OTR Driving Tips: Finding Safe Parking

It’s essential to make smart parking choices when traveling across the country. Those decisions will determine whether you get ticketed, towed, or waylaid by cargo theft gangs. According to the American Trucking Association, cargo theft incidents increased by 27% between 2021 and 2022. These same criminal activities surged by a shocking 60% last year, putting CDL holders and their sensitive freight in harm’s way.

There are a variety of steps truckers can take to reduce the risk of being hijacked or robbed. The best way to avoid becoming a target is to park your tractor-trailer in a place thieves are unlikely to strike.

Aim for Well-Populated Areas

Why are highly populated areas safer to park in? The answer involves the criminal mindset. Thieves typically avoid places where people gather because someone might catch them in the act. When it comes to cargo theft, offloading products or materials in a crowded area will surely raise someone’s curiosity, if not suspicion. Busy truck stops and parking lots may not ensure complete cargo protection, but criminals who worry about getting noticed are unlikely to try.

Use Trucker Path to Find Available Spots

Reports indicate there is only one legitimate truck-safe parking space for every 11 big rigs on the road at any given time. That’s why truck drivers lose an average of 56 minutes every day looking for parking spaces. At the end of the year, wasted time cuts deep into a driver’s limited hours of service. Fortunately, the Truck Path app can help reduce drivable hours losses and secure safe parking by providing real-time parking intel.

Plan Your Trips Accordingly

Avoiding high-traffic hours allows OTR truckers to log miles more efficiently, but it can also be used as a safety measure.

Consider the difference between parking a tractor-trailer in the middle of a relatively empty lot. At night, the isolation and cover of darkness almost beg cargo thieves to try their luck. During the day, those same criminals are more likely to be exposed and arrested. That’s why scheduling downtime during bumper-to-bumper daytime traffic also improves safety.

Park With Your Trailer Against a Wall

If you are unable to locate truck safe parking, consider strategic positioning. Backing the trailer up against a wall makes it more difficult to cut the lock and offload the cargo. By that same token, pulling up reasonably tight to other trailers eliminates the ability of thieves to pry open side doors and steal. The point is that making it difficult for lazy criminals serves as a deterrent.

Never Stop on the Shoulder

The shortage of safe truck parking continues to frustrate drivers who are forced to park on the shoulders of busy interstates, highways, and exit ramps. This practice is inherently unsafe and illegal in many municipalities.

What few truckers realize is that parking on shoulders also increases the risk of attracting cargo theft gangs. Many of these unlit locations abut wooded areas. Parking on the shoulder is simply not worth the risk.

Park Close to a Security Camera

It may come as a surprise to relatively new CDL holders, but there are plenty of generous companies that offer freight haulers safe truck parking. Places like Walmart, Sam’s Club, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Cracker Barrel, Cabela’s, and Bass Pro Shops, among others, normally permit drivers to park overnight.

Although these locations are not always directly off the freeway, they usually have security cameras in place. The last thing cargo thieves want is to get recorded. Remember to call ahead during business hours to get permission.

Where You Can’t Park

Despite truckers delivering more than 70% of America’s goods and materials, not everyone is open to providing parking. Municipalities often have ordinances that prohibit big rigs from parking overnight in residential areas. Cities like New York City don’t allow trucks to park on the streets overnight. In some instances, time limits are enforced during the day unless the trucks are actively being unloaded.

As mentioned earlier, state police and sheriff’s departments ticket OTR drivers who park on shoulders. It’s also important not to mistakenly park on private property. Sometimes, private lots seem like they are part of a truck stop until a tow truck arrives.

Set Yourself Up for Success at TSI

If you’re new to driving or are considering a career in trucking, TSI is ready to help. We offer a six-week paid CDL program that will teach you everything you need to know about OTR driving, including trip planning, pre-trip inspections, defensive driving, and finding safe parking. If you’re already a CDL holder, please visit our website for more industry news and driver resources.