One of the challenges of being a trucker is finding a place to park the big rig. There’s good news, though, and it comes in the form of a free mobile app called “Park My Truck.” The development of this handy app came about because trucking and travel plaza leaders wanted to improve highway safety and help professional drivers find available truck parking spots. The app goes live later this summer.
If you were to ask a truck driver what’s something that needs improvement on the road, they’d probably include truck parking availability in their top 5 list of wants and needs. The new Park My Truck app allows any parking provider to report their parking availability for free through the app. All the provider needs is internet access. They can be a public or private parking area, too.
Interestingly, both the federal government and state governments have spent millions of dollars over the decades in order to research and test tech-based approaches to counting parking spaces, but to no avail. What good is dated, generic information when real-time info serves the purpose much better? Having a real-time app showcasing where to park is a lot better than guessing whether or not a place might still have spots, or even be open.
Truckers require off-duty rest periods. You’ll find trucks parked at places like truck stops, travel centers, and rest areas. Rather than wasting their time and energy driving around, desperately looking for a place to park and rest, truckers will be able to use the new Park My Truck app to smartly plan and find a place to take a break.
Available online and/or through smartphone apps, Park My Truck is going to really help the industry. Any parking providers who’d like to count and share available spaces should contact the NATSO foundation at 703-549-2100 or by email at hello@parkmytruck.com to establish their account.