Illinois may soon be home to the world’s largest truck stop — at least according to number of parking spots.
Outpost, an Austin, Texas-based company is set to open a 30-acre truck stop in West Dundee in mid- to late October, said Pat Hardin, Outpost’s VP of revenue and operations.
“Chicago is really the crown jewel of transportation in this country,” Hardin said Monday. “[And West Dundee] has access to the city without hitting the city traffic.”
The company says the more than 1,000 tractor-trailer spaces will make it the largest truck parking yard in the country — surpassing the more than 900 parking spots at the Iowa 80 Truckstop in Walcott, Iowa, which claims to be the world’s largest truck stop.
However, the Iowa stop will still beat out the new Illinois lot when it comes to size. It boasts 220 acres — home to stores, restaurants, repair shops and a dealership — compared to the Dundee stop’s 30 acres.
Hardin said they want drivers to use the lot as a “home base” and for companies to use it for staging; it will also serve as short-term parking for truckers. A convenience store, office space, maintenance shop, truck wash and fueling station are all set to be added by the spring.
A 2020 Federal Highway Administration study found 95% of truck drivers say they struggle to find parking. It also highlighted the Chicago area as one of the worst in the nation for truck parking shortages, with the state of Illinois losing parking capacity for semis between 2014 and 2019.
A federal bill aiming to provide $755 million in funding for increasing safe and legal parking spaces for truckers was introduced in March 2021 but has yet to make it out of committee.
“We want anybody who can help to help,” Hardin said. “Public and private partnerships will ultimately make the U.S. supply chain more efficient, that’s the goal. It can’t just be prioritized at one level.”
As for the title of the World’s Largest Truck Stop, Hardin said that’s for the public to decide.
“I think we’ll let everyone else determine who has the most appropriate title,” he said with a laugh.