Should Truckstops Charge For Parking?

I always get the ladies to validate my parking stub.

 

Delta5 there are three possilibilties you are not considering. The first is a driver delivered his/her load before their dispatcher comes in and doesn't have a preplan. He/She has to wait till thier dispatcher comes in and gives them a load. This could take a two or more hours. The second is a driver has a delivery in the area and fueled the day before. The third is the driver delivered their load and has a 2 hours left on their 70. He/she is just starting their reset and already had breakfast. I willing to bet that the majority of those who park at T/S's with free parking do spend money at the T/S. What gets me is when someone who isn't pulling a OD load takes up 2 spaces because they don't want someone parked next to them or for whatever reason. This is when the T/S staff should get the driver to park better,if they don't have them towed

 

Nice topic,,and here is my take on it,,

I see the Truckstop's much like a Walmart,Kmart.Target,Etc,,, all have rather large parking lots to lure in potential customers,more parking available more possible customers,they dont charge and thus you are free to choose where you spend the Denero,Peso's or for you Union types "Obama-Credits"(JUST JOKING)

The truckstop affords you a place to park so you can go in and "possibly" spend money in their establishment,Freeloaders might be a bit harsh if you look at it like at the moment,Im sure in another day they are dropping some coins in another truckstop in the same chain

Given a choice Im sure all of us faced with a choice between a brand new large(but made to pay to park) truckstop or a dive with a dirt lot,(but free) we for the most would choose free.

In my experiances the Mom&Pops that charge usually waive parking if you eat in their resturant to which i see a fair tradeoff

The Petro in Scranton well that was a novel idea,you pay up front and they give you a meal voucher,,,hmmm same as above so it goes

 

I'm an O/O and I do look for cheaper fuel, but is it fair that the big companies pay a lower price at the chain T/S than what us O/O have to pay?

I will buy a shower at a truckstop and usually buy dinner there if it's decent. I don't mind paying for parking if it's decent, safe and clean. At the Petro in ATL they charge to park but if you spend $25 it's free.

 

49r in Sacto gives 4 hrs free and its $12 for 24 hrs. Plus wifi there is free.

 

I will never pay for parking. It's not secure, so beggars and lizards bang on my door. Not clean. Smells like urine all over. Ugh.

 

Free parking there with fuel receipt or 50 bucks of in store or shop/truck wash spendings.

 

Not anymore, they ran the numbers and saw how much money they were loosing, parking has been free the last 3 months.

 

Here's a scenario that I occasionally do.

The Petro up the street from our terminal is very convenient for us. I have gotten there many times right at 4pm and parked. Went inside and used my free shower coupon. Showered, went to the bathroom, watched a little of their TV then went back to my truck. I started my APU, put in one of my home cooked meals, used my wifi off my cell phone then watched some of my TV. I then had my cookies and milk then went to bed. I woke up the next morning, went inside, used the bathroom to sit and think a while, brushed my teeth, got a free coffee off my Road King card then went out to my truck, had a bowl of cereal, cleaned up and threw my garbage into one of the trash barrels. I then started my truck and went to the fuel island to wash my windows and left. What does that make me?

Now also take into consideration that I am the cheapest SOB on the planet. Like many have said prior, if I have to pay to park then I'll go somewhere else.

Side note, I've been stopping at that Petro in Avoca since the day it was built. It's steadily gone down hill the last 25 years.

 

Any decent truckstop that charges to park has a way to nullify the charge by spending money at the truckstop, usually a very minimal amount. I have no problem with this at all as they are in business to make profit, much like myself. On top of that, most that charge are in an area that have a lot of trucks and few truckstops, usually due to lack of land and high property costs, ie the Northeast, Florida, California, etc. These are also areas with high fuel costs so the truckstop runs a lower percentage of fueling trucks to parked trucks. How often do you guys fill up at the T/A's in Ontario, California??? Or do you get just enough to get to AZ?

As far as company drivers go, your company should be reimbursing you for parking, so why do you care?

If anyone remembers Johnnies on I78 which was a pay lot, you could go in there at night and find a place. They made it a Peelot (free), and now you can't even get in at night to get a coffee.

I park at the ATL Petro, Willington, CT T/A, FL TPK service plaza (I hop on just for the parking sometimes), and on and on. Spend $25, buy some fuel, whatever as I appreciate the service these places give me.