Demand for Secure Truck Lots?

I think there is a huge need for such a place. Paved, with a secure gate, restroom facilities. Light maintenance allowed, don't need gallons of oil/coolant being spilled.

 

Half of our drop yards are secured lots shared with other carriers. I see them around in most cities and industrial towns, but not everywhere. I think the guys parking their trucks in a field or an empty parking lot of a closed store in town are just cheapskates and don't care about security. Most of them are company drivers that I've seen.

Also there are quite a few OOs that park at our terminals that don't even work for the company. All you have to do is ask around where you live. Everybody has a price.

 

There is a demand. I am an O/O and I pay $100 a month to park my truck and trailer at a small trucking company. There are numerous fenced in yards that I have seen where trucks park. I have seen signs on the fence with a number to call for parking.

 

I’d say lots of demand but not worth the money. There would be huge private parking businesses spring up along major highways if so.

If you already have existing area graveled or paved then it may be worth a shot though. Starting from scratch would be massive costs.

 

You should be able to look around town to get an idea.Judging by the Trucks parked in Store lots. We have quite a few around here. Lots of O/Os. Going rate is $100 a mo. for a mud hole without electricity. $150 for gated cement lot with electricity. Seems to be a pretty good Business. Just have to empty garbage, and keep oil collected in barrels. Not always easy. I dispose of my oil and tires. Some just pile it up by the trash cans, and throw tires behind someone else’s Truck. It’s a problem. Comes with the territory unfortunately.

 

The only way I think this would work is if you own a business already with extra space and there are people around a lot of the time.

Also, start small. Sell spots only to friends and friends of friends, or carefully vet them somehow.

The place I park I share with 6 other trucks. It's a gravel spot under power lines (can't be built on) behind a small warehouse type business. There are people around. There is a dumpster so we use it. Everyone watches out for everyone else and there's no expense or need of a fence, cameras or other stuff to keep up with.

 

Some areas/municipalities charge higher taxes for storage facilities that cater to motorized vehicles. Rv’s and boats are excluded. 4 months ago a Cousin just finished up the first phase of an 8 acre rv and boat storage facility right next door to me using my east deer fence as a barrier. Covered and non covered. Plan is to keep adding covered buildings as needed until full. She is at 10% capacity. Once she hits 75% a 20ft tall wall is going up on that side between us so the security lights will not brighten my night sky any longer. There is still 100 acres of cornfield on her east side to expand.

Her and the husband keep all their construction and farm equipment stored there toward the back near a pond that is split between us to make it look like it is not part of the business to not raise questions with county property tax assessor.

She’s not sure if allowing active truck parking is worth it. She has nothing against them. She grew up in trucks and runs 2 belly dumps and a low boy in her business. It’s just a money thing and she would most likely have to keep them seperate from the other rv’s and trailers for liability reasons unless she knows or trusts the truck owner.