$200M Truck Parking Grants: Can Private Landowners Benefit?

Most of the new federal truck parking money cannot go straight to a private landowner. The $200 million that USDOT awarded on October 14, 2026 goes to public agencies and public-private partnerships. A private owner can still profit by partnering with a public sponsor, or by building paid truck parking near the corridors where demand is clearly documented.

What USDOT announced on October 14

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $200 million for 14 truck parking projects in 12 states. The money comes from the INFRA program (Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects).

Three numbers matter for owners:

• $200 million for truck parking in this round.
• 14 projects in 12 states.
• 2,403 new spaces across those projects, per FreightWaves' tally.

USDOT says it has put more than $300 million into truck parking grants since April 2025. That total includes $62 million in BUILD grants in July 2026 for Kentucky, Wyoming, Louisiana, Mississippi and Illinois.

The $200 million was a set-aside. It was Track 2 of a $626.7 million FY 2026 INFRA funding round, according to ENR. Projects had to sit within reasonable access of an interstate, the National Highway System or the National Highway Freight Network.

Who can receive the money

The grant goes to a public applicant. FreightWaves reports that, per the INFRA FAQ, only public entities or public-private partnerships may receive parking funds.

The public applicant can bring in a private partner for three jobs:

1. Development of the site.
2. Capacity expansion at an existing site.
3. Operations and maintenance after it opens.

This round shows the model at work. The City of Fort Worth won funds for about 100 new spaces at a Pilot Travel Center on I-35. The Tennessee award also places spaces at Pilot locations. A public sponsor applied. A private site carries the spaces.

Why the shortage is real

The shortage is not a talking point. It is in the federal data.

• USDOT says 40% of truckers spend more than an hour a day looking for parking.
• FHWA's Jason's Law survey documented more than 300,000 truck parking spaces nationwide.
• Only about 36,000 of those are public, mostly at rest areas and welcome centers.
• More than 272,000 are private, at truck stops.
• Over 75% of drivers said they regularly have trouble finding safe parking when they need rest.

Source: FHWA Jason's Law Truck Parking Survey.

The rules make the need fixed, not optional. Under FMCSA hours-of-service rules, a property-carrying driver may drive 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. The driver may not drive past the 14th hour after coming on duty. A 30-minute break is required after 8 cumulative hours of driving. See the FMCSA hours-of-service card.

Every truck on the road needs a legal place to stop, on a clock. That is steady demand.

Where the new spaces are going

USDOT named these sites in its release:

• Port of Savannah, GA: about 275 commercial vehicle spaces.
• Cameron County, TX: about 305 spaces near the Los Indios Port of Entry.
• Port of Wilmington, NC: about 140 truck spaces plus about 50 container staging positions.
• Dodge County, WI (I-41): about 106 spaces.
• Fort Worth, TX (I-35): about 100 spaces.
• Iowa (I-80): expansion at six public rest areas.

The pattern is clear. Funds follow ports, border crossings and long interstate corridors. If your land sits near one of these, demand is already proven on paper.

2,403 spaces is real progress. It is still small next to a national shortage that most states report. Funded projects also take years to plan and build. Private parking near the same corridors can open sooner. It can also serve demand the public sites will never reach, such as local fleets, contractors and trailer storage.

How a private owner can take part

Use this five-step path.

1. Map your land against freight routes. Check distance to the nearest interstate exit, port, border crossing or distribution hub. INFRA required reasonable access to the interstate or freight network. Private demand follows the same logic.
2. Call your state DOT freight office and your MPO. Ask if they plan a future truck parking application. Ask if they want private sites. A public sponsor needs land and an operator. You may have both. Bring a site map, parcel size, zoning status and distance to the nearest exit. Short, factual packages get read.
3. Pick your role. You can sell or lease land to the public sponsor. You can develop and expand. Or you can operate and maintain the lot under contract.
4. Plan a private lot in parallel. Do not wait on a grant cycle. A paid truck and trailer lot can serve fleets, owner-operators and drop-trailer customers on its own. Monthly permits give steady income. Nightly spaces fill gaps. A mix of both reduces vacancy risk.
5. Design for operations from day one. Plan entry control, payment, cameras, lighting and snow removal before you pave. These drive revenue and safety more than the asphalt does.

What a truck parking site needs to work

Truck parking is not a car lot with bigger stalls. The checklist is different.

• Circulation. Trucks need pull-through paths and turning room for tractor-trailers. Bad geometry kills capacity.
• Pavement. Heavy axle loads demand a thicker section and a sound base. Drainage must keep water out of that base.
• Security. Drivers and fleets pay for safety. That means lighting, fencing, cameras and LPR at the gate.
• Access and payment. Reservations, permits and app or QR payment cut gate time and lost revenue.
• Winter plan. In mountain and northern markets, snow storage and plowing routes must be in the design.
• Amenities. Restrooms, trash and clear signage raise use and lower complaints.

How Wins Parking handles this work

Wins Parking is a family-owned company based in the Rocky Mountains. It has served owners from the Vail Valley since 2016 and works across the country.

Wins Design & Build is our construction division. It designs and builds truck, trailer and fleet lots. That covers grading, paving, striping, drainage and snow plans. We also install EV charging for fleets that are moving to electric trucks.

Our management team runs the lot after it opens. That covers permits, reservations, enforcement, LPR cameras and revenue reporting. One team carries the project from site plan to daily operations. That matters if a public sponsor needs a private partner to build and operate.

See our parking management services, our guide to fleet parking for commercial vehicles, and our case studies.

Next step

Have land near an interstate, port or freight hub? We will tell you if truck parking fits it. Call (970) 279-1744 or start at https://winsparking.com/contact. Fleets that need space now can start at https://winsparking.com/reserve.