The Iowa Department of Transportation is working on a new system to help truckers find parking by erecting electronic road signs displaying the number of spots available at both public rest areas and private truck stops.

IDOT announced the new system, called the truck parking information management system, on December 6th as part of an initiative with Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin as a way to help truckers make “safer, more timely parking decisions.”

According to the IDOT press release, the system will be implemented along Interstate 80 and will collect the truck parking information using sensors in the pavement before broadcasting the parking information on electronic road signs, Iowa’s 511 system, and in a “data feed that can be used in existing and future in-cab routing systems, [including] a hands-free Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration-compliant mobile app.”

“We are committed to providing the means for safe, efficient, and convenient travel throughout the state. Having this system in place will help truck drivers better manage their hours of service and provide a safer, more efficient travel experience for motorists along I-80,” said Phil Mescher, an Iowa DOT transportation planner.

“Availability and awareness of available truck parking is an ongoing national highway safety concern, which our system will address head-on.”

Iowa’s system is expected to be fully operational by Jan. 4, 2019, and will eventually be interconnected with the truck parking information management systems of the other participating states.