TruckPark is continuing to increase accessibility to its truck parking
reservation system through a new partnership with Trucker Tools. The deal means that access to TruckPark’s available parking
spaces will be accessible through the Trucker Tools app, which has been
downloaded 900,000 times, the company said.
TruckPark partners with lot owners
to provide reserved parking spots for tractor-trailers. The average price for drivers is $15.
TruckPark currently offers more than 4,000 secure spots.
“Our goal is to reach critical mass
as quickly as possible, which is why we have started a new campaign around
monetization of underutilized property outside of traditional yards and into
truck stops, shippers, carrier terminals, box retailers, farmland and even
sports venues,” Anthony Petitte, co-founder and CEO of TruckPark, told
FreightWaves. “Anywhere we can create a safe and seamless experience for the
driver – which has always been our company’s mission – is what we are doing.”
Prasad Gollapalli, founder and
chief executive of Reston, Virginia-based Trucker Tools, said that offering
access to parking through its app is a priority for the company.
“For many years the parking feature
of our app has aggregated and presented up-to-date information on thousands of
public parking resources, such as highway rest areas, commercial truck stops
and Walmart locations, among others,” he said. “It also provides drivers with
in-route, on-the-way directions and arrival ETAs,” which help truckers manage
hours of service compliance.
“Addressing this issue and helping
drivers manage the parking challenge is a top imperative for us,” Gollapalli
added. “By integrating TruckPark’s functionality and network, we’re making our
parking feature that much more comprehensive and timelier, giving drivers
accurate information and new visibility into available parking options for
commercial lots.”
The Trucker Tools mobile app is used by 130,000 small fleet operators, the company said.
Petitte said the inclusion of
TruckPark’s reservation system within the Trucker Tools app will streamline the
process for drivers.
“It’s a one-stop-shop solution for
carriers and drivers. While they plan their day, they might as well book a
secure spot ahead of time too,” he said. “This allows the driver, whether
company, owner-operator or independent, to be more productive with hours of
service [restrictions] while ensuring payload security. TruckPark is a
necessary value-added service.”
According to the American
Transportation Research Institute’s (ATRI) Critical Issues in the Trucking
Industry 2018 report, 48.7% of respondents said the parking shortage leads them
to park on ramps or the side of the highway between three and five times a
week. A TruckerPath report in 2017 found that drivers lose approximately $600 in
wages per month due to lost miles driving around looking for a place to park.
That same survey found that 79% violated hours-of-service rules because they
could not find parking.
Petitte said that truckers will
need to download the TruckPark app to create a profile, but once that is
accomplished, the process of reserving a space occurs within the Trucker Tools
app. All billing is paperless and handled through the TruckPark app, which will
open in the Trucker Tools app once a driver begins the search for parking.
Earlier this month, TruckPark
provided access to telemedicine options within its services page in the app. The program, with GenieMD, offers truck drivers
access to medical professionals who can write prescriptions as needed.
TruckPark added thousands of spaces to its network in 2019 through partnerships with several parking
lot owners, including a deal with Storemytruck.com that promises to add more
than 100 locations over the next two years.
