Opinion: The Unasked Question in the Truck Parking Debate

By W. Dewey Clower

resident

atso Inc.

On the Friday morning before Memorial Day weekend, a North Carolina truck driver hauling frozen chickens to Annapolis, Md., ran his truck off the Capital Beltway [Interstate 495]. Not surprisingly, the driver distanced himself from the cause of the crash, asserting that he “wanted to stop and pull over in Virginia, but couldn’t.”

Did this driver unsuccessfully attempt to park at a truck stop? On his route between Richmond, Va., and Washington, D.C., there are, conservatively, more than 1,600 truck stop parking spaces, all free, all located yards from the Interstate off-ramp. On this particular night, area truck stop lots boasted ample parking opportunities — drivers have their pick of truck stop spaces on the evening before a holiday weekend. In addition, a significant number of motels on that stretch of highway can accommodate a truck.

When this driver explained that he couldn’t stop in Virginia, did he instead mean that he felt he couldn’t afford to stop? Possibly a shipper demanded that he deliver his cargo to an Annapolis loading dock at a particular hour. If so, he could not have taken his truck out of service to use a legal parking place. In the highly competitive trucking market, every hour a truck sits idle translates into about 40 to 50 miles’ worth of lost wages for the driver and lost profits for the trucking company. That simple economic reality pressures some drivers to keep moving, even in the face of fatigue.

On the other hand, does anyone really believe that those drivers who violate hours of service or falsify logbooks do so because there is no place to park? The principles of supply and demand indicate, in fact, that no systemic parking shortage exists. Providing free parking for the trucking industry is expensive. A typical truck stop must spend approximately $100,000 to convert one acre of land into parking for approximately 20 trucks. That same operator will spend another $7,500 to $10,000 to maintain and secure that acre over the course of a year. Despite this high cost, more than 90% of truck stop parking is free. How many other products or services are expensive to provide yet are given away, even though in high demand? None. If a shortage truly existed, truck stop entrepreneurs would be charging fees to park.

For those who insist more parking is needed, rest areas are the last place additional spaces should be constructed. Rest areas are not secure. They provide breeding grounds for violent crime and theft. Furthermore, only 7% of drivers reported they prefer rest area parking for long-term sleep, according to a 1999 survey by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. The 1996 American Trucking Associations rest area study likewise found most truckers preferred to stop at truck stops for long-term rest. A survey released last year by the Natso Foundation reported that while most drivers feel safe at truck stops, few shared that sentiment about rest areas.

The push for more rest area parking could actually threaten both the trucking and truck stop industries. A recently-released National Transportation Safety Board report suggested that states could fund more parking by commercializing rest areas. There is no question that the truck stop industry would be devastated. Interchange businesses could not compete against an entity selected by the state to offer services on a convenient highway shoulder. Most of these businesses would close down.

Truck stops would not be the only ones to suffer, however. Fewer interchange businesses would create a severe parking drought. The rest area monopolies would be selected solely because they are willing to pay the state the highest fee. As a result, trucking companies and truck drivers would pay higher costs for products and services. Any trucking company that does not believe this fact should attempt to negotiate a “cost plus” deal with one of the existing commercialized facilities that currently operate on our nation’s toll roads. Drivers will also tell you that these facilities do not cater to them — few offer professional trucker amenities. In fact, a few years ago Maryland even attempted to ban trucks altogether from its two commercialized facilities on I-95.

Clearly, it does neither the trucking nor the truck stop industries any good to be at odds over this issue. We obviously both agree that no one wants truckers to drift off to sleep behind the wheel and cause a fatal accident. Just as evident, we both want the trucking industry to flourish economically. If the trucking industry wants more parking, it should negotiate for more parking with truck stop operators.

Natso members tell us that a potential trucking customer has just three questions: How much do you charge for fuel? What discount can you provide to me? Is that your final offer? Fuel price, not parking, is the only ingredient in negotiations between a trucking company and a truck stop.

The trucking industry is merely wielding the parking issue as a weapon against hours-of-service regulators and those concerned about fatigue-related crashes. If the industry were truly serious about wanting more parking for drivers, it would start asking a fourth question: How many parking spaces can you provide for my drivers?

Natso Inc., Alexandria, Va., represents the nation’s travel plazas and truck stops, which provide more than 250,000 parking spaces nationwide.