Support for the Long Haul: The PA Turnpike and Trucking Community
This month’s Trucker Appreciation Week presents a great opportunity to demonstrate the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s gratitude for the freight haulers and drivers who choose our roadway. It’s also an opportunity to highlight investments that strengthen relationships and improve productivity year-round.
Truckers continue to show high levels of overall satisfaction with the PA Turnpike, with more than 82% rating their experience ‘very good’ or ‘good,” according to our May 2025 trucking community survey.
As customer expectations for quick, efficient delivery continue to propel trucking service, warehouse and distribution center demand, preserving critical infrastructure like the PA Turnpike helps the trucking community meet these challenges.
Managing growth
Systemwide, commercial traffic is 15% higher than pre-pandemic levels, a statistic we attribute to our role supporting regional logistical operations, providing direct routes from the Midwest to the East Coast and connecting major interstate highways.
As a result, truck parking remains a significant challenge. Though no single entity can solve this nationwide issue, we’ve invested more than $29 million over the last seven years to expand truck parking by more than 160 new spots at three key service plazas.
We’re also actively collaborating to improve the travel experience for commercial drivers, using emerging technologies and seeking partnerships to better support both driver safety and logistics efficiency.
Driver productivity is also in our sights. The PA Turnpike partnered with Drivewyze’s Smart Roadway program and INRIX to provide commercial truck drivers with real-time alerts for slowdowns and congestion. Our automated traffic management software is integrated with wayfinding apps like 511PA, Google Maps and Waze, and Trimble Maps includes our truck parking feed.
Enhancing information
In March, we debuted a new text messaging service, providing quick answers when traffic unexpectedly stops. Once at a complete stop, text “info” to 47676 and follow the prompts to verify your location using GPS. The PA Turnpike’s Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) uses geofencing to verify customers' locations and incident status. Once confirmed, the service provides automated, location-based information, including anticipated clearance times and roadway updates every 15-20 minutes until the incident is resolved.
Recently, we launched a version of our “The Road Ahead” newsletter specifically for the trucking community. This easy-to-read publication includes articles, key information and news to keep drivers moving.
These enhancements join long-time, customer-valued services, such a dedicated commercial section on the PA Turnpike website and round-the-clock driver assistance via *11.
Building for the future
Our decade-long journey to modernized operations that meet customer expectations for seamless, non-stop travel culminated in January’s Open Road Tolling launch east of Reading and along the entire Northeast Extension.
With this shift, the PA Turnpike shed weight-based vehicle classification while standardizing toll rates systemwide. We now align with nationwide norms, improving toll predictability, particularly for interstate drivers.
Standardized toll rates also make it easier for large and small companies to anticipate and budget toll expenses. The PA Turnpike’s online Toll Calculator provides precise toll charges, factoring in vehicle class and distance traveled.
This investment in nonstop travel brings benefits including lower vehicle exhaust emissions, less fuel use and a cleaner environment. Additionally, removal of existing toll plazas and infrastructure means fewer obstructions and less congestion entering or exiting our system, which can cause additional crashes due to stop-and-go traffic.
For nearly 85 years, the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s been the trucking community’s connection to Pennsylvania and beyond. We’re honored to celebrate the crucial role professional truck drivers play in safely and securely delivering America’s freight.
Let’s Stay Connected
Sign up for the PA Turnpike’s digital trucking industry newsletter, “The Road Ahead.” This publication offers the news you need to navigate our roadway and make the most of its amenities.