Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/989498
30 | Overdrive | June 2018 T he electronic logging device mandate has had the unin- tended effect of adding new pressure to the parking situation along busy corridors across the nation. Truck stop chains seem to have anticipated the swelling demand, some converting formerly open spaces to pay-to-park spots available only with reservations. While some drivers frown on the practice – denouncing reservation systems as a means to pad revenue at the expense of loyal customers – truck stop chains insist the reservation option benefits drivers. Tyler Tanaka, director of digital and innovation at Pilot Flying J, compares the situation to playing musical chairs. "The song is getting shorter and shorter, and chairs are being taken away in the middle of the song. It puts artificial pres- sure on certain times of the day and makes it harder and harder for drivers to find spots." The system enables drivers to plan better and helps mitigate the stress asso- ciated with finding parking, he says. Since late 2017, TA/Petro has seen its share of reserved spaces grow a few percentage points to 12 percent of its total spaces, says company spokesperson Tom Liutkus. That's due in part to the ELD mandate, he says, and "a shift in drivers understanding that this could help them." While truck stop pay-to-park without a fuel purchase was common in past decades, it fell out of fashion as chains competed for business. Now some lots are more than half-allocated to reserved spaces, and prices appear to be climbing. TA/Petro's reserved pricing starts at $12 and ranges to $18, covering a 24-hour period. Prices for reserved spaces at Pilot Flying J stops run about the same, though they vary by timing and location. Commenter Lynn Rhoades on OverderiveOnline.com, echoing similar comments online, called the paid park- ing "one more way for truck stops to increase their revenue at the expense of the drivers. ... Truckers are just cash cows to the stockholders." Liutkus acknowledges that some driv- ers still have an issue with paid reserva- tions. Yet owner-operators who use the system "will tell you it's a godsend," he says, noting they often pass the costs on to customers and see their available THE SHIFT THE SHIFT PARKING MUSICAL CHAIRS: "The song is getting shorter and shorter, and chairs are being taken away in the middle of the song." – Tyler Tanaka, Pilot Flying J Max Heine ELDs up the ante on parking Under the rigors of ELD operation, truckers report a keener focus on parking, making it tougher to find a safe place to shut down for the night. Meanwhile, some truck stop chains have increased reserved pay-to-park spaces to offer a sure bet in the nightly gamble. BY TODD DILLS AND JAMES JAILLET