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.