Do you agree with reserved truck stop parking?

Reading comprehension my man, reading comprehension. Copied from my post you quoted:
All for the price of diesel and maybe a $1 tip to whoever parked the truck.
Yes, dad offered valet parking so that the drivers could simply pull up to the pump and walk down the street, no need to wait around while we filled your tanks and such. Back then as it is today, time was money and it allowed the drivers to relax a bit while we took care of their truck. I learned to back long before I ever drove a truck on the highway, have been pumping diesel and valet parking trucks at dad's fuel stop since I was a kid.

What says I have no personal knowledge of such things? I have been around trucking my entire life, third generation, and although I said I hauled cars most for the last 25 years that is not all I have ever done. My family and I were in the towing, repair and travel center business so I do have a clue how it works even today my family still own and operate fuel stops. Yes, I said I never needed truck stops but that doesn't mean I am ignorant to what goes on in the industry or how other segments of the industry work. What you do now does not need a typical travel plaza or reserved parking and that is great, hell we would rather not have the livestock haulers there anyhow. Nothing against the drivers, but your cargo stinks! That said, I appreciate what you do since I love a good steak every week and realize without each segment of the industry the nation would come to a halt.

And you are hopping all over the place, whiny drivers are nothing new and have nothing to do with reserved parking spots. You claim to be an excellent business man, so what is wrong with a property owner charging a premium for a premium service? Don't want to pay for a reserved spot then don't, really doesn't get much simpler than that! For the drivers that have to absolutely park in a specific town due to load scheduling, and don't want to camp out on a highway shoulder or abandoned dirt lot somewhere it is a welcome service.

The truck stop business model is based on revenue per parking space, always has been. Since the fuel margin is not what it used to be and store/restaurant sales are declining they have to do something to make their targets. Unlike truckers, they will not absorb the cost of operating, they increase margins as needed. Basic supply and demand capitalism.

We want to fix the truck stop parking issue, stop allowing companies to use them as remote terminals and places to leave trucks while on home time. That eats up so much more of the needed parking capacity for the active drivers than a few reserved spots along the front line. It irritates me to no end to find a truck left in the lot without permission or to see companies using the spots to park empty trucks overnight while their local drivers are home. Go rent your own #### terminal if you have a need for multiple locally operated trucks in one town!

 

Isn’t it amazing Love’s doesn’t charge for parking yet still rakes in so much cash that they can open a new location practically every week?

 

Pay to park (throughout the truck stop) is problematic, too. I remember trying to leave the Forty-Niner truck stop one Monday morning around 09:00. There were 3 “lanes” that led to the exit. All we’re backed up and mad and couldn’t leave their parking spot to get in line. It was a cluster fluck to get everybody merged in. Nobody knew who’s turn it was to merge in where, and it took about 20 minutes to get to the pay booth. It was worse then leaving the GW Bridge Toll area on a weekday early morning.

They would have to have a very well thought out egress system to handle the several “mad dash rushes” a busy truck stop will see every day.

 

I just read an article in LandLine magazine about reserved parking where the interviewed the Pilot, TA and Loves.
Eventually the Loves will have it.
I’ll look for a link later

 

I have been in some TA's in CT that are all paid parking unless you purchase enough fuel or crap in the store. Kinda sucks if you just wanted to use the restroom and grab a coffee. Yes, the exit lanes could use some work too!

There is no easy solution to truck stop parking and it is only getting worse as municipal parking is closing.

 

It’s bound to happen and in spite of what everyone thinks, the truck stops aren’t “doing it for the money”. They are doing it because of demand from drivers and carriers.

 

Those places generally give you 2 hours free which is fair IMO

 

Yes, the 2 hours free is more than fair, just the hassle of taking a ticket and waiting in line to exit while someone is trying to prove they spent enough to get out for free.

 

I really think the companies should be paying for it instead of the drivers.
But then some drivers would reserve a spot just so they can park closer to the store and not have to walk.

 

Ideally perhaps. Maybe they could develop a system that uses your loyalty card. Swipe it going in, do your business (purchases are accumulated and tallied), swipe it going out , and it immediately displays appropriate parking charge if there is one. You can then [if necessary] pay with payment means assigned to loyalty card, or choose another payment option. It hopefully prints a receipt without any problems, and you’re on your way.

Of course you have to video every truck because you’re going to always have some irate trucker crash the gate.