Alternative parking

First of all, I am not an experienced truck driver. I just finished school and am in the process of driving with my trainer and I'm already not liking the entire parking situation. I had this crazy idea that I would work whatever hours I would want to work during the day depending on delivery schedule and I would sleep around that but I'm finding out that these truck stops fill up so quickly, that changes everything.
It would seem to me that someone out there who has been doing this for a long time has figured out how to find alternative parking than regular truck stops and rest areas. Does anyone not simply Venture off the beaten path and find an industrial district where every building has a loading dock in the back and just park there or something like that? Strip shopping centers have grocery stores and grocery stores have loading docks and they are typically closed after hours so who would even care that you were back there? Has anyone even tried this? I know industrial districts in my city that have so much parking in the back of every building and many of them do not even have guard Shacks to keep you out. No one would know that you were there sleeping or if you had a delivery there when they opened up the next morning. I'm assuming these trucks are too heavy for a church parking lot or at least when they are full of freight but I'm not sure about empty so has anyone ever tried that route? I'm looking for any ideas other than your typical truck stops and rest areas. Thank you.

 

Yes all of us have hidey holes around the country... get away from the mega truck stops and u will find plenty of parking... i remeber last month i went to the petro to park about 9pm.. Only 1 spot open and it impossible to hit with a 53 spread axle so i made a left turn and went to a little truck stop down the street, maybe a quarter mile down, big enough lot to park 20 trucks, there was 3 trucks there, while the petro is busting at the seems..... Sometimes just gotta get out of the matrix... when ur first starting out its best to shutdown around 4pm so u can find parking... out west u can always find something outside the city but down south they will write u tickets everywhere

 

Probably shouldn't park in loading docks of supermarkets, they get their deliveries in between 3 an 8 am.

 

Do not use docks. Often grocery stores will have early morning trucks.

Shopping plazas can work sometimes. Do you see a no tractor-trailer parking sign? So sign, you are probably OK to park in the rear of the lot. I have parked in many shopping plaza parking lots. Never had an issue so far, just use some common sense. Stay in the back and do not liter.

Walmarts are a good spot to check out. Do not park behind the walmarts sometimes security will run you off.

I dont know much about industrial area parking. Im sure some flatbedder can help you there.

Also region you are in. Some areas are truck friendly in general, others not so much. The north east will be faster to run you off than Texas.or the Dakota's.

Malls are a good place to check. I see trucks parked around some mall lots. Half those malls are closed out of business anyway. A mall in Charlotte comes to mind. I use that when I am there.

 

I am from the Charlotte area so you must be referring to the former Eastland mall on Central ave.

 

Thats the one. I park along central ave where I cant be seen from the road because its a steep drop. I hit up the Quik Mart on the corner for something to eat.

Its kind of dark. 4wheelers loiter in the area. Ill park near other trucks if any are there. Its been fine so far though.

 

I usually spend the night at or near my delivery most of the time. When I trip plan, I put Google maps in satellite mode and check out the area close by. It's not all the time you can sleep at a customer, but I have many secret parking areas that are off the beaten path in various parts of the country. As you gain experience, you will start to be observant and find other options besides the chain truck stops. You will only think that parking sucks if you're reliant on chain truck stops

 

Yeah Google satellite is fantastic for that.

OP: heres an experiment for you so can get a feel for it. Open up Google Maps Satellite view. Search address

9720 W Peoria Ave, Peoria, AZ 85345

Thats a shopping plaza in a Pheonix suburb i use when I am there.

Do you see that large empty space on the right hand side behind the Plaza? You can park there. And theres great Chinese food just across the street.

 

Here's another example:

FR68+8P Oak Park, Michigan

That one is in Detroit. Behind the plaza theres open space. Ive seen as many as 4 trucks tucked back there. Theres a grocery store across the street.

Just watch out for those poles when you wiggle back there. Lol

 

This is true. There are plenty of them that will schedule trucks 24 hours a day. I deliver them and leave the yard around 4 pm and run until 4 am some times.