Truck Parking Shortage
The truck parking shortage is simple. There is not a place available when you need one. That constitutes a shortage. Tighter enforcement of HOS have exacerbated the issue. It used to be that the ideal parking spot was anywhere between the last weigh station and your destination. Now, it needs to be a place where you can actually take a 10 hour break. That includes indoor plumbing. Back in the day, I remember knowing which truck stops would fill up and when. If there was a spot where I could sleep and then get up and drive a few miles when I got up- it worked. With electronic enforcement, that method does not work as well as it used to.
There is no perfect solution to the problem. Jason's Law helps with the government side. Closing highway rest areas has been a problem. Especially when you plan a stop near the end of a time period. I will often prepare my meals in the truck. It is easy for me to pull into a rest area for a quick meal and my 30 minute break. I pay a lot of money in road use taxes. It angers me to see rest areas closing while my fuel taxes get used for “pet” projects, that have nothing to do with safe highway transportation. Keep the rest areas open.
Clean up after yourself and then some. Many larger stores allow truck parking. PARKING AT THESE STORES IS A PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT! It can be taken away. Treat it that way. Clean up after yourself. Whenever I park at these stores, I gather all of the shopping carts left in the area, and return them to the cart corrals. It is a reciprocal arrangement. Patronize where you park.
The most efficient place to park is at the customer. That allows you to maximize your productivity. You don't have to allow for “what if” time when you park at your destination. There is a definite correlation between the cost of real estate and available truck parking. There is not going to be a major truck stop built in Times Square anytime soon. When delivering anywhere, be aware of your surroundings.
Pay for parking is on the rise. It is one of the fixes. I don't like it. Truck stops with pay for parking can provide a guaranteed spot. That is a good thing. They also risk alienating customers, who can't find a spot to use when there a 10 empty ones being saved. A compromise for them would be to only block them off after they are reserved.
Knowledge and information are key. An empty spot does no good if we do not know they exist. The continuing exodus of the newbie driver is a problem. It takes time to learn where all the parking is. The industry needs to stop treating newbies like disposable assets. Even an old dog like me has a phone app. Electronic signs telling of available parking help. There is no one solution. It will take a combination of old dog knowledge, new technology, common courtesy, and a willingness to work together to solve the issue.