I’ve driven 48 states and the parking situation keeps getting worse not better. What’s actually gonna fix this?
Posted by grow_trucking@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 100 comments
I’m dead serious with this one.
You roll in after 10 hours, legs are shot, eyes are burning, and every lot from here to the next exit is packed wall to wall. You end up squeezing into a ramp or praying a shipper doesn’t kick you out at 2am.
This ain’t a new problem. We’ve been screaming about it for years. But I wanna know what YOU think would actually work.
Not the political answer. The real one.
Would you pay for a guaranteed spot if you knew it was actually gonna be there when you pulled in? You think shippers should be forced to let us park in their yards after hours since half the time we’re sitting there anyway waiting on their dock? Should the government be building more dedicated truck parking along the interstates or is that just a dream at this point?
I’ve talked to guys who’ve gotten citations parking on an on ramp because there was literally nowhere else to go. That’s not a driver problem. That’s a system problem.
So what’s the fix in your mind? Real talk only. No corporate answers. Just tell me what would actually make your night easier out there?
echo78@reddit
Just build more truck only parking lots on the side of interstates/major US/state highways. Seriously, once the highway leaves the urban area just throw some pavement down every 15 miles or so for parking. Don’t even necessarily need any facilities, just a paved lot. Maybe have a dumpster for truckers to not actually throw their trash in.
Like I know these kind of truck only parking areas exist but there needs to be way more.
TruckinTuba@reddit
Wyoming has tons of these, mostly because they close I80 all the time but 😅
SpiritualFlamingo599@reddit
Currently taking my 10 in nebraska after drivibg through wyoming for the first time and i was wondering why there were so many. Why does i80 close so often? Is it cause of the winds?
TruckinTuba@reddit
Yes, I once got stuck for 3 days, be cause my flatbed load of insulation only weighed 6,000 pounds, winds were above 50 MPH
Ricemunchr@reddit
catch some of them on the 15 going through utah before slc lol
Haunting-Skin@reddit
Some, but not near as many 😂
Physical-Standard-69@reddit
I like what PA has done along the turnpike, pullouts every few miles, along with service plazas, pullouts have enough room for 5+ trucks, usually. Adding a port-a pottie would be nice as well.
Round_Rooms@reddit
And then the four wheeler taking up an entire lane should be towed.
ashen_queen13@reddit
Literally stopped in one like 2 hours ago for a quick piss and snack break and in the span of that 20-30 minutes, seven whole cars came through taking up spots. Man i was so mad, like there was literally an exit with truck stops and gas stations like 2 miles before this rest area but nooooo they want to go to the truck only rest area and take up spots when they have options and we dont. Sometimes they really test my restraint against the urge to just shove them out of the spots with my truck, but I don't feel like losing my job or getting arrested 🙃
Round_Rooms@reddit
Your rage is heard by every CDL operator, if everyone was required to have a CDL the world would be better except for dump trucks, I think there is a prereque for being a giant turd to operate one.
Syllables_17@reddit
So easy to pay for too.
Start fining all these companies employing illegal migrants along with running dangerous vehicles.
Sincerely we won't fix anything untill we fine the companies raking it in create dangers for us all.
deezkeys098@reddit
Yea the government wants to keep building whole rest areas when we only need literally leveled out ground with gravel layer on top to park and a couple porta potties
meizhong@reddit
Should be required by federal law. If the federal government is requiring us to stop for 10 hour breaks (which I mostly agree they should), then they should have to provide a place to stop.
Itsalmostover71@reddit
Hey! My azz is velcroed to this seat! Pfft this driver eh? Get out of the truck, that’s a hoot! There’s scary stuff out there driver, ain’t getting out, heck no, might catch something. Oh wait I already did 🤣🤣 enjoy the ride driver, 🤣
Sabre_Stryke@reddit
"Encourage" states to reopen all the rest areas they've closed over the years.
Minimize zoning issues for truck stops.
Require businesses that want overnight loading/unloading to provide overnight parking.
USS_peepee@reddit
Indiana just bulldozed an old one and put up a fence; ohio has a made a couple truck only parking with a porta potty.
I hate Indiana.
Sabre_Stryke@reddit
The only thing Indiana's good for is testing your load strapping and how well your own stuff is stored when driving I-70...
CrashingTiger@reddit
i can close my eyes and tell you when we cross into Indiana. lol.
SpiritualFlamingo599@reddit
I can close my eyes and tell you what part of indiana im in, seems like every si gle one has a different way it fucks with your truck
The_Vass_76@reddit
You and everyone else hates Indiana. I, on the other hand, have come up with a solution to Indiana. Lift the entire state, including all the people, the roadways, and everything else, then you take the entirety of what you lifted up and then take it up to Canada. Air lift it all, then drop it all into the Hudson. Let it sink, and then forget it ever existed.
Disastrous_Fan6120@reddit
Why are we hating on Canada? How about the 🇷🇺
The_Vass_76@reddit
Not hating. I was just thinking about a large mass of water which can be used to sink Indiana and that isn’t that far away from its original location.
Disastrous_Fan6120@reddit
Haha lol I get it. Just the convenience factor then 😆
The_Vass_76@reddit
👍
USS_peepee@reddit
I am born, raised, and live here. I agree but as a counter proposal do the top 2/3 of the state - bottom third of the state is absolutely beautiful. But yeah, trash the rest.
Microshlongg@reddit
The last part. A local Walmart distribution center or Amazon can hog any truck stop within 30 miles radius with third party contractors waiting for appointment
potodev@reddit
This a big problem, which I'm a part of today. Running a Kroger dedicated this weekend and the DC has no showers. I'm bobtail at a nearby pilot, doubled up with another bobtail who's running out the same DC. There's about a dozen of us here taking up spots that should be going to OTR drivers all because the DC doesn't provide basic facilities for the drivers. But I need to wash my ass, so here I am.
ExpedientDemise@reddit
Seriously, I see space all over that could be graded gravelled, and made into parking. One town along I-20 in Texas turned the grass space between the off ramp and the interstate into asphalt truck parking. I pass places every day that USED TO BE a roadside rest but the highway department quit maintaining them and plowed up the entrance. Some could literally open tomorrow if they opened the gate.
Itsalmostover71@reddit
🎶 These are the worst of times" I do believe it's true I feel so helpless like a boat against the tide I wish this summer wind could bring back Paradise🎶 bahahahaha it won’t! It’s “suckitupbuttercup protocol”
Need to fine tune that eye a little more. Doing fine over here.
lofgrenator@reddit
Did you just quote Styx? Did we just become best friends?
Itsalmostover71@reddit
I’ve got too much time on my hands, the fun never ends as long as I’m buying, is it any wonder?
thebishoptaylor@reddit
I feel like parking has gotten better over the past few years. I tend to do my 10 at one of the big 3. Depending on what area I'm in, I'll pay for parking
TimothyLux@reddit
I love shippers that say we can 10 hour on property. I absolutely do not need any facilities, just a place to chill. But yes, this absolutely should be mandatory that they provide a place if they don't let us out with 2 hrs to spare on your clock.
This is definitely a state and national interest problem that just giving citations out is a piss pour way to handle it.
Physical-Standard-69@reddit
For 2nd: PA turnpike has this; other states should do something similar
Independent_Leg7358@reddit
The locals giving the citations are the same ones who wouldn't approve a truckstop.
ComprehendReading@reddit
Citations make money.
All these ballot propositions always say bullshit like: Longterm effects, reduced enforcement income, increased costs.
And then the counter proposal is basically: increased roadway safety, increased income over ten years.
Unique_Arm435@reddit
Truckparkingclub. 4800 sites. Emails have surveys for codes. Stop being attached to truck stops.
forkystabbyveggie@reddit
Self driving trucks will fix the parking shortage before the gov or the industry will
grow_trucking@reddit (OP)
Maybe in 2080
coldafsteel@reddit
Trains. More cargo moving by rail than truck. It’s cheaper, better for the environment, safer.
Trucks are great for the last mile. But most cargo on the highway doesn’t really “need” to be there. The US rail system kinda sucks. Improve it just a little, and trucking gets a lot better.
RectumRavager69@reddit
Every major railroad in the US sucks unfathomable amounts of ass. I love trains, I was seriously considering working on the railroad and eventually making it to conductor or engineer for a class 1 outfit, but after talking to guys that actually do it there's no way in hell I would ever consider it. All of them are dogshit beyond compare.
daemonescanem@reddit
If they are dog shit then why is railroad pay & pension among the best you can get as a working man?
RectumRavager69@reddit
After PSR they were officially not worth working for anymore. It's profit over everything, even lives and the environment.
disturbedrailroader@reddit
Because they have to lure in suckers somehow. The average class I railroad spends about $100,000 per new hire to onboard and train a conductor and another $500,000 to train a new engineer, only to turn around and spend the rest of that new guy's career trying to fire him. That is not an exaggeration.
Just like we, as truckers, could get fined at any point by someone looking hard enough, the railroad employs people who have nothing better to do than to follow crews around to "observe" and perform what's called an ops test on them. An ops test by itself won't get you fired, but it does start building a case against you.
The railroad I used to work for was actively working on getting as many people as they could on level s status. That's something like a final warning before getting fired. Granted, most of those were well deserved. Things like running a stop signal, excessively speeding, violating blue flag protection, etc. are all good reasons to be on a level s. Availability, refusing to move an unsafe engine or car, running a switch, etc. are NOT good uses for level s.
Go into the railroading subs to verify what I'm saying if you don't believe me. The industry was good when I started, but it's dystopian now and it's only getting worse.
daemonescanem@reddit
Truckers get fined for being overweight, not little things.
disturbedrailroader@reddit
And for running underinflated tires, bulbs burned out, missing mudflaps, bald tires, worn brakes, loose lug nuts, loose straps, not enough straps, etc...
coldafsteel@reddit
It’s not really that bad 🤷♂️
RectumRavager69@reddit
I've spoken with multiple guys that did that and more in 30+ year careers. I'm happy it's not that bad for you but it fucking sucked for all of them. OTR ain't a cake walk either but at least I don't go to jail if I refuse to work and I don't have to start drinking the second I'm on my time off so I can't get called back in.
coldafsteel@reddit
It’s a lifestyle, just like in trucking there are pros and cons. It’s not a good fit for everyone, but it’s not “hard”.
DonBoy30@reddit
It’s amazing how many bandaids we put over solving the problem of reducing carbon emissions created for how we move raw materials and freight, when intermodal travel has been a thing for forever. The inefficiencies and waste within our economy is absolutely astounding.
It says a lot about our world when some Hail Mary attempt to create an electric tractor that can run endlessly is a less daunting task than just getting the rail companies to cooperate.
bentstrider83@reddit
Applause on that one. Time to join a MOW crew.
UOLZEPHYR@reddit
This is really the proper answer. And a lot of truck drivers arent going to like it. We need to get cross country between major spots and then have regional drivers run out of rail ports to recievers, wash out, bring the new trailer to the port and send it out.
This will eliminate the need for as many cross country trucks, allow more trucks to park, minimize roads closures and repairs, and most importantly get drivers ample time home and to rest.
Only thing that would still be on the roads as proper OTR would be hazmat and oversize.
Before anyone rages - this would take 30-50 years to implement and move all the major rail infrastructure OUT of the major metro areas and would allow more living areas inside the cities
Tricky_Big_8774@reddit
Parking isn't really a problem for the leg of the trip that trains would replace.
UOLZEPHYR@reddit
The trains would handle cross countries - regional would take over in place for OTR
Specific-Aide9475@reddit
I’ve heard of the issues in locomotive industry. I see the thought but the creates a different issue.
Cardinal_350@reddit
If you need something across the country this week you've got to use a truck. If you want it there next month you use a train. I worked LTL for awhile. We could guarantee a skid from the Midwest to Long Beach in 3 days. They couldn't promise it's be there in 3 weeks with our rail service
R2Doucebag@reddit
Well, this was a short conversation lol
spizsam@reddit
That is more of an east coast thing. West of the Mississippi the parking is a lot better unless you're in the middle of the city
M41414@reddit
Nothing is gonna fix it. There’s no reason to update aging infrastructure that will be outdated shortly. Not all, but a good portion of us will be replaced in probably 10 years or so to automated trucks. It’ll take longer for long haul, specialized stuff to be replaced with auto driver. But why dump money into something that is gonna go away shortly.
ken120@reddit
No one. As long as the lazy truckers just dump their trash, and biological waste only going to make it worse. I know most are professional but who wants to keep hiring new employees to clean up after those who aren't. Cheaper to just ban and have the trucks towed.
Violet_Apathy@reddit
Require that any truck that overnights run in teams so they rarely have to stop.
StolenRage@reddit
I started driving truck to get away from people. No way in hell I want to spend that much time that close to another person. One or both of us would end up dead.
Tromboneofsteel@reddit
I nearly had a mental breakdown just spending a month with my trainer. I can't sleep in a moving vehicle. So 2 hours of sleep per day and learning nothing from this guy after the first load.
No, I'll stay solo thanks.
Violet_Apathy@reddit
They are asleep most of the time that you're awake so it's not too much trouble. Also it's nice having a cuddle 🤗
boogityshmoogity@reddit
Once trucks become autonomously driven parking lots for rest won’t be required. No sense in fixing yesterday’s problems.
Tromboneofsteel@reddit
"Once" So it's not yesterday's problem yet, it's today's.
"I won't replace my blown head gasket because eventually all cars will be electric" is the same logic.
Parking-Signature867@reddit
I altered my schedule get up at 4 hit the road 5:30 to 6 shut down around 4 or 5 early start early shut down. That was my answer until everything gets screwed up with shipper receiver and traffic
Real_Gift2774@reddit
What time you beginning your day? I always started no later than 5AM when I was rolling to/from destination.
Leave at five. Stop at three. Usually plenty of parking if you get to a truck stop or rest area before 3:00.
The_Vass_76@reddit
Great in theory. Sadly, some of us work by appointment times exclusively, and that bars some of that for those that do. But, the idea is sound for most drivers.
MustangMark83@reddit
That sounds great in theory but sometimes I’ll have a 5pm delivery that takes 2-3 hours to unload and they don’t let me park on site. Good luck finding parking then.
HorizonW1@reddit
Yes, but most of us can’t do that mr OG. Get a app at 3am and you’re fucked can’t stay on those schedules.
swamplice@reddit
Well first off a ton of these driver's say you didn't proper trip planning. Like, you should never be without a spot if you trip plan properly. I think the people that say that are not the brightest and/or lying. Or maybe, they're wanna be drivers. But yes, like someone said, more pavement every so many miles on the interstates.
USS_peepee@reddit
Small pro tip if you’re running a Penske or Ryder tractor and / or trailer:
Park at one of their centers for your 10 hr. Their shop is too busy to care and won’t care about your unit number unless you check it in. Checking it in is the only way someone will someone out and look. Otherwise, techs will just walk on by.
firstblush73@reddit
Profitably is the driving force behind the scenes, in the trucking industry. Everyone TAKES from the truckers, to add to their own profit margin.
The industry itself is built on exploiting drivers. There is no fix for this, because the "system" is operating as it should.
If you wont do the job, there is someone else out there, a little more desperate than you, that will. And companies know this.
Its not fixable. As the financial crisis increases, people lower their expectations on what is acceptable, and the people who want more, are replaced by people who want much less. Wash, rinse, repeat.
PathofEnlightment@reddit
I've never had a problem to park wherever I need to pull up and do it there you know. Problem is I don't know you can't build more spots they're always packed . You got to go away from the crowd I find your own parking. I'm talking back of the mall shop you know, off ramps. Side streets near distro. Parking everywhere man
baltbum@reddit
trump is doing everything he can to fix the lack of parking for truck drivers. His solution. $15 a gallon for diesel. That will fix it.
n0funeral@reddit
less trucks
buckytuba1@reddit
They need to make more land or tear down some businesses that aren't necessary
keytiri@reddit
Half of all truckers should drive overnight 💁♀️
Silent-Room-4987@reddit
Yup. The coastal half.
anotherredditor459@reddit
-Re-open all closed rest areas or at least let the trucks in there to park -shippers should let trucks park for their 10 hour, especially if they have big ass yards -honestly, I think towns/cities/police/the system should leave trucks alone if they’re parked by a store or in an area that’s not impeding traffic or bothering anyone
DonBoy30@reddit
They’re no reason they can’t just expand existing rest areas to accommodate trucks, while building more tractor parking pull offs.
But they won’t, because America doesn’t care. But, when Iran sends us into recession due to high energy costs, lack of fertilizer for food, and helium for semiconductors, there’ll be plenty of parking.
Silent-Room-4987@reddit
Imminent domain sucks. Imagine it's your property the gov buys and kicks you out so they can bull doze it and build a parking lot.
XanJamZ@reddit
The solution is going to be different for different locations
Gonzotrucker1@reddit
I’m not paying to secure my bosses equipment overnight that’s just stupidity. I don’t pay to store my neighbors car.
RectumRavager69@reddit
Bigger rest areas, reopen the ones that are closed, put in more truck parking areas that are just a giant lot with some lights and lines on the concrete and maybe a couple portapotties and a dumpster, start requiring shippers and receivers to allow drivers to take a 10 on the property, and while you're at it make it legal to idle for the full duration of a 10 hour reset anywhere in the country so long as the engine and/or APU has a DEF system.
The real answer, because none of this will ever happen, is to just start your day at 2am so you're parking at 2-4pm at the latest. But most can't handle that. I've also gotten in pilots ass multiple times after reserving a spot at a location, getting there, and all the reserved spots are full of dickheads that didn't pay and the location won't come knock on their door and tell them to move their shit or get towed and then turn around and just offer me a refund instead of doing their goddamn jobs. While we're at it, if someone is parked creatively at a truck stop and they're not blocking the flow of traffic or creating a hazard by parking there you shouldn't be able to knock on their door or threaten them with a tow.
SpicyPeasant1@reddit
Yep 100% agree.
I actually try to start my day around 2000. No matter what time I’m done parking is guaranteed.
RectumRavager69@reddit
I did the daytime driving for a while and it has its perks but anymore I start between 0000-0200 depending on what part of the country I'm in. At least that way when I'm getting started there's hardly any traffic for at least 3-5 hours and when I go on my home time it's not too jarring to wake up at 0600 if I sleep in. Especially running the northeast getting an early start is a must, you can make it from Boston to Trenton in 4.5 hours if you leave early enough or you can sleep in till 7 and not get there until 1300 if you're lucky.
South or Midwest outside of the major cities you can run whenever and still get miles.
XiangJiang@reddit
I haven’t really experienced this despite the many years on the road. I usually finish late at night too. It’s midnight right now and I just arrived to a truck stop just off the interstate in Virginia and there is plenty of parking. I plan all my trips as I hope most do. Don’t know what I’m doing right if most do plan their trips too.
TimothyLux@reddit
You lead a charmed life lol. But seriously, I'm wondering if you've ever had to park at midnight in salt lake City or some other urban area? I know you mentioned trip planning but sometimes it just can't be helped that you're ending your trip near a bigish city in my experience
XiangJiang@reddit
For Salt Lake, I’ve never seen the TA in Tooele completely full. Even if it looks full, there have been open parking spaces as I drive through the lot.
Goldleader-23@reddit
Massive infrastructure build up instead of bombing brown people would be a good start
Ill-Year-3141@reddit
It's not going to get fixed. No one wants to pay for it and no one cares about us, even the ATA lol
Everyone wants goods delivered, the general public and governments alike, it's what keeps the nation going, but none of them give a rats ass about truckers. It's as if we're just an unfortunate necessity of getting goods delivered and we don't deserve a second thought. That's just the honest truth. It shows in so many ways, not just in the severe lack of parking, but in how many tasks we perform, unpaid, every day. No one cares. It doesn't hurt them if we're unable to find a safe spot to park... it doesn't hurt them if we're sitting at a shipper/receiver for 5 or 6 hours not getting paid, or at least, not for the first 2 - 3 hours depending on your carriers/the brokers detention pay.
We're invisible. It's not the 60's - 80's anymore when people at least had some respect (and drivers actually acted in a way that earned some respect, instead of being gross, rude and out of shape pieces of shit like most are today) ...
bentstrider83@reddit
As user coldafsteel stated, railroads and from me, paid parking. Paid parking especially for those of us that need a few hours ok the night shift to cook food or hit a nearby gym.
All spots are taken by everyone down for the count by 5p. The rest of us just drive straight through and take ramp 30s and whatever slightly healthy food we can eat on the go in the midst of the sodium and HFCS trash collection.
ArtisticAd9404@reddit
On the Indian toll road, each side has 2 pull offs, each that fit hundreds of trucks. I’ve never pulled into one and not found parking, outside of when they repaved two of the lots last year. If you had one of those every 25-50 miles on the interstate, there would never be a shortage of parking.
THExPILLOx@reddit
I'm not gonna lie, I think it has gotten better the last few years. Stops I used to avoid like the plague have a bunch of spots at 11pm and 2am.
Specific-Aide9475@reddit
The easy solutions is to have otr drivers and more home daily drivers. For the Megas, that’s pretty easy. Unfortunately it creates another problem, the smaller companies with less capabilities will struggle with that one.
MoosiePie22@reddit
The problem here is people are caring less and less about trucks, so why in the hell would they care where we slept or if we even got sleep? All they care about is that they get their product, and us truckers hate each other so much we can’t stick together and legitimately protest. So there’s really no reason to fix it in their eyes, because they’re getting absolutely zero pushback just a couple off-putting comments they forget about in five minutes.
ScaredPerformance733@reddit
Minimize zoning is probably the best answer. People park their trucks at truck stops or commercial areas just for that reason.
Trappin4DaSport@reddit
literally need to just expand current rest areas