SMART PARKING: Truck parking going mobile in Tennessee

Truckers traveling I-75 in eastern Tennessee will be able to spend less time searching for places to park and rest thanks to a new smartphone-based technology being built by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).

The SmartPark pilot program is the brainchild of TDOT and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to help reduce trucker fatigue. Two parking sites along I-75 are being set up with monitoring equipment that will allow truck drivers to see on their smartphones in real time if spaces are available. Once both sites are set up, the idea is that drivers will be diverted from one site to the other when spaces fill up. Users can also reserve parking spaces online ahead of time.

One of the test sites is already operational, and TDOT hopes to have the other one up and running within a few weeks. The pilot project is expected to last six months.