– Teresa Madaleno:
According to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATR) finding a safe spot to park is one of the biggest time wasters that U.S truckers face on the road. The parking situation is not much better in Canada if you drive a big rig. In Vancouver alone the Trucking Association has reported a 5,000-space shortfall.
Parking a big truck is hard enough and when you consider how many journeys place you in areas without easy parking access, it becomes a headache for drivers. Recent surveys indicate that 90 percent of drivers feel the parking shortage is making life on the road a lot harder than it should be. The Canadian Trucking Alliance estimates that it takes an average 56 minutes of drive time for truckers to find available parking. Since time is money, this means a driver’s productivity is reduced.
Why is Truck Parking a Problem?
One of the biggest problems is the balance truckers face with driving hours verses safe parking. Drivers must conform to maximum Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. These rules are designed to make sure drivers get enough rest while on the road. A lack of sleep can be dangerous when you drive for a living. Many drivers end up in a position where they are searching for parking spots at night when parking areas are already full. Unfortunately, the drivers aren’t always close to a truck stop when it is time for them to rest. An example of a truck stop in Canada would be a Petro-Pass Stop. Examples of truck stops in the United States include Big Apple Travel Center or Boss Truck Shops.
Lack of Truck Parking Impacts
When truck drivers can’t find legal parking, they have no other choice but to park in unsafe areas. This could include the side of the highway, which increases the risk of accidents for both the truck driver and car drivers. In some cases, truckers can find hidden spots along a road, but those aren’t safe either. When forced to park in spaces that aren’t designated as truck spaces, the driver risks getting a fine. If a driver is constantly breaking rules when it comes to parking, they could face serious repercussions, such as lose their license. Makeshift truck parking spots also expose truck drivers to theft.
Toughest States to Find Truck Parking
The Truck Parking Club in the United States has indicated that the following areas are known for having a lack of truck parking options: the Southeast, Northeast, South Central, and Midwest. A couple years ago, Trucknews.com ran a report that included data on where Canadian truckers are parking at the roadside due to lack of legal parking spots. In New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia truck drivers frequently park by the roadside, thus it is assumed that these provinces have the worst truck parking problems.
What to do About the Lack of Truck Parking
Just about any trucker will tell you how annoying time wasters are and specifically how much time is wasted looking for a decent parking space. What can they do about it? The trucking industry is the heart of our economy, making sure there is timely transportation of goods we use every day. Collaboration between governments, communities and even private stakeholders could help lessen the problem. Governments at all levels should ensure there is proper funding to construct and maintain rest areas for truckers. Trucking leaders in both the U.S and Canada continue to pressure all levels of government for help, but in the meantime, it’s up to each driver to find a safe parking spot. TruckSuite™ LLC in the U.S., along with its Canadian TruckSuite partners under the Sparta Group umbrella of companies, are introducing truckers to their comprehensive app that assists with finding parking spaces. What makes the app enticing to drivers is that it not only assists with parking, but also a whole host of challenges truckers face on the road.
