 37% of driver’s license skills tests in 2025, more than 13,500 exams, were administered in languages other than English.

The announcement has already sparked political reaction. Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback said on X that he would go even further if elected, stating he would revoke licenses issued to anyone who did not test in English.

The policy shift also comes as immigration enforcement legislation advances in the Florida Senate. A proposed bill, SB 86, would require law enforcement to take undocumented truck drivers into custody and coordinate their transfer to federal immigration authorities. The bill would also mandate impounding commercial vehicles involved and impose $50,000 fines on truck owners.

That legislation follows a deadly August 2025 crash in St. Lucie County involving a truck driver who attempted a U-turn on the Florida Turnpike. Three people were killed.

📩 What are your thoughts?
Reply to this email or text (423) 275-2444 

🩺 Health Tip of the Week: End Your Shower Cold

End your shower with 30–60 seconds of cold water. 🚿❄️

Doing this has several benefits:

• Boosts alertness: That cold blast wakes up your nervous system.

• Improves circulation: Blood flow ramps up as your body responds to the cold.

• Trains stress tolerance: Teaches your body to stay calm under mild stress.

• May improve sleep: The cold triggers a slight drop in core body temperature afterward, which can signal your body it’s time to rest, making it easier to fall asleep, especially helpful for drivers who switch shifts.

You don’t need to stay under freezing water. Just 30–60 seconds at the end of your normal shower is enough. Focus on slow, controlled breathing to get the full benefit without the shock feeling overwhelming. In through the nose, and out through the mouth.

Partner Post of the Week

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