PR exec suggests poor planning by truckers to blame for parking issues

As many drivers can attest, finding a safe place to park your truck can often take up more time than you’d like. Could the answer be a simple as planning ahead? According to Brentwood, Tenn.-based advertising agency Conversion Interactive Agency and People. Data. Analytics, it would be a good start.

A recent driver survey released by the two companies asked truckers a variety of questions regarding parking, recruiting, retention and other concerns. A total of 1,214 professional drivers responded to the survey.

Among the questions, drivers were asked how long it normally takes them to find parking. Over half of the drivers surveyed, 54.3%, indicated it takes 30 minutes or less to find parking. Additionally, 31.8% of drivers said their time to find parking was under 15 minutes.

Scott Dismuke, vice president of operations for PDA, said that drivers can avoid longer wait times by planning ahead.

“While we clearly know from other data and surveys that parking is a problem, the results of this survey seem to indicate that drivers that don’t plan ahead are the ones that have the biggest issue finding parking,” Dismuke said in a news release.

While there is something to be said for drivers needing to factor parking time into their routes, in the trucking industry time is very literally money.

Tom Crowley is a regulatory and compliance expert with the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. He says this put drivers at a disadvantage, being forced to cut into their available hours to allot for time spent finding parking.

“I’ve heard that before, and I don’t care for it. Because, as a driver, you’re paid by the mile,” Crowley told Land Line. “You gotta get miles to make money, so you want to drive as close to your 11 as you can.”

Crowley says drivers understandably look to maximize their available working hours by planning routes that take them near the end of their 11 hours. However, far too often drivers are met with an absence of parking when they reach their destinations. He says even drivers that plan ahead can feel the pinch when it comes to truck parking.

“Did I not plan? No, I planned on getting there before my 11 hours were up,” he said. “I got there. Now what? There’s no place to park. Is that because I didn’t plan well enough? Or is it that because I didn’t start looking for a spot at 9 hours instead of 10 and a half?”

According to Crowley, there is another flaw in the “plan better” theory. He says many drivers, despite careful planning, can still be met with issues. Part of the problem is simply unpredictability.

“I’ve heard that for years, ‘plan better,’” he said. “There’s no way for me to see what’s 600 miles away from me.

Ideas other than ‘better planning’

The survey asked drivers how their carrier could most help with truck parking. Of the responses, 36.6% of drivers believe having their parking paid for would be a benefit. An additional 23.7% of responses would like carriers to provide locations to park.

Paid parking is often more widely available than free options. Most major truck stops have options to reserve and pay for parking ahead of time. Crowley says being solely responsible for parking puts an unfair burden on the driver. In his opinion, carriers should be doing their part to help mitigate parking issues for drivers.

“What gives carriers the right to think that they get free real estate? That they get a place to park their truck for free,” Crowley said. “That’s not a popular opinion, and I didn’t like paying for parking when I was out there, but there wasn’t anyone reimbursing me for it. So why should carriers get to think they can park for free?

Driver retention and recruitment

Another interesting note from the survey is that a large percentage of drivers say they are not seeking new jobs. Among the responses, 62.4% say they are not looking for a truck driving job. The most common reason for why drivers aren’t seeking new jobs was money. According to the survey, 35.9% of drivers said they weren’t looking for a new job because they like the pay at their current carrier.

However, when drivers do look to change jobs, the survey indicates they turn to their fellow drivers to find the best carriers. Among those surveyed, 71.6% said that online driver reviews were among the top three influences in choosing who to drive for.

Kelley Walkup, president and CEO of Conversion Interactive Agency, said carriers need to embrace online recruitment efforts in order to survive.

“This is a pivotal moment for the trucking industry. We are living in the digital age of driver recruiting and carriers that have not adopted innovative technologies are going to fall behind,” Walkup said in a news release. “Truck drivers are creating online communities and basing their career choices on the reviews of other drivers. They are using social and digital media to look for new driving jobs, and the technology is constantly evolving.”

Despite drivers preferring to begin their job search online, the survey indicates that truckers would prefer a more personal approach once the ball is rolling. Nearly 60% of drivers said they prefer a phone call to electronic communication when communicating with driver recruiters during the recruiting process. LL