Referring to the lack of truck parking as a “national concern,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said the administration will utilize the 2021 infrastructure law to address the problem.

In a Sept. 29 letter to OOIDA President Todd Spencer, Buttigieg outlined some of the ways his department plans to tackle the issue.

“The U.S. Department of Transportation shares your view that truck parking shortages are a national concern affecting the safety and well-being of truck drivers and other roadway users, as well as air quality, energy use, and the efficiency of U.S. supply chains,” Buttigieg wrote.

In February, OOIDA and ATA sent Buttigieg a joint letter asking the DOT to take steps to end the truck parking crisis.

Buttigieg’s response shared the trucking groups’ sentiment about the parking shortage being a safety issue.