Lual Akoon has a love-hate relationship with his job as a long-haultruck driver. He relishes the freedom of working when he wants to and enjoys meeting people while traveling across the United States.
But every day when he's on the road, Akoon said he experiences the biggest downside of his job: parking anxiety.
Like many truckers, Akoon, 46, of Fridley, said he often struggles to find a place to pull off when he has reached his federally mandated 11-hour driving limit. That is particularly true in Minnesota, which he calls one of the worst states for truckers.
"It's a constant worry," said Akoon, who immigrated to the United States from South Sudan and has been a truck driver since 2016. "That is a big problem. We need truck parking."
A 2019 report from the Minnesota Department of Transportation stated "there is a clear public need and business case for increased truck parking in Minnesota." MnDOT should consider ways to fund truck parking and actively seek federal grants, the report stated.
The Minnesota Trucking Association in concert with the American Trucking Associations recently sent a letter to Gov. Tim Walz asking him "to prioritize and address this serious safety problem" and seek out federal funding and grants the U.S. Department of Transportation makes available for states to build new truck parking capacity at rest areas or adjacent to private facilities.
"Take actions as necessary to ensure that truck drivers have a safe place to sleep when they are out on the road delivering more than 70% of America's freight," the letter said.
A spokeswoman for the governor said he received and will review the letter.
