Paid parking...

I've used it once. I had a 5 hour curb side delivery in Somerville (Boston). (New building, Office furniture.) Knew at the end of my day I'd have a #### time finding parking so I prebooked parking for the nearest Pilot because I knew it was extremely unlike I'd find legal parking at that time of night. Sent the bill to the company and they paid for it. If that happens again I'll do it again.

 

In four years I've used paid parking three times, never ordering it in advance. Here's some strategies to avoid paid parking:

1. Whenever possible start driving at 2:00 am or therabouts. After 6-8 hours driving you have lots of available parking to take a 30 minute break at any rest area or truck stop, as all the solar powered drivers are starting to get underway. By the time you finish driving between 2-4 pm parking is wide open at almost any truck stop or rest area.

2. Get the Trucker's Path app. You can see parking availability before you get there. OFTEN small independent truck stops will have available parking when the major chains are full.

3. Alternatives to truck stops or rest areas include casinos, Walmarts (call ahead), porn superstores (in the Bible Belt), or wide pullouts on highways. Use Google Satellite View on your 30 minute break or final 10-15 minute break a couple of hours before the end of the day to locate potential parking.

4. Untether yourself from having to park at truck stops for your 10. Stock your truck with food. Take showers on your 30. Shop on your 30. Get efficient with time management so you can discover places that will give you a great nights sleep where you don't have to park next to reefers or idling trucks and can hear coyotes and crickets.

 

Yeah, it's situations like this that make reserving a parking spot a good idea. Late afternoon or early evening delivery in a city notorious for bad options for parking.

 

Parking at a porn superstore can get you fired (so I heard) I like to start out early in the morning then have pick of spots when its time to stop.As for paid have done it a few times company reimbursed it back so no big deal.Do a lot of Baltimore so yeah T/A (hate that nasty place)

 

Paid parking isn't going anywhere, protest all you want. So, that said, don't use it, but it's there if you need it. I've noticed a few places have reduced paid parking real estate, but none have eliminated it.

Where I work it is reimbursed. But it's also a deductible expense on your Schedule A.