Startup is AirBNB for Truck Parking
Easily one of the greatest issues tackling the trucking industry today is the lack of available, safe truck parking. We once postulated that perhaps businesses with extra parking space could sell it, and one startup company, the Truck Parking Club, is hoping to pair weary drivers with companies hoping to make a few extra dollars through passive use of their parking lots.
Economic Viability?
Studies from 2013 show that it is common for a truck driver to spend over an hour searching for a parking space. That is an hour that could otherwise be used to put miles on the journey.
The Truck Parking Club currently has 40 different listings (as of the time of writing) with an average of around $25 per night for secure parking. Depending on the total amount of time saved looking for a parking spot, it may make sense for the fleet to pay the fee so the driver can focus less on finding a safe spot to close for the night and more time getting rest.
For this to make any economic sense, the fleet would have to cover the cost of parking, rather than the driver himself or herself. In a 2015 survey from the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), 48% of respondents said they would never pay for a parking space out of their own pocket, and approximately 11% of respondents said they would be willing to pay more than $10.Â
Conclusion
Truck parking is an issue that is unpopular with the masses who consume the goods that are brought to them via truck every single day; it is a problem that will take multiple approaches to be able to slowly but surely whittle it down until it is no longer an issue. While the government providing free parking is one solution to increasing the supply of trucking spaces, it will take some time to implement. Until then, fleets that want to run a more efficient business may find themselves ponying up some extra cash in order to make the working conditions of their truckers a little easier.
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