Overnight Parking (besides truck stops)

If you are on 287 between Amarillo and Ft. Worth, the two safety rest areas are nice places to park. Large parking areas and cool air conditioned areas inside with super clean restrooms.

 

That unfortunately is becoming more and more common. The scumbags who throw their trash on the ground are ruining it for the rest of us.

 

I stay away from lonely back road widespots you can get stuck robbed or even see a ghost check out my thread "do you believe in the supernatural"read what happenned to me in Essex Ca last thursday.Also the best thing to do is to nose in in the parking spot as long as you can get out so u dont have to idle and reduce noise in the morn u wake up use the RR and get coffee and vamonos.

 

If I'm at a shipper or receiver that I've not been to before, and I'm in need of a place to park, I'll always ask someone there....quite often, they'll say "you can park in such-and-such row, as long as you're out of the way"...., or they'll point me to a nearby side street or something similar.

I remember one night I was really stuck...needed a place, and now. Pulled into this small convienence store with diesel but no marked truck parking spots. I had a trailer, too. I asked the clerk about parking somewhere, and he said "Oh, just pull around back and put it next to the curb...you'll be fine there as long as you're out by 6AM". Room for one truck....perfect!

Just gotta ask sometimes!

 

I have found that most shippers/receivers don't mind you parking there if you simply ask. When I get my load info i will call and get directions and the next question is if they have room for me to park overnight and if it's a safe neighborhood to do so and what else is close by. If it's an industrial area your usually good to go. Also google earth or bing maps birds eye view are great tools to see if you can find a place to park close to your shipper or receiver if you can't get a hold of them or they won't let you park overnight. If they don't have room a business close by might have. I will park in my customers drive a lot of times I just make sure I'm not blocking others access to it.

Just be creative and courteous. You can park in most industrial parks but don't block drives so that other people can't access businesses. On Ramps in some states ( just be sure you know which ones or it will cost you a hefty fine )

 

New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada out in the desert there are thousands of places to pull of into and enjoy the night sky and a peaceful sleep! Wyoming too. Utah and Montana and Idaho have lots of little parking places near lakes and rivers where you can camp out for the night. I was just posting on another thread about how my wife used to write all these notes in her truckstop guide about little places we could park or go. That way we just looked in the guide and we knew right where we could have our own private parking spot.

 

I used to say "Circuit City loading dock!" but they've been gone for a while.

Unfortunately Borders books has just gone under. Which is a shame because I'd go there for bathrooms, coffee and something to read while waiting for a load/shipper.

Still unless you have a flatbed or tank, you could probably sleep at their dock. (for all they know you're there to deliver/pick up the shelving.)