New Safe Parking Idea

^^^What he said!^^^

No matter what you do, you are going to get somebody pissing and moaning about "how much you are gouging me." But the fact is that you are going to have to make money to do this, and it is not going to be cheap. Just bringing the lot up to spec is going to cost a bundle, and so is maintaining it.

You are going to have to figure your costs very closely, then you can figure out how to pay for it. I am one of the drivers what would cry like a baby over having to pay to park. HOWEVER, I never minded the type of place where you only had to pay if you did not spend x number of dollars inside.

I am afraid that too many drivers expect businesses to cater to their whims for free. Free restrooms, free showers, free parking, free gym etc. I wouldn't be surprised to see somebody suggest that meals and fuel should be free to, as "we are doing a service out here." You have to know what to listen to and what to ignore.

Now I'm way past the age where I would ever open up any type of business, but if I was doing it, I'd figure on how to make money. Cater to the drivers who are going to use your service and are willing to pay for it.

Let Billy Big Rigger who is whining about the cost of EVERYTHING, then bellyaching about the food, the service, the lot etc etc etc ad nauseum take their big truck on up the road and park in a rest area.

 

Have someone on pee bottle pick up, you know, for the drivers that insist on leaving their bottles on the ground. Maybe they could call on channel 6 and leave the bottle on their step for pick up.

 

Boy you aren't kidding. On a serious note though, I have seen too many parking lots without enough of garbage cans. Alot of drivers are lazy when it comes time to throw out the trash, and if there's no can within spitting distance it'll wind up on the ground, almost like the way some live at home.

 

Have everything a trucker needs that they can't get at most exits or other truck stops. Healthy go food, homemade treats, haircuts, maybe a dental cleaning? The coffee drive thru sounds great along with one or two fresh item specials at B, L + D time to go with it! Quick e-z in and out. KISS

 

I haul up to the auction down the street a couple days a week. Didnot know the place was forsale, thought it was tied up in a bankruptcy case.

 

Here is what I am going to sugjest, have a truck clean out area that you can easily pull into weather you are entering or exiting the truck stop. Have a coin opperated vaccum there with plenty of hose to get into a sleeper, and make sure the machines are in good working condition and emptied daily!

Also have plenty of trash cans in this clean out area, make it so 3 or 4 trucks can park there at a time and clean out thier garbage, wash thier windows, little things like that which make all the difference when you are on the road. Being able to conveniantly keep your truck clean is definately a big plus there.

Have 1 or 2 mechanics bays where a guy can get his oil changed, get tires rotated or get new tires put on, things like that. Maybe even brakes on occasion. The things all trucks are going to need, and need now when they go bad.

Dont renovate an old facility, build something new, it saves you the cost of demo, and you arent polishing an old pile of...

When it comes to fuel lanes, stick as many of them in there as you can, there is nothing more frustrating than needing fuel really bad and pulling into a truck stop and sitting there for 30 minutes wondering if you are going to make it to the pump with out running out of fuel. Or at times just being able to get through the pump in a hurry when you are tired and drained, it shouldnt take you an hour to get fuel.

have a strict no rv's and busses rule. Rv'ers dont know how to act around trucks half the time. and they often less seasoned drivers, thus they are in a big rig they are not used to driving. Not only that but I have seen people in RV's show up set up camp in a truck stop, and sit there a couple of days taking up a whole bunch of space. They should go find an RV park like the rest of them do.

Restaraunt, have some healthy choices, soul food is good too, but being able to eat healthy is a big challenge for a driver these days, dennys, McDonalds, Burger King, Sonic and the rest of the bunch will bring your arteries and your driving career to a slow painful firey doom. They will wreck your health of you have to eat that stuff all the time.

Another idea, It was mentioned that you were going to have an all fenced area, why not make it so the fenced area was a seperate area for flatbedders. step decks, rgn's and oversize only. high value loads that are not contained within a lockable trailer.

If a box van wants to park in this area, charge them a few bucks, make it free for up to 48 hours for the guys who really need it.

This will bring you a lot of customers becaue knowing they can park in a lot with out having to worry about swift, schnider, jb hunt, or any of the other big time rookie express companies that hire primarily noobs backing into them.

I know for me I have been backed into several times, and it was always by a box van, the driver always said the same thing "well I couldnt see your trailer." Well no duh you couldnt see my trailer, it is a step deck, it sits low. It is one thing to back in next to a van with a van, it is another for a new driver who has to guestimate where a trailer he cant spot is.

Other things, think about making your restaraunt have a good view of the interstate and of the entrance to the truck stop, give it more of a lounge enviroment, this will get drivers to come up there and sit, they can watch traffic go by, and if they see a friend go rolling by, they will be more apt to call them up and get them to come back to your truck stop.

Last thought, take out the trash! If you have companies that have drivers who are constantly backing into other drivers in your parking lot, kick em out. Get rid of the nuisances that will hire any one who can hold a steering wheel who cause many of the truck stop related problems, and before you know it you will have a super stop on your hands.

 

this place is starting to sound like a new Iowa 80, haha hope it all works out, i'll try to swing on in when it all comes together

 

Wow... I know we call this new idea of a parking lot, hummmmm Oh I know its a truckstop.