Can paid truck parking save drivers money?

Most truckers refuse to pay to park, but truck parking operators claim a reserved parking system will save drivers money.

According to an OOIDA Foundation survey, 58% of truckers said they do not use paid parking. The main reason for avoiding paying for truck parking is it is too expensive, costs are too high and rates are too low.

Drivers also refuse to pay for parking on principle, calling it “ridiculous.” Other reasons include no need (home often, regional/local runs), spots are taken and a preference for rest areas.

Paid truck parking is viewed by many in the private sector as part of the solution to the nationwide parking shortage. But Charles Sperry, a research analyst at the OOIDA Foundation, told Land Line Now that does not seem to be the case.

“Largely, it appears that people are trying to more take advantage of the situation by putting forward paid parking,” Sperry said. “So if you don’t really have any other alternative, you’re kind of forced into it rather than attempting to make paid parking actually attractive by providing goods and services that make it worth your money.”

For those who do pay for truck parking, they use paid spots about five or six times per month on average. Drivers typically spend about $18 each time they use paid parking. For owner-operators operating under their own authority, drivers are either just eating that expense or writing it off as a business expense.

Sperry said that many paid truck parking lots are being built in inconvenient locations where land is relatively cheap. Those locations are not necessarily where truckers are, like distribution centers, for example.

Even worse, Sperry said truckers are complaining about having free truck parking in the past only to be told they now have to pay for it. However, that money is not getting them anything new.

“They’re not really getting anything more out of the deal other than just a parking space,” Sperry said. “It just feels to most of our members that responded that people are simply trying to gouge them for more money. And that’s the general feel that we get from this survey.”

Time and money wasted

Accounting for all truck parking, paid and unpaid, the nationwide shortage is costing truck drivers valuable time.

About six in 10 said they have to shut down early because they are worried about finding a parking spot. On average, truckers are losing about nine driving hours each week due to this.

Owner-operators under their own authority are less likely to stop early, with less than half saying they do. On the other hand, two-thirds of leased-on or company drivers do shut down early.

When it comes to finding a truck parking spot, experience can play a significant role. When asked how they plan for parking, nearly three-quarters of respondents said they’re knowledgeable about their area. Nearly a third use a mobile app to find parking. Other methods of finding parking include parking at a customer’s lot, driving mostly at night or using highway message boards. Some drivers said they do not plan and just drive and hope for the best.

What do truck drivers want at a truck parking facility? Nearly three-quarters want clean restrooms and a shower, whereas two-thirds want access to food and amenities. Two-thirds also consider the location of the lot. Unfortunately, too many paid parking facilities offer none of those amenities and conveniences.

Time and money saved

Although truck drivers see paid parking as another financial burden, those who own and manage those spaces argue that they actually save drivers money.

In November, Women In Trucking hosted a truck parking panel that included parking executives and truck drivers. Paid parking was a hot topic, with Truck Parking Club CEO Evan Shelley and Trux Parking Chief Operating Officer Joey Goodman defending the business model.

As the OOIDA Foundation survey reveals, truckers are wasting time and money looking for truck parking. For Shelley, this is where paid, reserved parking comes in. Shelley said reserved parking allows truck drivers to maximize driving hours by knowing they have a spot near their final destination. Truckers can save both time and fuel by not having to drive around looking for a spot.

“Ultimately, what we’ve been doing is educating drivers on the fact that they can get hours further down the road,” Shelley said. “Yes, it does cost money, but what is two hours further down the road worth to that driver?”

According to weekly surveys conducted by Truck Parking Club, although drivers are paying between $20 and $40 for truck parking, they are saving $13.50 on average in time, fuel and the efficiencies of getting farther down the road.

Goodman said the trucking industry cannot wait for government grants. He claimed his company can build truck parking spaces in half the time for half the cost.

“I understand it costs; I understand it’s not free. But we can just do it so much more effectively, so much quicker,” Goodman said.

Essentially, paid truck parking could expedite the creation of much-needed parking spaces while providing truckers with more efficient operations. Companies cashing in on the parking crisis are arguing that $20 for a spot is more of an investment.

Fight for your right

OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh emphasized the importance of truckers engaging with lawmakers in efforts to expand truck parking capacity.

Although OOIDA has accomplished a lot on Capitol Hill by pushing the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, Pugh said that the Association has limited resources and that progress will require industrywide efforts encouraging lawmakers to support the bill. Truckers can do just that by sending messages to their lawmakers via FightingForTruckers.com.

“Get involved,” Pugh said. “That’s how we get this done and that’s how we’re going to get it done. It’s going to take all of us.”

He added that shippers and receivers need to start allowing truckers to park at their yards when the space is available. And with their huge parking lots, unused sports stadiums are another untapped resource at the local level. LL