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Nobody likes to look for parking spaces, but if you’re driving an 18-wheeler truck, you’ll absolutely dread parking. But the hours-long search for a good parking spot is inevitable for truckers in the USA. According to a 2019 Jason Law Report, a whopping 98% of drivers have trouble finding safe parking, up from 75% in 2015. But the problem is unsurprisingly not the unavailability of parking space.

So what exactly is the truck parking issue?

The problem 

There are 300,000 truck parking spaces in the USA, with over 272,000 being at private truck spots. This creates a severe parking shortage for the million trucks that hit the road daily.

Designated rest stops or parking spots in urban areas can be as far as 80 miles from the city center. The unnecessary to and fro movement of these large trucks add to the traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and driver’s fatigue.

To make it worse, residential neighborhoods have an unfortunate lack of compassion for these truck drivers.

There are many “No Vehicles, No Trespassing” signs installed in vacant lots where truckers could park. People even put up piles of dirt to prevent trucks from parking in these spaces.

A possible solution

Considering the numerous safety hazards that the truck parking issue can cause, people have come up with a few possible solutions that are yet to be implemented by authorities.

• Park with a shipper

Many shippers offer parking spaces to truck drivers for rest or breaks. This earns them good credit among weary drivers, reducing their carrier shortage issues. Truck drivers can use the loading dock locations on these shippers to park in a safe environment. Rising freight demand and a shortage of drivers have allowed a few shippers to adopt this unique solution.

• Sharing spaces

In most cities, there are plenty of “dead spaces”, like shopping malls with largely unused parking lots. These spaces are buzzing with vehicles during the day but are mostly empty at night after the stores close. Local governments can coordinate with the owners of shopping malls, stadiums, and other facilities with excess parking to accommodate truck drivers during their non-operational hours.

• Smart parking solutions 

A smart parking app can make things much easier. It can help drivers locate parking spots and rest spaces on their planned routes. They can also use it to reserve a spot in advance at safe and preferred locations.

With Get My Parking, parking lot owners can integrate their existing parking equipment with a custom-branded parking app and a powerful admin solution. Truck drivers can use the app to find, book, and park large trucks without having to spend hours finding a spot that fits.

Also Read: Why Parking Issues Should Matter to Cities

Final thoughts 

These 18-wheeler trucks play a key role in keeping the US economy running. They carry most of the load that helps shops, vendors, and companies across industries seamlessly run their businesses. Ensuring their comfort and privileges during work is an important part of keeping the system healthy and functional.

In the meantime, business owners and the government must work together and implement unique solutions to alleviate the trucker’s parking problems. Their coordinated effort combined with smart parking solutions can gradually help regain equilibrium in the trucking industry and improve supply chains across the country.

GMP’s smart parking platform includes a Fleet Parking module to streamline parking for large groups of vehicles. Check out our website or contact us at sales@getmyparking.com to know more!