NMDOT Unveils the First Truck Parking Availability System in the State

The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) has completed a $2.7 million truck parking initiative, unveiling the state’s first Truck Parking Availability System (TPAS). This is groundbreaking technology and is a critical tool to enhance safety for truck drivers traveling the 164 miles of Interstate 10 (I-10) in New Mexico.

Truck drivers can now use electronic road signs and the state's 511 system to locate available parking at all six rest areas along I-10 in New Mexico, including the east and westbound Lordsburg Welcome Centers, westbound Anthony and Gage rest areas, and the eastbound Yucca and Las Cruces rest areas. The state will also work with application developers to integrate truck parking information into various trucking apps. 

Most truck drivers say finding safe parking is a major concern. According to a poll conducted in 2020 by the I-10 Corridor Coalition, 78 percent of drivers spend more than 30 minutes searching for safe parking. The lack of safe parking often leads to many drivers parking on shoulders, ramps, or other dangerous places. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that drowsy truck drivers were involved in approximately 13 percent of the nation's 5000 fatal truck crashes in 2019.

The project is part of the I-10 Truck Parking Availability System (TPAS) initiative, partially funded by a $6.85 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant and matched 1:1 by the I-10 Coalition states to provide truck drivers and dispatchers with real-time truck parking information on I-10 in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. When fully implemented in 2025, TPAS will provide truck drivers with information on more than 550 parking spots at 37 public rest areas along I-10 in all four states. For more information, visit: www.i10connects.com or https://www.dot.nm.gov/travel-information/trucking-industry/tpas/