It’s a familiar sight on highways across the U.S. — rows of semi trucks parked on the shoulder, sometimes for miles. It raises concern and curiosity among drivers and other road users. Why are so many semis lined up off-road, and is it legal or even safe?
A chronic shortage of truck parking nationwide plays a massive role. According to the authority survey on the topic, commonly called the Jason’s Law Survey, 98% of truck drivers struggle to find safe parking due to the national shortage of allocated truck parking spaces. The extent of the problem becomes clear when considering that the number of trucks on America’s roads has increased by 43%, but new truck stops have only increased by 6% for public spaces and 11% for private yards.
Most semis park at night or early morning hours to take mandatory rest breaks or avoid inclement weather. Sometimes, there’s no alternative but to park illegally on the roadside. Rest stops may be full or too far to make without violating their permissible driving hours, making it challenging for drivers to do the right thing. Popular trucking routes like the I-95 corridor often face challenges, with trucks spilling out of rest stops because they are overfull.
As with other vehicles, mechanical failure can cause a truck to break down next to the road. Flat tires, failed gears and other engine breakdowns can happen without warning. Unlike with passenger cars, towing a semi isn’t quick or cheap. If a roadside repair is required, it can take hours.
Severe weather adds to the challenge. Snowstorms, flooding and poor visibility can make continuing too risky for a truck. While it may seem wise to park on a shoulder, it can also result in fatal car accidents. Leaving a parked position can create other hazards, such as blind spots and bottlenecks.
Federal regulations influence when and why semis end up on a shoulder or beside the road. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) enforces Hours of Service (HOS) rules, which limit how long commercial drivers can operate without rest. Once a driver reaches their HOS limit, they’re required to stop and log off-duty time. Pulling over may be the only legal option if a rest stop isn’t nearby. Violating these rules can lead to steep fines, from $1,000 up to $16,000 in some cases, along with a degraded Compliance, Safety and Accountability (CSA) score and being logged as out of service.
The visibility risk becomes even greater at night. Parked semis become looming obstacles without proper reflective triangles and active hazard lights. Underride crashes — where a smaller vehicle compacts under the semi’s trailer during an accident — are among the deadliest, with mostly horrific fatalities.
The impact type, where the trailer undercarriage shears off the car roof, can be mitigated by installing guards to keep cars from sliding under during impact. However, despite their effectiveness, these are still not mandatory because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) doesn’t feel they are effective enough for nationwide implementation. The NHTSA believes the cost of outfitting trailers with guards won’t justify saving a “few” lives, as it exceeds the allowed $12.5 million per saved life, making it unprofitable to put safety first.
According to FMCSA statistics, 5,904 crash fatalities involving large trucks occurred in 2021, with 1,090 rear crashes and 529 and 341 side-impact collisions. It’s hard to believe that guards to keep smaller vehicles from ramming under trailers aren’t worth it.
The law attempts to reduce these dangers. Truckers must place reflective markers like emergency triangles and flares at specific intervals behind the truck and activate hazard flashers as soon as they stop. These steps are supposed to alert oncoming traffic and drivers approaching the truck from behind. But in practice, not all truckers follow protocol to the letter, especially when under stress or exhausted.
Initiatives like parking booking apps allow drivers to reserve parking ahead of arrival, which helps reduce roadside stopping. However, there are still insufficient truck parking stops along major highways.
For most road users, the presence of a parked 18-wheeler is a nuisance, but it’s a safety concern. Take care when passing a semi pulled up on the shoulder, especially at night or in low-visibility conditions. It might not be abandoned — it could be a driver stuck waiting out hours-of-service rules, a repair truck or someone just trying to stay safe and out of the way during a storm.
