Key takeaways:
- 43% of drivers surveyed by DEKRA spend 30–60 minutes looking for parking, while 24% need more than an hour.
- Almost two-thirds have repeatedly had to park on slip roads, access roads or hard shoulders.
- The EU has around 380,000 truck parking spaces, but only 4,943 currently meet the EU Safe and Secure Parking Area standard.
- The European Commission estimates a shortage of 390,057 spaces, potentially rising to 483,000 by 2040.
DEKRA surveyed around 100 professional drivers of different nationalities for its 2026 Road Safety Report, Workplace Road Traffic. More than half of the participants had worked in the transport industry for over a decade. The results suggest that finding somewhere to stop has itself become a significant part of the working day.
Some 43% said they needed an average of between 30 and 60 minutes to find a parking space, while another 24% spent more than an hour searching. DEKRA said the problem becomes particularly acute between 3pm and 5pm. Germany was identified by respondents as particularly difficult. Drivers blamed both the shortage of HGV spaces and bays being occupied by cars or other vehicles.
More than half of those surveyed said they regularly drove an additional 20 kilometres or more simply to find somewhere to stop.
The problem creates a difficult situation for drivers approaching the end of their permitted driving time. They cannot simply continue driving indefinitely in search of a space, but stopping in an unsuitable location can create a separate road-safety risk. Almost two-thirds of those surveyed said they had repeatedly been forced to park on access roads, exit ramps or hard shoulders because proper spaces were unavailable.
DEKRA accident researcher Luis Ancona warned that HGVs parked in such locations can themselves become an accident hazard.
Finding a space does not necessarily mean finding safety
The survey also highlights another problem: even after drivers manage to park, many do not feel secure. Sixty per cent identified a lack of CCTV surveillance as the biggest security concern, followed by inadequate lighting. Around one-third cited the absence of police or security personnel.
Approximately half said they deliberately avoided certain rest areas because of previous incidents involving vehicle break-ins, cargo theft, vandalism or physical attacks.
Digital parking tools are already widely used: around two-thirds of respondents said they use apps to help find spaces. However, attitudes towards paying for guaranteed parking were mixed. Some 22% would pay up to €5, while 20% were unwilling to pay anything; roughly one-third said their decision would depend on the location.
Drivers also raised concerns about sanitary facilities, parking and shower charges and the availability of proper places to rest.
Europe is hundreds of thousands of spaces short
DEKRA’s findings come against the backdrop of a much wider European shortage. A European Commission-backed study estimates that there are around 380,000 truck parking spaces across approximately 6,500 parking areas in the EU. However, only 4,943 spaces at 35 sites are currently certified under the EU Safe and Secure Parking Area standard.
The study calculated a parking capacity shortfall of 390,057 spaces, with the deficit forecast to reach around 483,000 by 2040 as road freight demand grows. France, Germany, the Benelux countries, Spain, Italy and Central Europe are among the areas facing particularly severe shortages.
The European Commission says inadequate parking affects not only drivers’ safety and working conditions, but also road safety and logistics efficiency. EU rules require Member States to develop certified safe and secure parking areas along the core and extended core TEN-T road network by the end of 2040.
The Commission has proposed measures including upgrading existing parking sites to minimum security standards, incorporating parking provision into national transport plans and continuing EU financial support for new facilities.
