Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026:
$200M in truck parking coming to 12 states
The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday announced $200 million in grants awarded to a dozen states to expand truck parking.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the investments are being made through the Department’s Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects (INFRA) program.
“American truckers are finally getting the attention and support they deserve thanks to President Trump,” Duffy said. “These patriotic men and women work hard to ensure our store shelves are stocked, our gas stations are fueled, and our packages are delivered. They shouldn’t have to spend over an hour looking for a safe place to rest at the end of the day. This nationwide investment will make America’s truckers safer, enhance our supply chains, and reduce freight costs.”
The investments are going toward 14 truck parking projects in 12 states, including:
- $27.7 million to the Minnesota Department of Transportation to design and construct a new rest area with approximately 63 commercial motor vehicle (CMV) parking spaces and approximately 60 passenger vehicle parking spaces near Fergus Falls. The facility will serve both directions of I-94 and will replace a nearby rest area that was closed due to recurring flooding.
- $24.5 million to the Iowa Department of Transportation to expand and modernize truck parking at six public rest areas along I-80 in Mitchellville, Wilton, Victor, Minden, and Underwood.
- $23.9 million to the Greater Nashville Regional Council to expand truck parking along major freight corridors (I-40 and I-24) near Nashville and Knoxville. New parking areas will be built at five Pilot Travel Center locations to accommodate approximately 500 trucks. Parking areas will be accessible free of charge, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and will include amenities.
- $23 million to the Arkansas Department of Transportation complete the final design and construction of a new safety rest area and truck parking facility along future I-49 in Crawford County, Arkansas, between the Gun Club Road and Clear Creek Road interchanges. The facility will feature dedicated parking infrastructure accommodating approximately 137 trucks and approximately 49 passenger vehicles.
Other states receiving grants, with award amounts ranging from $5 million to $15 million, include California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, Nebraska, Texas and Wisconsin. A full list of the new INFRA grants can be viewed here.
“Truck parking is one of the most persistent challenges faced by American truckers today, and under President Trump and Secretary Duffy, we’re tackling it head on,” said Federal Motor Carrier Administrator Derek Barrs. “This investment will deliver hundreds of new spots across the country, helping hardworking truck drivers get the rest they need and reducing dangerous roadside parking on some of America’s most important corridors.”
The American Trucking Associations applauded the DOT’s investment, noting that truck parking “is not simply a matter of convenience,” but instead “It is a critical safety and supply chain issue that affects every truck driver and every motorist on our highways,” said ATA Chief Advocacy & Public Affairs Officer Henry Hanscom.
“We applaud Secretary Duffy and USDOT for making this significant investment and following through on a longstanding commitment to address one of trucking’s most persistent challenges,” Hanscom added. “These projects will help hardworking professional drivers find places to rest when they need it, improve the efficiency of freight movement, and make our roads safer for everyone.”
[Related: Trucker Path stats highlight truck parking availability]
Warrior Logistics begins autonomous hauls with Waabi
Autonomous trucking tech company Waabi and Warrior Logistics on Wednesday, Oct. 14, announced a commercial partnership to move routine customer freight via Waabi Driver-powered autonomous trucks along the Dallas to Houston corridor.
The trucks are supporting recurring shipments for companies across food and beverage, consumer goods, and other freight categories.Waabi
Through this partnership, Warrior has integrated a fleet of Waabi’s autonomous trucks into its logistics network, adding capacity, increasing utilization across its broader fleet, and strengthening service reliability as it responds to growing customer demand, the companies said.
“Our customers want more capacity on our core lanes, and they want it to be consistent,” said Scott McFarlane, CEO of Warrior Logistics. “Our partnership with Waabi gives us the flexibility to deliver that. Waabi Driver-powered trucks complement our professional drivers, build density on our power lanes, and add capacity on the routes that are less desirable for our drivers.”
[Related: Volvo and Waabi launch autonomous freight operations in Texas]
Since Warrior and Waabi began commercial operations earlier this year, routes completed by Waabi Driver-powered trucks have resulted in 100% on-time pick-up and delivery and zero safety incidents, the companies added, demonstrating how autonomous trucks can integrate seamlessly into existing logistics networks, improve road safety, and enable more sustainable and efficient freight operations.
“We see autonomous trucks and professional drivers working side by side in the same network,” McFarlane added. “That combination lets us say yes to more freight, expand our customer footprint, and keep our drivers on the lanes they want to run. For shippers, it means a carrier that can flex with their demand and put the customer first.”
Over the coming year, the two companies will jointly identify and develop the most strategic lanes to expand across Warrior’s network.
Waabi recently began customer operations with Volvo Autonomous Solutions, starting with Warp Technology, and has seen commercial load volumes on its Dallas–Houston route grow more than 80% this year alone.
[Related: Launching Volvo and Aurora’s ‘driverless’ VNL]
Saia opens new Long Island terminal
Saia Inc. (CCJ Top 250, No. 18) recently opened its newest terminal in Deer Park, New York, further expanding the company’s growing network across the Northeast.
The new Long Island facility enhances the company’s ability to serve customers throughout Long Island and the greater New York metropolitan area while providing additional capacity to support growing shipping demand, Saia noted.
Strategically located in Deer Park, the terminal strengthens connectivity between Long Island businesses and Saia’s nationwide network, helping improve service efficiency, freight movement and market coverage throughout the region. The facility also positions Saia to better support customers operating in one of the country’s most densely populated and economically significant markets.
“Long Island is an important market for our customers, and this investment reflects our ongoing commitment to expanding our network where service, capacity and connectivity matter most,” said Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Ray Ramu. “This new terminal strengthens our presence in the Northeast and enables us to deliver the reliable service, and operational excellence customers expect from Saia.”
