Challenges in truck parking: why truckers don’t use parking apps

The negative reaction to these apps is not only due to the technology itself but also to the lack of complete information provided by them.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently published a study titled “Assessment of Truck Parking Capacity Utilization to Determine the Feasibility and Benefits of Truck Parking Management Platforms.” This study suggests that truck drivers are reluctant to use parking apps. However, beyond the drivers’ willingness, it was found that the negative reaction to these apps is not only due to the technology itself but also to the lack of complete information provided by them.

Given that the lack of adequate parking continues to be one of the main concerns in the trucking industry, the FMCSA conducted the study with the intention of understanding how many available parking spaces are actually being utilized and whether a truck parking app could improve their use. Three different aspects of truck parking were studied:

Use of parking along the Interstate corridors 80 and 94.
When and where truck drivers park in unauthorized areas along those corridors.
The feasibility and benefits of truck parking apps to optimize parking capacity utilization.

Truck drivers do not use parking apps

The study revealed that the demand for overnight parking is unmet, leading truck drivers to park on entrance and exit ramps of rest areas. Additionally, there is an unmet need for short-term parking, as many trucks remain parked for less than two hours. According to Jolanda Prozzi, the lead researcher of the study, the most important takeaway is that the results confirm the urgent need for long-term parking, something that was already considered evident.

Within the study, a pilot program was implemented using the ParkUnload parking app at rest areas in Iowa and Wisconsin. Through this app, drivers can access real-time space availability, locate free spots, and charge for parking. The pilot was implemented in nine rest areas (six in Iowa and three in Wisconsin) for one year.

During the year-long pilot program, the app was downloaded by 338 truck drivers and used 418 times. This indicates that those who downloaded the app used it an average of once or not at all throughout the year. Despite offering real-time information on parking availability, the low adoption suggests that truck drivers may not be fully convinced of the technology’s usefulness or may face additional barriers to using it.

What are the issues with parking apps?

Real-time information is key to the functionality of truck parking apps. This is one of the main reasons why ParkUnload did not succeed, as within the public sector, no app effectively collects this data. For this reason, private apps like Truck Parking Club have gained popularity, as they allow truck drivers to find available parking in real time. However, many truck drivers are still unwilling to pay for parking, which is another challenge in itself.

Although ParkUnload might seem like an ideal solution, it would need to be implemented on a much larger scale. Currently, no app offers the possibility of checking parking availability at rest areas across multiple states. If all public sector parking spaces were properly managed, it is likely that the use of these facilities would increase, improving the system’s efficiency.

Conclusions: overcoming adoption and integration challenges

The FMCSA pilot project, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Transportation, demonstrated that it is a significant challenge to get drivers to download and use the app, which represents an important barrier to its adoption in many rest areas across the U.S.

Despite this difficulty, the research team identified cases where these technologies could be useful, such as in truck stops that wish to diversify their services, implement reservation and payment systems, or establish preferred parking programs. Additionally, these platforms could be implemented in smaller rest areas or in security and weigh stations where sophisticated parking availability systems would be costly.

As the adoption of electric trucks increases, these technologies could incorporate information about electric charging infrastructure and parking time limits, further improving the driver experience. Together, these technological advances could transform truck parking management, especially if adoption challenges are overcome and integrated into existing systems.