Intelligent Imaging Systems (IIS) has completed the installation of its Smart Parking solutions for trucks at rest stops in Ohio as part of the USA’s first Regional Truck Parking Information Management System (TPIMS).
IIS is a supplier and integrator of some of the industry’s most advanced imaging systems available, providing transportation and law enforcement agencies with the tools to be more efficient and effective in their commercial vehicle management and operations.
The company’s Ohio installations are part of the Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) initiative, which unites eight Midwestern states in the region’s TPIMS program. Through IIS Smart Parking, 18 reststops along Ohio’s Interstates 70, 75 and US Route 33 were fitted with in-ground sensors, which provide information on how many parking spots are open and available for use.
That information is then relayed and broadcast in real time on highway variable message signs (VMS) so truck drivers will know the availability of parking spaces at the upcoming rest stop.
The IIS Smart Parking locations join others implemented through MAASTO to provide truckers with parking availability. The TPIMS was deployed along the region’s high-volume freight corridors through Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Its goal is to have all truck drivers, dispatchers and others see and benefit from a cohesive parking availability system that crosses state borders. In addition to dynamic highway message signs, websites and smartphone apps, such as those offered by IIS’s sister company Drivewyze, will provide information on parking space availability.
“This service is badly needed in the trucking industry,” said Brian Heath, president and CEO of IIS. “Parking is a huge concern for drivers. Studies by the Federal Highway Administration show that 83% of drivers routinely take 30 minutes or longer to find parking and that 37 DOTs reported problems with commercial parking.
“The real-time display of parking spots at rest areas gives drivers time to plan. In Ohio, it’s set up where a highway reader board shows the number of spots available at the upcoming rest area, and in many cases, it shows the spots available at the rest areas that are further down the road. This takes out a lot of the guesswork of ‘where do I park?’ Plus, if a rest area is full, the driver doesn’t have to pull in and search, wasting time trying to find a spot that doesn’t exist.”
IIS’s partner in the venture, IPsens, is a leader in cloud-based parking and transportation management solutions. The company’s president, Gorm Tuxen, commented, “Our hardware and parking management software integrates well with IIS to make for a turnkey solution for state DOTs. We look forward to working with more states, putting our technology to work to make a difference in the lives of truckers searching for parking spots.”
